As of Monday, November 9, “The Voice” Season 30 is officially live! And this week’s broadcast, dubbed the “Top 13 (Part 1),” brought back six of the show’s remaining 13 artists to sing for viewers’ votes.
It was music to Millennials’ ears when Carson Daly announced that the next two weeks of live shows will pay homage to Y2K, a time period responsible for producing some of the best songs of all time. Just hearing him say those words gave us warm-and-fuzzy flashbacks to the days of “TRL.” Images of colorful iMac desktops, flip phones, and frosted tips danced in our heads — not that they ever really stopped.
Following a group performance of Backstreet Boys’ “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back”),” we heard from the remaining members of Queen Latifah and Adam Levine’s teams: Mia Knight, Dakota Cohen, Lillie Kolich, Connor Closs, BigCountry, and Lexi Stephens. The remaining artists from Kelly Clarkson and Riley Green’s teams — including whichever singer was voted into the Top 13 last week — will perform live next Monday.
Read on for a breakdown of how this week’s six artists performed, including which five are proceeding to the Top 10, and which one was eliminated from the competition.
SAFE: Mia Knight (Team Queen)
Mia Knight kicked off the show’s two-week salute to Y2K with “Miss Independent,” one of the first (and most iconic) hits from Queen Latifah’s fellow “Voice” coach Kelly Clarkson. Latifah encouraged the young singer to give her performance “all the sass and style” she could muster. We already knew that the 16-year-old has a voice beyond her years, but that maturity also showed itself in Knight’s overall presentation on Monday; she approached the performance with confidence, owning every inch of the stage. Nerve did come into play on a few brief occasions, but Knight did not come to play, and it was strong overall, with some very big notes in there. The performance even got Clarkson’s seal of approval, which is worth more than any votes. (TVLine’s grade: B+)
SAFE: Dakota Cohen (Team Adam)
Adam Levine had us all looking to the skies with his pick for Dakota Cohen — Aerosmith’s “I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing,” an unforgettable anthem written for the 1998 movie “Armageddon.” And he wouldn’t let her take it down a half-step either, insisting that she give the performance all that she’s got. If possible, Cohen actually gave it even more than that. She slathered the song with all of the grit and growl that we’ve come to expect from her, along with several explosive moments that ultimately earned her a well-deserved standing ovation from the coaches. We’re sure Steven Tyler would tip his hat to Cohen for this one… and then probably say something weird. (TVLine’s grade: A)
ELIMINATED: Lillie Kolich (Team Queen)
Lillie Kolich’s take on “(You Drive Me) Crazy” had us wondering… is it Britney, b***h? One of Queen Latifah’s prized performers took to the stage with a version of the Britney Spears classic like we’ve never heard before. As far as extreme rearrangements go, this wasn’t our favorite. It felt a little bit all over the place, and it did Kolich no favors. Still, she managed to sneak in a few stand-out moments, especially her beautiful vocals on the song’s moody, haunting introduction. We’re big fans of Kolich, and we appreciated what she did well, we just think she deserved better. (TVLine’s grade: B)
SAFE: Connor Closs (Team Adam)
Having recently gotten engaged, Connor Closs dedicated his performance of *NSYNC’s “This Is Promise You” to his new fiancée Sarah — and if she didn’t already say yes, she definitely would have after hearing this man sing to her. He was spitting out runs as effortlessly as one breathes air, handling every curve of the love ballad with precision. There was so much emotion in his voice, whether he was belting to the back of the house or tickling our ears with some heartfelt falsetto. Adam Levine is right, Closs is absolutely one of the best singers in the competition. (TVLine’s grade: A+)
SAFE: BigCountry (Team Queen)
We wouldn’t have predicted that BigCountry would take on Bon Jovi’s “It’s My Life,” but as soon as we heard that he was singing it, we couldn’t wait for him to hit the mic. BigCountry was also excited… but we fear that his excitement might have gotten the better of him at the start of his performance, leading to some pitchy moments. He rebounded by the end, but it would have been stronger overall if he stayed closer to the original song without trying to make it too much his own. He got lost in the sauce up there a little bit. (TVLine’s grade: B-)
SAFE: Lexi Stephens (Team Adam)
The final performance of the night came courtesy of Lexi Stephens, and we have to hand it to Adam Levine — he really knows her voice. How else can you explain him choosing Avril Lavigne’s “I’m With You,” the absolute perfect song for Stephens to crush during Y2K Week? We were a little worried after the shaky start, but something clicked as Stephens approached the first chorus, and suddenly everything started hitting. And it hit hard. The power with which she smashed that “yeeeeah!” moment was something to be admired. (TVLine’s grade: A-)
Was Lillie Kolich the right singer to go home this week, or did the voters get it wrong? Drop a comment with your thoughts on all things “The Voice” Season 30 below.
