Tonight on NBC the Emmy award winning music competition The Voice returns with an all new Monday March 9, season 8 episode 5 called, “Blinds End and Battles Begin,” and we have your weekly recap below. On tonight’s episode, the blind auditions come to an end.
In the last episode of The Voice, we went back and looked at the best of the blind auditions this year. Did you watch the last episode? If you missed it, we have a full and detailed recap right here for you.
On tonight’s episode as per the NBC synopsis, “the “blind auditions” conclude as each coach fights for the best artists to complete their teams of 12. The second hour begins with the battle rounds. Adam Levine teams up with Ellie Goulding, Blake Shelton with Meghan Trainor, Christina Aguilera with Nick Jonas, and Pharrell Williams with Lionel Richie. In this phase, the coaches pit two of their own team members against each other in a dueling duet. After the vocal face-off, each coach must choose which artist from their team is the strongest, and has the option of stealing losing artists from an opposing coach. Each coach has two steals during the battle rounds where their artists will proceed to the knockout rounds.”
Tonight’s Live season 8 episode 5 is going to be exciting. We’ll be blogging it right here for you. In the meantime hit up the comments section and tell us how excited you are for season 8 of The Voice.
Tonight’s episode begins now – Refresh Page for Updates
It’s the last night of the #VoiceBlinds. Pharrell has two slots left and Blake, Christina and Adam have one slot each. Then we’ll head straight into battle rounds. First is 17 year old Nathan Hermida from Boston is the first up for blind auditions. Nathan sings Sure Thing by Miguel Pimentel. Adam turns almost immediately. Christina also turns. The audience is grooving on him – Nathan has a voice like silk. Great tone. Looks like a science nerd, sings like an angel. Blake and Pharrell stay put.
Adam says he was in the pocket the whole time and had the smoothest runs he’s heard. Blake says he was amazing. Christina says he has a sexy voice and says his rhythm is seductive. He says he wants to do R&B and soul/pop. She waves and says hi. She says he did a great job of using the instrument while singing. Adam says he was flawless and has a gift. Pharrell asks him to play a few bars then tries to push his button. Adam says he wants to make him the centerpiece of his team.
Nathan chooses Adam and Christina is bummed. Adam goes to hug him and tells him he’s amazing. Pharrell has to go hug him too. He bounces back stage gleefully. Adam announces that his team is full. He’s the first coach to lock in his team of 12. He also has Barry Minniefield, Blaze Johnson, Bren’nae DeBarge, Deanna Johnson, Jack Gregori, James McNeiece, Josh Batstone, Lexi Davila, Michael Leier, Nicolette Mare and Tonya Boyd-Cannon.
Next up is one word sensation Paul Pfau. He started singing in high school and had an epic fail but didn’t give up. Paul sings Fly Me to the Moon. Adam is bummed that he can’t turn. Blake does. Adam beats his button mercilessly. Pharrell starts to push his button and Blake says he will literally strangle him. He turns anyway. Christina didn’t turn and Adam couldn’t. Christina says he’s adorable. She says he’s like Pharrell’s dream and Adam says he’s all Pharrell.
Paul says he met Adam 10 years ago and was too chicken to give him his demo CD. Adam asks if he still has it and he does and hands it over. Pharrell says he was flawless and asks what he’d like to do – Paul says he’s done blues then more pop rock. Pharrell tells him welcome home. Adam says Paul is like him and Blake adds – except that he’s talented. Blake says he’s been waiting for someone like him for eight seasons. He says he has no one on his team like him. Then Paul says he was born in Tulsa, OK.
Adam points to Pharrell. Paul chooses Pharrell. Blake is disappointed. That leaves Pharrell with one slot now too. Next up is Gaia Golden from Hawaii. She grew up singing on the islands and now writes her own songs. Gaia sings Red by Taylor Swift. Her voice sounds a little pitchy to me. No one turns. Pharrell tells her she’s beautiful but says she needed to show more range. Christina says they needed to feel something. Blake says he wishes Gaia was his neighbor since she’s sweet and hot. Blake says she needs some more control of her pitch and needs to throw some more emotion at them.
Next up on the blinds is 22 year old Vance Smith from Detroit. They moved to Georgia to start a new life when he was 14 to get out of the bad area. Vance sings Reach Out I’ll Be There by the Four Tops. Pharrell and Christina hit their buttons as he hits his last note. He’s so thrilled he falls down on the stage. He tells them he loves them so much. Christina says his falsetto was great and she likes that he was having a good time. She says she has one slot left and would love to work with him.
Pharrell says even the pitchy parts happen when you’re suspended in a song and says he landed it. Vance chooses Christina and she rushes to hug him. That makes her team full. She also has Ameera Delandro, Clinton Washington, Gabriel Wolfchild, India Carney, Jeremy Gaynor, Joe Tolo, Katelyn Read, Koryn Hawthorne, Rob Taylor, Sonic and Treeva Gibson.
Next up in the blinds is Caitlin Caporale from New York. She says she watched since season one and did a ton of talent competitions growing up. She works at a cable company on the late shift. She sings Christina’s Impossible. Christina groans that she can’t pick her. She tells Pharell she did this song with Alicia Keys. Adam and Christina are both frustrated that they can’t pick her. Blake and Pharrell both turn. Blake loves what she looks like. She’s got a huge voice coming out of her tiny body.
Christina tells Caitlin she couldn’t turn and thanks her for doing her song. She says her team is full. She tells her it was awesome and she loved it. Blake rants that Pharrell beats him every freaking time. Blake says she has a 700 pound voice coming out of 80 pounds of body and says he thinks she could win this. Pharrell says he doesn’t always like runs and says it was gracious with her. Adam teases him and Pharrell thanks him for ruining his pitch. Blake says his job is to coach and can help her.
Pharrell says Blake said some compelling things but says he could really warm up with her voice and take her where she wants to be. Caitlin chooses Pharrell. That fills Pharrell’s last slot and he’s thrilled. He also has Anthony Riley, Ashley Morgan, Briar Jonee, Kimberly Nichole, Lowell Oakley, Meghan Linsey, Mia Z, Noelle Bybee, Sawyer Fredericks and Travis Ewing. Christina sings a bit of Impossible with Caitlin and it’s amazing. They share a big hug. That leaves Blake the only one with a slot so it’s down to what he wants.
Next up is Texan Hannah Kirby who had a guitar playing songwriting mom and she plays violin too. She sings The Letter by the Box Tops. It’s a funk arrangement but she has an amazing voice. Christina and Adam both wish they could turn. She sings her face off. She’s got a strong voice. Pharrell also tries to buzz in but Blake is holding out. Then he finally turns. Blake is on his feet and says she was getting mad that they didn’t turn. Adam says Blake was toying with all of them since no one could turn but him.
He says he knows right where she’s from and says it’s a town away from where his wife Miranda is from. Pharrell says she’s like a siren and went zero to 60 at the end. Blake says the raw power of her voice is amazing. He says she’s the last person on Team Blake but could have been the first. Hannah says she’s coming to hug him and he goes to hug her. She’s so excited. Blake says he had the pick of the litter and she was spot on and was so thrilled that he got her. He laughs at the other coaches because he has her.
Team Blake also has Bay Brooks, Brenna Yaeger, Brian Johnson, Brooke Adee, Cody Wickline, Corey Kent White, Jacob Rummell, Joshua Davis, Kelsie May, Matt Snook and Sarah Potenza. Now it’s time to start the battle rounds.
It’s time for #VoiceBattles and Blake says he’s more excited about this pool of talent than ever. Pharrel’s first pairing is Ashley Morgan vs Mia Z. They work with Pharrell’s special helper Lionel Richie. They are performing Put the Gun Down by ZZ Ward because it’s bluesy and sassy. Pharrell and Lionel give them notes and they step up. They are both pleased with the outcome. The coaches now have to decide who to send home and who to steal.
