The Voice Recap: NariYella vs. Chloe Abbott and More Fights

As The voice‘s Season 23 Battles continued on Monday, with another trio of contestants saying goodbye to them her chance to follow in the footsteps of season 22 winner Bryce Leatherwood, and other two have welcomed the playoff pass (allowing them to skip the knockouts). Who has good news, who has bad? Read on and we will discuss.

Team Kelly: ALI (Grade: C+) def. D. Smooth (Grade: B+) on Unaware – D. Smooth received the playoff pass from Kelly | After the rehearsal, Kelly expected her decision to boil down to which of her team members seemed more comfortable on stage. On the other hand, I didn’t think ALI could have achieved any level of comfort that would have made me prefer her singing, impressive as it was (especially considering she was born deaf), over that of her opponent. D. Smooth has a splendid Task to emphasize the “Smooth” in his name and demonstrated the charisma and presence of a seasoned professional. “I haven’t heard a guy sing like that since the ’90s,” marveled his coach.

Team Blake: Grace West (Grade: B+) def. Carlos Rising (Grade: C) on “I Told You So” | Oh Carlos. He went into this battle at a serious disadvantage, having never sung country before. But he didn’t let that hold him back. Before rehearsals were over, he and Nashvillian Grace harmonized as if they had been together for years. However, there was no competition on stage. While reminding us of the appealingly lived quality of his voice, Grace sang like an absolute dream. Listening to her felt like my ears were reading a declaration of love. Not hard to imagine that she scored a win for her coach in his final season.

Team Niall: Kate Cosentino (Grade: C) def. Tiana Goss (Grade: C+) on Girls Just Want to Have Fun – Tiana Stolen By Accident | Uff. The duo’s rehearsal of Cyndi Lauper’s ’80s classic set off my karaoke alarm. And as soon as the limelight fell on her, uff again. The same thing. The super chilled intro featured both Tiana and Kate to great effect – they sounded beautiful. But once the song got peppy, it also became a pretty mediocre vocal showcase for her. If either one performed better than the other, it was Tiana, whose tone has a richness that, frankly, her teammate doesn’t have. Not for nothing, but Blake added that when he heard part of the number, it was Tiana that was in the bag and on the pitch.

Team Kelly: Holly Brand (Grade: B+) def. Katie Beth Forakis (Grade: B-) on Lady Like | From the start, as Holly and Katie Beth performed Ingrid Andress’s hit, the former Miss Mississippi seemed to have it in her pocket. Katie Beth has a super pretty, ethereal voice. But Holly has a really catchy tone and an ability not only to grow up, but to make a big impression when she’s small. The coaches kept going on about Katie Beth, but come on. The voice is (should be) a singing competition, and Kelly devised a David and Goliath scenario that David would never win.

Team Chance: NariYella (Grade: A) def. Chloe Abbott (Grade: A) on I Want You Around | Speaking of David and Goliath stitches… this battle featured a one-chair turn (Chloe) versus a four-chair turn (NariYella). But while the blinds gave the impression that Chloe was a much gentler singer, she absolutely rose to the challenge of matching NariYella’s intensity on her Snoh ​​Aalegra cover. (Well picked, chance!) I always hate it when the trainers insist they can’t pick a winner, but in this case I could not. NariYella is certainly a showstopper, but Chloe showed some pretty stunning control over her instrument. And both served for days of stage presence.

Team Niall: Michael B (Grade: A) def. Ryley Tate Wilson (Grade: B+) at Heartbreak Anniversary – Ryley received the playoff pass from Niall | Although Michael was intimidated to compete against a four-chair curve, especially after inspiring just one himself, he needn’t have been. Michael didn’t sing notes so much as sling them across the room – big, rich, round. And he was very committed. Maybe a little smiley for a sad song, but… still. He was in it. There was a lot to like about Ryley’s performance as well, but there were also moments where his developing voice let him down a bit.

Who gave your favorite performance of the night? Vote in the poll below, then post your observations and ratings in the comments.