The Voice Season 11 Battle Rounds are in the books, with Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, Miley Cyrus and Alicia Keys finalizing their squads.
And making tough call after tough call in the process.
Let’s break down the remaining battles as the contenders separate from the pretenders vying to be named The Voice of the NBC season.
Team Blake: Austin Allsup vs. Preston James (“Bad Moon Rising”)
Preston grew up surrounded by the country music world; Austin’s dad, meanwhile, played with the legendary ’50s musician Buddy Holly.
Clearly, it’s in their blood.
For both Austin and Preston, this is what they do, so working together on an iconic Creedence Clearwater Revival tune was up their alley.
They slowed the rocking song down, pleasing both Blake and his advisor Bette Midler (!) and leaving the vocalist with a very hard choice.
Blake called this match-up his favorite battle and the toughest to declare a winner in, but there can be only one, and he was decisive.
Winner: Austin Allsup!
Team Alicia: Gabriel Violett vs. Whitney and Shannon (“More Than Words”)
Gabriel is an aspiring Broadway star. Sisters Whitney and Shannon bring a type of harmony that is really unique in the music industry.
Working with Team Alicia, all three singers were encouraged to enhance their performance as a group instead of competing directly.
That may seem like contradictory advice.
This is The Voice here, and it’s the Battle Round here. Survive and advance is the only objective in what amounts to a zero-sum game.
Still, a moving performance involves working with the other participant(s), and their rendition of “More Than Words” was sweet indeed.
Alicia made something of a shocking pick, as the crowd and the coaches seemed to favor Gabriel, but she went with her gut and the duo.
Winner: Whitney and Shannon!
Team Adam: Bindi Liebowitz vs. Brendan Fletcher (“Home”)
Bindi not only wants to be a singer for herself, but to make her mother proud after watching her courageous battle with breast cancer.
Brendan, who also wants to make his dream come true, took on his fellow raspy-voiced singer, and both of them have a lot to overcome.
This is what The Voice is all about, though.
Introverted, introspective soul-searchers, rather than crowd-pleasing extroverts, it was a challenge for either to truly work that stage.
But boy did they do their best, and man alive, did their voices come together in epic fashion. No wonder BOTH will be moving onward …
Winner: Brendan Fletcher!
Steal: Bindi Leibowitz! (By Blake!)
Who do you think was the best last night? Which of the singers advancing to the Knockout Round do you think has what it takes to win?
Moreover, which coach has the best team on the aggregate – and are you excited Gwen Stefani is returning to The Voice next season?!
Hit the comments!