“The Voice” contestants put on their vocal armor for another round of battles Monday night (March 24) as they continued to fight for a spot in the next level of the singing competition.
Coaches Adam Levine, Shakira, Usher, and Blake Shelton sent out 12 more singers onto the battle stage to see who would ultimately represent their teams in the next stage of competition. But even in the midst of intense battle, Usher still found time to make a love connection on “The Voice” — even if just for one song.
Here’s how night three of the battle rounds went down:
One Coach’s Loser Is Another Coach’s Steal
Usher lasted the first week of battle rounds without a steal — but that all changed when Shakira passed up on singer Ayesha “Music Box” Brooks. She was put up against 16-year-old Deja Hall, and though guest mentor Miranda Lambert feared Hall hadn’t “found her full voice yet” at such a young age, the young singer held her own against the more experienced Music Box. Usher couldn’t pass up on Music Box’s “incredible” voice, and expressed his confidence in her “potential to go really far” in this competition.
Coach Levine sent out Dawn & Hawkes and Josh Murley to duke it out on the battle stage. Their performance of “Stuck in the Middle With You” was light-hearted with a “campfire vibe,” all three singers wielding their guitars and hitting their airy and pleasant notes. When the singer lost to the duo, Shakira hit her steal button and gave him a second chance.
The last steal of the night came after Usher made the tough decision between singers Bria Kelly and Tess Boyer. Kelly blew all four of the coaches away during her audition, and guest mentor Jill Scott even described her as a “rocket in flight.” The gut-wrenching rasp of Kelly’s voice coupled with the sultry and powerful voice of Boyer made for one of the night’s best battles, but in the end, Usher declared Bria Kelly the winner. It wasn’t long until Shelton hit his steal button for Boyer, saying that the singer blew him away, and showed him that she was a fighter.
Their Happiness is Infectious
Team Adam’s first battle was between the young and energetic Austin Ellis and father Josh Kaufman. The pairing of Ellis’ “jovial nature” and “growling voice” with Kaufman’s “caramel tone” intrigued guest mentor Aloe Blacc. Their rendition of Pharrell’s “Happy” — accented with impressive James Brown-style grunts — got a standing ovation from coach Shakira, and Usher compared Ellis to a “caged beast.” In the end, Levine declared Josh Kaufman’s “miraculous” voice the winner of the battle.
A Love Story Taylor Swift Would Approve Of
Usher gave “The Voice” its first “Romeo and Juliet battle” when he paired young singers Madilyn Paige and Tanner James together. Tasked with singing Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran’s duet “Everything Has Changed,” Usher and guest mentor Jill Scott urged the two be “starry-eyed” and “in love.” The end of the “most adorable” performance left host Carson Daly left feeling like he just saw “The Notebook Part Two,” and Levine feeling like he was watching “golden retriever puppies frolic through fields of wheat in sunset.” In the end, Usher chose to stick with 16-year-old Madilyn Paige.
Be sure to find out how the battle rounds end Tuesday night (March 25) on NBC at 8 p.m.
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