Season eight’s finalists were announced on The Voice tonight after last night’s across-the-board polished performances, which coach Blake Shelton described as the greatest two hours of music he had ever sat through.
After a performance from Walk The Moon, Carson Daly continued last week’s tradition of asking the contestants about their The Voice experiences. He began with Team Blake’s Meghan Linsey, asking her what she has learned about herself in the competition. “For me, I’ve learned how strong I am and what I’m capable of,” Linsey said. Indeed, Linsey’s confidence levels have grown exponentially over the past several weeks of the show.
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Next, Daly announced the first artist safe: Sawyer Fredericks from Team Pharrell. Fredericks had one of his best nights last night, showing a versatility that we had yet to see from him. He has worked hard with Pharrell to shape his point of view as an artist, and he stands out with his easily identifiable voice.
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Coach Pharrell took the stage with Snoop Dogg to perform “California Roll” from Snoop’s latest album. Then it came time for the next results. Team Blake’s only remaining artist Meghan Linsey advanced. Linsey’s place in this finale has seemed certain for weeks now. She’s one of those artists who can sing just about everything and make it her own. She has a real shot at winning the whole thing, which means Shelton could win yet again.
Carney, Linsey and Koryn Hawthorne gave a really strong group performance of “Faithfully” by Journey that highlighted the rockstar qualities of all three women. Joshua Davis and Fredericks may have gorgeous, lilting voices, but when it comes to range and sheer power, the ladies have them beat. Fredericks and Davis performed “Drift Away,” and they sounded good, but it just wasn’t nearly as fun of a performance as Carney, Linsey and Hawthorne gave.
The last artist who automatically advanced was Adam Levine’s only remaining artist Joshua Davis, leaving Carney and Hawthorne to sing for the instant save. Carney, Christina Aguilera’s only remaining artist, sang “Dark Side” by Kelly Clarkson for the save, and her voice was perfectly suited for the power pop vocals of the song. She had strong musical instincts throughout, letting the performance really build. Hawthorne, from Team Pharrell, sang Beyoncé’s “If I Were a Boy,” the perfect choice for her low, unique voice. It was another solid performance, and Hawthorne remained confident throughout.
Both artists remained neck-and-neck throughout the voting process according to the percentages displayed on-screen. It was really a shame that either artist had to go, because both had what it takes to win The Voice. Ultimately, the votes favored Hawthorne, who is onto the finale. Carney didn’t pull off the save this time, and she’s headed home, which means Aguilera — who once looked like she could win this season — will have no artists in the final.
What do you think of the result? Let us know in the comments.
This article originally appeared in THR.com.