Over the past couple of weeks, the season-nine coaches on The Voice had to make really tough choices during the Battle Round as they pit their own artists against one another. The Knockouts kicked off tonight, and the hard choices kept on coming, as the coaches now have to cut their teams in half before the next stage of the competition. To help both the coaches and the artists get ready for the Knockouts, global icon Rihanna Doesn’t Hold Back Mentoring ‘The Voice’ Contestants: Watch
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Next, Shelton matched his two steals from the Battle Round, Chance Pena and Ivonne Acero. Pena decided to sing “Demons” by Imagine Dragons, and Rihanna and Shelton advised him to really open up his voice. Acero, who didn’t make it past the Blinds last season and who lost her battle this season, had a lot to prove. She did not let down. She sang “Part of Me” by Katy Perry, and she blew away Rihanna in her rehearsal. Tonight, she gave her personal best performance she has given on the show and finally conquered her nerves. Pena also gave a strong performance, but he just didn’t push himself in the same way Acero did. Shelton picked her as the winner.
The last Knockout of the night paired Jordan Smith and Viktor Kiraly from Team Adam. Smith, who has been surprising even since the Blinds, made an ambitious song choice, deciding to take on Adele’s “Set Fire to the Rain.” He let loose in his rehearsal and proved right off the bat that he has what it takes to sing a difficult, layered Adele song. Kiraly also made an ambitious choice with “If I Ain’t Got You” by Alicia Keys. They both ended up closing out the night with the best Knockout matchup. Smith and Kiraly both showed incredible range and commanded the stage. Levine was left with an impossible decision. He went with Smith, but it ended up working out with Kiraly, who was stolen by Stefani in the night’s final twist.
The artists who advance from the Knockouts will compete in the Live Playoffs later this season. Do you think the coaches made the right decisions tonight? Sound off in the comments, below.
This article originally appeared in THR.com.