by Jessica Blackwell

Round two of the Knockouts began tonight with the following six contestants taking the stage. Last night was a helluva night to stack up against, but they did pretty great. Check it out:

Taylor John Williams vs. Troy Ritchie - Team Gwen

Taylor sang "Mad World" originally performed by Gary Jules and although some may say it was simple, I'll say it was understated and flawless. He didn't move around much, but with a voice like that, he really didn't have to. Taking a completely different que, Troy performed a rearranged version of Outkast's "Hey Ya" that included lots of dancing and crowd connecting. He did a good job, but it wasn't really a match for Taylor's somber performance. 

Alessandra Castronova vs. Mia Pfirrman - Team Adam

Adam declared Mia's song choice of Christina Perry's "Human" as "ambitious" but she was determined to rise to the occasion. She didn't want to go home and have to go to college, so she soaked up all the feedback from Adam and Taylor and put it to good use. At first, watching her performance I wasn't sure about the arrangement of the song but then I realized it was specifically designed for Mia to show off her pipes - and that she did. She can blow - and she knows it!  Alessandra picked Emeli Sandé's "Next to Me" but for once, the power in her voice became an issue. Adam wanted her to get it under control to make sure she stuck with the framework of the song. I wasn't particularly fond of her version of the song (to be fair she had some big shoes to fill) but she hit a falsetto note at the end that was so perfect I was blown away. However, that one note clearly wasn't enough because Adam chose Mia, the more consistent singer. 

Elyjuh Rene vs. Ricky Manning - Team Pharrell

Elyjuh went with a Chris Brown track "With You" and was able to sing it very well, but Pharrell wanted him to convey the sincerity that the song required. I think Elyjah is such a ham when he gets on stage that he can't help it because he was still scatting and smiling on stage. I agree with Pharrell, it was inappropriate to the song. You can't be singing about missing your lover but be giddy at the same time!  Ricky went with an equally emotional song, Miley Cyrus' "Wrecking Ball" but he certainly put the emotion behind it. Elyjuh was watching him perform, knowing that he was beat, but surprisingly Pharrell chose him as the winner because he wanted to continue to work with him. The other coaches were shocked!  Not surprisingly, Ricky was stolen by Gwen. 

Next week marks the last week before the live playoffs. Stay tuned! 

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

(Image Courtesy of NBC)