by Jessica Blackwell

Update 5/19/15 [VIDEOS] : Watch Interviews With Blake Shelton, Meghan Linsey Koryn Hawthorne and Joshua Davis from THE VOICE Red Carpet.

For tonight's round of performances, the artists invited their mothers to experience their rehearsals and them did a special song to honor them. Each contestant had a meaning behind the song they dedicated to their mothers and they performed another song of their choice. 
India Carney performed Glory by Common and John Legend because her mother is a strong woman and always preserved.  I wondered how she was going to do this song, especially since the body of the song is rapped by Common, but she surprised me. To be me this was her best performance yet, and Christina's words - India is becoming an artist. For her second song she did Lay Me Down by Sam Smith. I didn't care for this song combined with her voice at all!  WHY WON'T THEY GIVE HER A FLORENCE & THE MACHINE SONG????

Joshua Davis had a lot of pressure on his shoulders since he's Adam's last remaining artist. He did "In My Life" and dedicated it to his wife instead of his mom. For his second song, he did U2's "Desire." He looked like a professional on stage with awesome lighting effects, and it had a really soulful vibe. 

Koryn Hawthorne strayed from her usual R&B genre for both of her performances. Since her mother has been through hell and back, she performed "Everybody Hurts" by R.E.M. For her second performance she did a more powerful rock song, "Dream On" by Aerosmith and KILLED IT. She did an excellent job with both songs and I hope to see her wander out of her comfort genre more often.  Its really hard to remember that this girl is only 17 years old. 

My favorite, Kimberly Nichole dedicated "Free Falling" to her mother. Of course she diid amazing in her typical Kimberly way. The best thing about her is that you can tell she really enjoys herself on stage. Adam commented that she can sing literally any song, a talent unheard of on the show. For her second song, she did Dirty Diana so she could have what she called her "rock moment". And boy did she!! She certainly proved why she's called the rock ballerina. It was a  far cry from the sweet performance she did for her mother, and she ennded the performance in a kneeling position with her back on the floor! 

Meghan Linsey wowed the crowd with what she called her tip jar song, "Steam Roller Blues" by James Taylor. She was amazing, and  I would certainly empty my pocketbook if I was in Nashville! As much as I want Christina to get her first win, I have to admit Meghan is an unstoppable force. She SLAYED that song!!! Then she ended the night with her mom's favorite song, Amazing Grace. She started off a cappella and then transitioned into that powerful bravado that we love. 

We learned a little bit more about Sawyer's story from his mom. We all know he is the son of a farmer who used to play at farmer's markets, but what we didn't know is that his family was always in the farming industry. According to his mother, his parents sold their house in CT and removed themselves from the rat race without any prior knowledge of the business. That sure is brave! To honor her, Sawyer sang "Shine On" His second performance was, correct me if I'm wrong, his first upbeat song. "Take Me to the River" was a great choice for his voice. 

Stay tuned to find out who makes the cut and moves on to the semifinal performances! 

The Voice airs Mondays and Tuesdays on NBC at 8/9c. 

(image courtesy of NBC)