by Jessica Blackwell

 

The moment that all contestants have been aiming for has come - The Live Playoffs! Adam opened the show with a sexy rendition of his hit song "Animals". The contestants did great overall - considering this was their first live show. The best performances of the night:

 

Chris Jamison - Don't by Ed Sheeran

I didn't really care for this song choice for him because this is a difficult song to sing - especially live. Blake gave him some pointers to help him control his breathing, but it still turned out to be a bit of a breathy performance. His voice did sound really good however, it was just an ambitious song choice. Hopefully he will get better as time goes on! 

 

Jessie Pitts - Holding Out for a Hero by Bonnie Tyler

Jessie and her family grew up singing this song so she was excited to bring it to The Voice stage, certain that her brothers and sisters would be singing along at home. Her performance was so good that Pharell gave it a standing ovation!

 

Matt McAndrew - God Only Knows by the Beach Boys

Like many people, Matt was influenced by the music his mother played while he was growing up and he grew up hearing a lot of beach boys. He took a risk with this song because many of the viewers know it, and its a very powerful ballad. He did great, so great in fact that his mother was in tears in the audience. 

 

Raegan James - Try by Colbie Callait 

She is one of my absolute favorites in the competition and tonight she reminded me why. She began her performance seated with her guitar and ended it standing up and belting her heart out. Everyone loved her performance, including Gwen, who said "Try" could have easily been her song. Tomorrow is her birthday, and Raegan says all she wants is for America to vote her through to the next round. '

 

Taylor Phelan - Cool KIds by Echosmith 

Taylor chose this song because he can relate to it and it's similar to his blind audition song choice of "Sweater Weather" He moved around a lot with his mom, and this left him trying to fit in with the popular crown wherever he went. His performance was great and Pharrell said he showed people why they should buy his album when it comes out. When! Not if. He's another one of my favorites. 

 

Mia Pfirrman - Young and Beautiful by Lana Del Ray

Mia decided to step outside of the box for her first live show and tap into her dark side. She made it her own and squeezed in a very long drawn out note that mesmerized the crowd. Adam said she finally came into her own in a really potent super powerful way.

 

Damien - Not the Only One by Sam Smith 

I really love Damien, I just wish he would stop looking like he's going to cry at any random moment. He really sounds like a professional singer, so much that I'm unsure how he's going to top the performances that he's already done. When he performed this song, which was a smart choice since the nation loves it right now, the coaches were in awe. Well done Damien! 

 

Tomorrow night is the first round of eliminations. Stay tuned to see who will remain on The Voice! 

 

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

 

(Image Courtesy of NBC)