Stay tuned: we’re updating this post live!
Happy Monday to all who celebrate! And of course, the start of a brand new week marks the return of The Voice: Battle of Champions.
Last week saw plenty of twists and turns as the competition officially closed their Blind Auditions and headed into the first batch of Battle Rounds, with the field narrowing and the champion-level coaches—Kelly Clarkson, Adam Levine and John Legend—already seeing their 10-person teams begin to lose members.
Last week’s shocking eliminations and surprising steals
As noted above, Episode 4 marked the first week of Battle Rounds, pitting team members against each other to perform duets, as selected by their coaches. The coaches also had help this week, calling in some famous faces to act as their advisors. Clarkson had Jennifer Hudson, Levine partnered with Benji Madden and Legend had Muni Long. There were seven total performances with 14 team members taking to the stage, resulting in several eliminations and some surprising steals.
In fact, the episode began with one of the most shocking moments of the season so far, when Clarkson’s team saw Liv Ciara and Mikenley Brown open the show with a rendition of “Focus” by H.E.R. Both performers were exceptional, but Clarkson ultimately crowned Brown the winner. As a result, both Levine and Legend attempted to use their “Steals” to snag Ciara for their own squads; however, Clarkson surprised the audience by using her one and only “Super Steal” prize—which she earned one episode prior by winning the Triple Chair Turn competition—to save Ciara for her own team.
And that wasn’t the only “steal” of the evening, as another one closed the show! After a wonderful performance by Levine’s team members, Alexia Jayy and Moses G., Levine joked he wanted to “quit” the show, as it was such a hard choice between them. He ultimately crowned Jayy the winner; however, before Moses G. could even say his goodbyes, Legend swooped in with the “Steal,” claiming the singer for his own squad.
You can read our full live recap of last week’s episode here!The teams as of this week
Given the various shifts in the teams after last week’s many eliminations and “Steals,” here’s an updated look at what the rosters were as we headed into tonight’s episode.
Team KellyJulia GoldenAbigayle OakleyJonah MayorLiv Ciara (Saved by Clarkson’s “Super Steal”)Aaron LaVigneJ.W. Griffin (Winner of Battle Round against Blaire Elbert)Tia DurantHouston KellyMikenley Brown (Winner of Battle Round against Liv Ciara)Team AdamAlexia Jayy (Winner of Battle Round against Moses G.)Bay SimpsonJeremy KeithJaali Boyd (Winner of Battle Round against Bijou Belle)Aziz GuerraDrew RussellJared ShoemakerTeam JohnLucas West (Winner of Battle Round against A.J. Robinson)Kendra RemediosMike SteeleK.J. WillisAshley MarinaGrace Humphries (Winner of Battle Round against Adi Arora)Natasha BlaineSyd MillevoiMoses G. (Saved by Legend’s “Steal”)Battle Round TwoDrew Russell vs. Jared Shoemaker
To kick off the show, Levine paired Russell and Shoemaker together, assigning them one of his personal favorite songs, “Leather & Lace” by Stevie Nicks and Don Henley. Madden was still on hand to act as an advisor for Levine’s team and consistently enjoyed the duet between the two, applauding their “chemistry.” Russell and Shoemaker also shared several clips of their many practices throughout the week, further displaying how seriously they took their assignment.
After the performance ended, Clarkson and Legend applauded the pair, stating that they should explore the option of becoming a “duo,” given how well their voices complemented each other. Levine was also blown away by his team, making his choice a difficult one, but stated he knew the winner.
WINNER: Jared Shoemaker
Tia Durant vs. Houston Kelly
Next up were two members of Clarkson’s team, whom the coach matched due to their soulful voices. Like Madden, Hudson was still on hand to help the team with her advising, stepping in to give them pointers on the song while Clarkson was away. For their performance, Clarkson selected “Either way” by Chris Stapleton, which Hudson applauded as an excellent choice because of the theatrical vibes.
The two received a standing ovation from the coaches and the audience, with Levine and Legend blown away by their vocals. Clarkson joked that she needed help from the other coaches choosing, but they were perfectly split. While she was physically shaking as she chose, Clarkson came to a final decision.
WINNER: Houston Kelly
Stay tuned: we’re updating this post live!More Lifestyle & Celeb: