by Jessica Blackwell

 

The loss of Caroline took Cee-lo out of the competition last week, and Blake was left with only one member on his team. Adam has three artists left, and Christina has two shining stars. Tonight the contestants performed two songs, one chosen by their coach, and another dedication song of their choosing. Here's how they did:

 

Cole

Blake's Choice - "Rich Girl" 

Blake really wanted Cole to continue to display his vocal range and versatility, so he gave him this classic song. He did a great job, and left his granny, who was in the audience, in tears. 

 

Cole's Choice: "Better Man" by James Morrison

He decided to dedicate his performance tonight to his ex girlfriend, explaining that although it didn't work out, she still makes him want to be a better man. Whew! I wonder where she is now? Anyways, Cole delivered yet another solid, awesome performance. 

 

Tessanne

Adam's Choice: "Redemption Song"

Adam knows he struck gold last week when he had Tessanne perform a reggae pop song, and he wanted to keep that wave going with this Bob Marley song choice. Tessanne was really looking to make this song her own, but at the same time honor her roots. As with every song before this one, she BLEW it out of the water. 

 

Her Choice: "Unconditionally" by Katy Perry

In spite of her parents divorce, she says they always made her feel like a family, so she dedicated this song to them. My apologies to Katy Perry, but she sang this song better than her! It speaks volumes to her talent that she can sing a Katy Perry song and a Bob Marley ballad in the same night and ROCK both performances. Her dad was in tears when she finished singing. 

 

Matthew

His Choice: "Story of My Life" by One Direction

He dedicated this song to his parents and siblings, wanting to prove that they have been the ones who kept I'm grounded during his whole Voice experience and he appreciates them for it. I appreciate that Matthew has the range to perform any genre, but I like it much better when he does soul songs, like his next choice. 

 

Christina's Choice: "When A Man Loves a Woman" by Percy Sledge 

After he landed in the bottom three last week, Christina wasn't going to take any chances with his performance tonight. She put him on the stage with a stripped down version of the song and just let him blow.  

 

Will

His Choice: "A Change is Gonna Come" by Sam Cook

This was dedicated to his wife and children who stuck by him during the worst times. He began his performance by playing the first notes on the piano and then he launched into a customized arrangement of the song. Will wasn't a favorite of mine when the competition began, but he snuck up on me. Every week, he pushes the envelope like never before. 

 

Adam's Choice: "Her Brother" by Avicii

Although the song was his choice, he talked Adam into letting him play the banjo while performing, again always trying to push harder than never before. I don't know if Willl has the chops to win over the likes of Tessanne or Matthew, but he certainly tries harder than anyone else in the competition. Such a great performance with a strong ending. 

 

James

His Choice: "Fell in Love With a Girl" by the White Stripes 

I don't really understand how this song relates to his father, but that's who he decided to dedicate the song to. It wasn't his best performance, but Adam appreciated that he brought it back to a simple performance when he had two to perform that night. To me, that comment was code for "you better pull it together for the next one". At this stage of the game, that performance could send him home. 

 

Adam's Choice: "I'd Do Anything for Love"

James dug into his theatrical roots to pull out a dramatic performance of this song. Given the fact that he was sick and had a bad performance earlier in the show, he did great job with this one. 

 

Jacquie

Christina's Choice: "Crybaby" by Janis Joplin

Since she's so young, she's never been in love before, but as Christina had faith in her as an artist to deliver on this song - and deliver she did. It's so amazing to see the bond that she and Christina have, and it really allows her to shine. During rehearsals, Christina could tell Jacquie was second guessing herself, and she called her on it. When Christina made her realize that, Jacquie was able to deliver an awesome performance. 

 

Her Choice: "The Voice Within" by Christina Aguilera

While most of the contestants chose to dedicate their performances to friends or family members, Jacquie took a different route and dedicated hers to her coach. It's tough to perform any Christina Aguilera song in front of, well Christina Aguilera, but to dedicate it to her as well - mega hard!  This young girl has balls - with the voice to back it up! Christina has been teaching her well, so of course she more than did the song justice. 

 

Stay tuned for tomorrow, as two more contestants are eliminated. 

 

The Voice airs Mondays and Tuesdays at 8pm EST on NBC. 

 

(Image Courtesy of NBC)