The Voice Finale Recap: The Top 5 Throw Down to See Who Winds Up Season 24’s Winner
And then there were five. Monday’s episode of The Voice pitted against one another the remaining members of Teams Niall Horan, John Legend and Reba McEntire. (See? Ya never should’ve dropped Rudi, Gwen Stefani!) And, as if to remind the contestants of the rewards Season 24’s winner will reap, Season 22 victor Bryce Leatherwood dropped by to give ’em “The Finger.”
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Er, that is, to give them (and us) a performance of his catchy-extra single “The Finger.” Which, by the way, is not about his coach’s signature move. (Watch TVLine’s interview with Bryce above.) Which of the contenders sang like they had a shot at being the next Gina Miles? You know the drill. Keep reading, and we’ll discuss the hell out of it.
Jacquie Roar (Team Reba), “More Than a Feeling” — Grade: B+ | Kicking off the evening with a Boston cover, the four-chair turn delivered a fairly well-calibrated rendition of the classic rocker that only really faltered when she went into her lower lower register. There were little pitch issues here and there, but when it really counted — you know, the monstrously big notes — the unstoppable belter hit ’em.
Lila Forde (Team Legend), “The Weight” — Grade: B | Now you know I love me some Lila, but this wasn’t necessarily the ideal song choice for her. Seeing and hearing her sultry, sassy side was fun, sure. And she sounded fine. However, The Band’s oldie didn’t play to her strengths. (Let’s be real, she’s never gonna put on a more exciting show than human lightning bolt Mara Justine.) And at her finest, Lila sounds way better than “fine.”
Mara Justine (Team Niall), “Turning Tables” — Grade: A | As the four-chair started her absolutely gorgeous take on Adele’s ballad, I’ve gotta admit, I started wondering why I was rooting for Lila instead of her. Mara was magnificent — utterly present, vocally compelling, and that rasp… man, it worked as beautifully as adding a sprinkling of salt to an already-tasty dish.
Huntley (Team Niall), “Another Love” — Grade: A | Season 24’s best-tressed contestant gave us a rendition of Tom Odell’s hit that was so stunning, so smartly mapped out, so full of emotion that I can’t even bring myself to ding him for singing so much of it with his eyes shut. Ya sing like that, no worries, I’ve gotta give you a pass. That was goosebump-inducing!
Ruby Leigh (Team Reba), “Suspicious Minds” — Grade: A- | The 16-year-old’s challenge in doing Elvis’ smash, her coach suggested, was going to be in putting her own stamp on it. But from note No. 1, she did just that. Yeah, maybe she overdid (and over-re-did) the gestures. Vocally, though — this was solid Ruby, world-weary feeling with an underlying hint of yodel. (Or maybe at this point, I just imagine that every time she’s on.)
Jacquie Roar (Team Reba), “Nights in White Satin” — Grade: B- | I wasn’t sure about this number for Jacquie until she got to the long notes. Then I was certain… er, that it was a bit of a misfire. Perhaps shrewdly, she tried to turn it into one of her usual bombastic performances. But in doing so, she made it desperate rather than dazzling. And not for nothin’, but when your coach tells you, “You carried yourself so well,” you know you’re in trouble. Fifth place is yours, Jacquie.
Lila Forde (Team Legend), “Across the Universe” — Grade: C- | “Ah,” I thought when I heard that the four-chair turn was working on the Beatles classic. “This is 100% Lila’s wheelhouse!” Then, though… eesh. It kinda didn’t do much for me. (Did it do diddly for you?) Her vocal was weird, not wondrous (unless you were left wondering why she sounded like that). Maybe fifth place is hers, not Jacquie’s. This was… um… not great. Or good. Or even chair-turn-worthy.
Mara Justine (Team Niall), “Piece of My Heart” — Grade: A+ | Wow, what a perfect song selection! Stankface cranked up to 11, Mara taught a master class in showmanship. You’d never have guessed that this was a kid singing with a seasoned band who didn’t know her from Adam; she owned that stage. And while she didn’t have quite the same sandpaper quality to her voice as Janis Joplin, Mara slayed nonetheless. (To the point that I thought by the end she might have made herself hoarse.) Total showstopper!
Ruby Leigh (Team Reba), “Desperado” — Grade: B+ | Hmm… I’d started thinking that the winner was coming down to Huntley or Mara until I heard this. Old soul Ruby imbued her Eagles cover with so much ache and so great a storyteller vibe that I couldn’t write her off as a viable contender. Was her vocal perfect? Nah. But I believed it, and on a number like this, isn’t that just as (or more) important?
Huntley (Team Niall), “Higher” — Grade: B+ | Whelp, this struck me as a bit messy. But there was no denying the energy that Huntley brought to the stage. And his voice is formidable; dude’s a one-man wall of sound. That said, based on the evening’s performances, and what we’d seen and heard before, my vote went to Mara. She’s as strong a singer and, at the end of the day, a way more exciting performer.
So, after all that, who do you think will win? And who do you want to win? Vote in the polls below, then stop by the comments to explain yourself.
