by Jessica Blackwell

Tonight, Team Gwen and Team Pharrell hit the stage for their go at the live shows. It was a great night for performances, but some did better than others. Here are my picks for best performances: 

Jean Kelley - "Piano in the Dark" by Brenda Russell

After sharing the story of the death of her mother, Jean has become an inspiration for those who have faced big losses in their lives. Many fans have reached out to her and thanked her for persevering and showing that life goes on, so she performed this song for them. She did an amazing job vocally and really put her heart and soul into the performance. Although Gwen felt that she needed to tone down the drama a bit, her coach Pharrell felt that she did a good job. 

Elyjuh Rene - "Latch" by Sam Smith

Pharell chose this song for Elyjuh because he wants him to metaphorically latch on to himself and come into his own. Many people don't know that there is an caustic version of this song, the're only familiar with the chart-topping Disclosure remix, but it's my favorite version of the song. For his performance, Elyjah started out acoustically, and then launched into the uptempo version. A great idea given by Pharrell. Elyjah for me embodies the heart of the competition because he's very vocally consistent, but he seems to push more and more each week to become better and better. That's what The Voice is about. Adam called his performance one of the most "precisely perfect, soulful" performances to date. After that performance, I don't think that he has to worry about elimination. 

Anita Anoinette - "All About That Bass" by Meghan Trainor

This was Anita's first performance that wasn't reggae  influenced. She really made the song choice her own, and got the first opportunity to really show off her range and vocal ability. Blake told her that she "completely owned the moment" and Pharrell told her that she rose to the occasion. I'm sure that Anita is glad she decided to give The Voice another try! 

Danica Shirey - "Help Me" - by Joni Mitchell

Pharrell have Danica this song because he knew she could handle the vocal acrobatics that would come with it. Besides the crazy key changes in the song, Danica was also adjusting to having a growing fan base. She commented that it's a big change from being a stay at home mom. If she was having any issues with the changes in her life, it didn't show in her performance, which was amazing. Pharrell called her a "special kind of soul singer" and Adam commended her on being able to turn a Joni Mitchell song into a soul song. Blake admitted he never heard the song before, but he said her performance was "perfect."

Taylor John Williams - "Stuck in the Middle With You" - by Stealer's Wheel

After his last performance of Mad World, Taylor became one of my favorites. His haunting, dark rasp is damn near perfect and although he chose an upbeat song, he put his dark, bluesy twist on it. Adam didn't think the song would be "his thing" but loved his performance. Gwen just wants him to be sweet, but he's dark artist. After that performance Gwen said that "he know who is is, and what he wants to do and that makes him a real artist." It sure does. 

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

(Image Courtesy of NBC)