Forgive me, dear readers, for skipping over Christina's half-gloves and tramp hair, and Adam's incredible suit vest, but we really need to get to the good stuff: Pharrell's hat. It says "PLANT." Or to be more specific, Pharrell's hats (there are two: live, and pre-taped rehearsal), which both say "PLANT" across the brim. Is it an acronym? A secret, coded message to the audience members who are old enough to remember N*E*R*D? What could it possibly stand for? "Please Let's Admire Natural Talent?" Actually, that's not half-bad…
Never mind then. Aren't Christina's gloves ugly? Luckily, she'll have a chance to redeem herself Wednesday night, when the teams will be utterly decimated. And if these performances are any indication, it's going to be hard to watch the teams slashed; there's some top-notch talent hidden amongst the weeds, and lopsided teams stacked with heavyweights who all deserve their slot. Anyway, here's how Teams Adam and Pharrell Rankle ahead of the upcoming massacre:
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Lacy Mandigo
My mom once told me not to say anything unless I had something nice to say soooo…this is the first and only time I'm going to follow that advice.
Song: "Love Is A Battlefield"
Team: Pharrell -
Nate Butler
It's hard to hear Nate over that mix-and-match brown suit he's wearing. There are some good runs that break through, but the overall vibe is sort of skeezy '70s lounge, which can't be good.
Song: "Sara Smile"
Team: Adam (bring-back) -
Caity Peters
Taking on Adele is never exactly smart, but Caity's tone is so different that she's able to distance herself from the divine Miss A, even if she can't equal her magnitude. Technically, she's great, but all of the focus she puts into nailing the vocal intricacies pulls away from any emotion she might have been able to release, making this feel more like a stiff run-through than a game-time performance.
Song: "I'll Be Waiting"
Team: Pharrell -
Daniel Passino
Parrell brings Daniel back, not because he thinks Daniel has a great voice, but because Daniel lost really, really gracefully to Alisan a few weeks ago, which is sweet and very sportsmanlike, if not the best strategy to actually win. Luckily, Daniel's vocals still impress. Though he speak-sings through most of the arrangement, there are several flawless chest to head to falsetto transitions and an "oooooh" moment that's positively Lambertesque.
Song: "When I Was Your Man"
Team: Pharrell (bring-back) -
Moushumi
Moushumi's vocals are great, but her performance itself is a classic episode of When Bad Song Choices Happen To Good Singers. There's nothing in the flat arrangement for her to build on, and while she does have several runs to show off with, the whispery style of the piece makes it hard to even pick up on the subtlety of the vocal tricks.
Song: "Love Yourself"
Team: Pharrell -
Caroline Burns
Sixteen-year-old Caroline has a sweet unease to her that carries over into her tone; there's a bit of trembling that it makes fragile and hard to ignore. She's great here, but as Adam says, it feels like only the beginning for her.
Song: "All I Want"
Team: Adam -
Emily Keener
Seventeen-year-old Emily has a bit of a quiet Carole King vibe to her, making her both a ingénue and an enigma. She doesn't reveal much about herself in her performance here, but she does the sparse arrangement justice by delivering crystal-clear vocals and a pitch-perfect falsetto. It's a very specific vibe, but her pink ruffled sleeves make it look so cute.
Song: "Still Crazy After All These Years"
Team: Pharrell -
Brian Nhira
Brian, his pearly whites, and his adorable tan floodwater pants are just great here. His energy is infectious, his runs are perfect, and even what slight mumbling there is in the opening is forgiven in favor of the cadence in the chorus.
Song: "Alive"
Team: Adam -
Hannah Huston
This arrangement is a great vocal showcase for Hannah, and she nails the many, many intricacies with ease. The growl in her vibrato works with her intonation to really make it all seem effortless, and her comfort on the stage helps to add to that impression. It's impressive, and it will be interesting to see if she can build on the confidence enough to really push herself if she's in the Top 12.
Song: "Ain't No Way"
Team: Pharrell -
Owen Danoff
Owen's just another dorky white guy with a guitar on the surface, but every time he closes his eyes and opens his mouth at the mic stand, he manages to perform with such a sense of honesty that it's actually captivating. His vocals aren’t perfect, and he mumbles a little, but his intonation is so great that it doesn’t matter.
Song: "Hero"
Team: Adam -
Laith Al-Saadi
Laith is so consistently solid that it's almost hard to appreciate how great he really is here, but for perspective: he's so great that another coach begs America to vote for him. His natural rasp and vibrato fill the lyrics with color, while the contract between his gruff, harsh take the choir-like backing vocals only serve to further highlight the tenor of the emotion he's displaying. The crazy guitar skills are just icing on the cake.
Song: "With A Little Help From My Friends"
Team: Adam -
Shalyah Fearing
Mic drop.
Song: "Listen"
Team: Adam
Were you equally impressed by the night's showing? Itching to send anyone home? Comment away!