The final four contestants on “The Voice” were feeling the pressure as they got their last chance to perform Tuesday, June 28, in a show that delivered rousing rock songs and empowering ballads.
The four coaches – Adam Levine, Cee Lo Green, Christina Aguilera and Blake Shelton – opened the first show of the two-night finale with a rendition of, surprise, David Bowie’s “Under Pressure.” The arrangement started with Levine singing the opening “Umm boom bah day,” and allowed for Blake’s distinctly country voice to not clash with Aguilera’s vocal acrobatics.
Host Carson Daly kept up with the “pressure” theme, saying it “is everywhere for our four finalists.”
The show format changed this week, with the final four (Vicci Martinez, Javier Colon, Dia Frampton and Beverly McClellan) competing against each other instead of their teammates, and with each singing both a duet with their coaches and an original song.
Before the competitors got started, a video retrospective played.
It started with a narrator recalling, “Ten weeks ago, the world’s most exciting singing competition premiered,” and emphasized the show’s shtick, that the winner would be chosen “based on voice alone.”
During the look back, each coach commented on their final representative. Aguilera said of McClellan, “She really is that one in a million performer. Shelton of Frampton, “This girl is a shooting star.” Levine of Colon, “This guy’s voice is out of control.” And, Green about Martinez, “Sorry guys, but we will be victorious.”
After reminding viewers what’s on the table for the winner ($100,000, a recording deal with Universal Republic Records and the title of The Voice), Daly introduced the final four, who stood beaming. When asked what sort of pressure she felt, McClellan replied, “I don’t know. I’m here to rock and roll.”
Before anyone could rock and roll, the show checked in with Alison Haislip in “The Voice” social media room. Haislip chatted with Martinez about her lack of sleep and with McClellan about the “stiff competition.”
After a commercial break, and before Colon’s original song performance, Daly announced that “The Voice” will be going on a national tour. The four second-place team finishers: Nakia, Casey Weston, Xenia and Frenchie Davis, will join the final four for the live shows.
The tour is scheduled to start July 27 in Los Angeles, Daly said, adding “tickets, of course, are on sale right now.”
Colon, the lovable family man with a voice, was the first to perform his original – or, rather, a song written by music industry bigwigs for the contestants. He performed songwriter and producer Rodney Jerkins’ “Stitch by Stitch,” a radio-ready song about the healing power of love.
Dedicating his performance to his “wonderful wife and family,” Colon started the song showcasing his haunting vocals and then showed off his talent by belting out the chorus.
Afterward, Aguilera said, “The song sounds like it fits you,” and Green agreed, saying Colon could “embody a song written for you.” Levine showed emotion, shrugging his shoulders in relief and telling Colon, “It’s over. Everyone knows an amazing singer, but you’re also an amazing guy.” He cleared his throat before adding, “It’s really hard for me to root for somebody that I don’t genuinely love very much.”
Frampton and Blake performed the first duet, a cover of Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down.” Dressed in matching dark suits and sporting black Ray-Ban sunglasses, they played guitars while giving an energetic performance of the classic rock song.
Martinez’s original song, “Afraid to Sleep,” produced by Butch Walker, was next.
“It relates to everyone out there,” she said of the song. “It’s an epic song and it builds.”
The performance started softly, with the sounds of a piano and Martinez’s raspy voice. A song about love lost framed within a now-hollow room, it switched tempo nicely, amplifying her vocal range.
After a guest performance of Pit Bull and Ne-Yo’s dance club anthem “Tonight,” Haislip updated viewers on “The Voice”-related buzz words trending on social media, including under pressure, tom petty, and Ray Ban.
McClellan’s duet with Aguilera was next. The always-humble Aguilera introduced the choice of song, her own hit “Beautiful,” saying McClellan was perfect to sing it with and to “inspire people.” McClellan was thrilled with the song choice, saying it was her favorite song.
In a toned down version of McClellan, she and Aguilera sat in high-top chairs surrounded by the band in Eagles-esque fashion. McClellan wore a plaid shirt while Aguilera wore a black blazer and oversized hat.
McClellan held her own next to the diva, and looked into the camera passionately when she sang the lyrics, “I am beautiful, no matter what they say.”
Frampton’s original was next, a melodious mix called “Inventing Shadows” by Fraser T. Smith. She wore a red dress and sat at a piano as the performance started. During the first chorus, dancers appeared behind screens, casting shadows as they moved. The distinct break in her voice fit the song, hitting the high notes along with the low.
After the song, Aguilera commented on the dancers, recalling how her fellow judges “made fun” of her for a similar stage stunt. In a rare occurrence, Levine agreed with Aguilera, calling the dancers “distracting.” Shelton didn’t seem to mind, saying Frampton’s performance was “amazing.”
Colon and Levine performed their duet, Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror,” next. Before the performance, Colon said they couldn’t do it “better than Michael,” and Levine agreed, saying they can just “have fun with it.”
While it wasn’t better than Jackson, the impressive performance did the late King of Pop’s song justice. Each man even added Jackson’s signature “whoos” and “hhks.” The arrangement, like most of Levine’s, was well thought out and blended the two singer’s voices beautifully.
Next up was CMA entertainer of the year Brad Paisley, wearing a white cowboy hat and performing his hit “Don’t Drink the Water” with Shelton.
After another social media check-in, it was McClellan’s turn to sing her original, “Love Sick” by Bill Appleberry.
She started the performance standing in front of a piano, where she stayed until the last part of the song, when she ended up laying down on top of the instrument. Riding the emotional waves of each crescendo, she stomped, threw her fists and bobbed her head while she sang. The song was a toe-tapping rock ballad, with the chorus repeating “Love sick, I’m sick of love.”
McClellan got a standing ovation from the judges, and Green said McClellan was one of his favorites.
The final performance was Martinez and Green’s duet, PatBenatar’s “Love is a Battlefield.” Green said Martinez could be the new Benatar, “if all the young whippersnappers out there would go out and do your homework and find out exactly who Pat Benatar is.”
Flanked by young and talented dancers, Green growled the opening lyrics as he walked out to the stage wearing red football pads with chrome spikes and chains, a red Mohawk and matching armbands. Martinez wore a black bodice with silver accents, and had one black smudge under eye like football player. The high-energy performance was one of the more impressive of the season, and a great way to end the final performance show.
Daly wrapped up by reminding viewers the results episode will air an hour earlier than usual, and that guest appearances include Shelton’s wife, country star Miranda Lambert, and Stevie Nicks.
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