Carson introduces Ashley and Mia. Everyone is on their feet when they finish. Adam says it was amazing, perfect and excited the whole crowd. He says it will come down to what Pharrell prefers like how both pancakes and waffles are great but different. Blake says he likes Mia’s high notes that sound like dog whistles. He says Ashley is like Jessie J and says Pharrell is screwed. Christina says as a vocalist, she thinks Ashley killed it. Pharrell says they made this tough for him. He chooses Mia.
Pharrell says he chose Mia because of her depth. Adam doesn’t even wait a second before he steals Ashley from Pharrell. He says pancakes and opens his arms. But then Blake buzzes in to steal and Adam is mad. Christina also buzzes in. Pharrell is thankful. Adam says he’s shocked and didn’t think she’d be available and it will be great when she wins The Voice and they think back on this. Ashley now has to choose and she picks Christina. She’s thrilled to have Ashley on her team. She gives her a big hug.
Next up is Adam and Ellie Goulding working with James McNeiece and Tonya Boyd-Cannon. James transferred his FedEx job to LA to try and make it in the music biz but hasn’t caught a break. Tonya works with a prison music program in New Orleans. He has them doing Michael Jackson’s PYT. Tonya is worried about James’ great falsetto and he’s worried about Tonya’s big notes that she can hit. Adam and Ellie give them notes to work on.
Carson introduces James and Tonya to the battle round arena. James falsetto is a great match for the Michael Jackson song PYT. They do a great job with the song. The judges eat it up. Blake says Tonya’s voice is so big it’s unbelievable. Then he says James made it a tough choice for Adam because he really stepped up. Christina says the brought energy and fun. She says Tonya can blow but James put out all his tricks and pulled his falsetto so he never missed a beat. She says she thinks Tonya won it.
Pharrell says he thinks James was thinking too much and that got to him. He says he would tell them to have fun. Adam thanks them and says it was an incredible job and they did exactly what he asked. Adam says they both have a lot of potential and then he says the winner is Tonya. That moves her on to the knock outs. She hugs James and thanks him. Tonya is over the moon. Her husband and kids are there and they’re all crying.
Carson announces James is available to steal. James thanks Adam for all his advice and Adam says he’s a great singer. No one goes for the steal. Adam says he put up a great fight but Tonya has the power and personality and is the total package. Next up is a Blake battle and he has Meghan Trainor working with her. He says he was so jealous that she sang with Miranda at the CMAs and says he liked her first then got Miranda into her. Blake has Brian Johnson facing off against Joshua Davis.
Brian is taking care of his dad who’s suffering from MS. Joshua is the family man with the amazing voice. They meet Blake and Meghan. Brian is excited and says he really likes Meghan and says it’s incredible since she’s at the top of the charts now. They picked Knocking on Heaven’s Door by Bob Dylan. Blake says Joshua has grit but Brian has a power voice. Meghan says they are fire. She says Brian has soul. Blake advises them to do an acoustic stripped down version.
Meghan gives them some notes on who sings harmony and melody. Blake tells them to get lost in the song. Joshua and Brian come out to face off in their battle round. Joshua plays guitar and they do a lovely unplugged type version of the song. It’s hauntingly beautiful. Their voices are different but compliment each other well. I think whoever loses will be ripe for a steal. Christina says Joshua has a beautiful tone then Brian has a lot of personality in his voice. She says she doesn’t know who Blake should pick.
Pharrell says they both have an incredible voice and doesn’t know who to pick. Adam says that whoever isn’t chosen will be stolen and that’s why no one is saying anything. Blake tells Brian that he just grabs you and that’s why they made Meghan cry. He says Joshua has that raspy sound with range. Blake says the winner of the battle is Brian. He moves on to the knockout rounds with Blake. Blake gives him a big hug and says he’s going to keep pushing Brian until he’s better.
Adam slaps his button to steal Joshua before Carson can even get out the sentence. Adam tells Joshua to run before someone else tries to steal him. He grabs Joshua and runs him off the stage with a big hug. Side note – it looks like Adam might have borrowed that sweater from his wife’s closet. It looks like a lady sweater from the 80s.
PLEASE HELP CDL GROW, SHARE on FACEBOOK and TWEET THIS POST!