Christina and Jake are neck-and-neck on iTunes, but a glitch has kept Josh Kaufman out of the Top 10, and could affect tonight's vote! How will the show address the issue? And which singer from last night's performance show will be declared The Voice?
Rickey.org readers predict Christina Grimmie will win by an incredibly narrow margin of 36.35% to Josh Kaufman's 35.03%. Jake Worthington is predicted to finish in third with 29% of the vote. No matter how things turn out, it should be an exciting finale. But it's not too late to vote in the poll, so head on over to add your prediction! Also, check out the Top 3 post-show power rankings to see where your favorites landed!
Without further adieu, let's get this show on the road!
Credit: NBC
RECAP
-We open with a video package recapping last night's show, rendering the hourlong recap show that just aired utterly useless. Blake thinks Jake deserves to win because he'll be a future hero to others, while Usher feels Josh deserves this. Adam, meanwhile, truly believes that Christina had the best night of the three remaining finalists last night. He feels she'll win, and while I'd love for him to be right, I have my doubts that he will be. You know, because country music.
-And we're live with Carson noting that iTunes votes over last night's fourteen hour voting window will not be counted due to the glitch over Josh Kaufman's "Set Fire to the Rain" single. However, it apparently wouldn't have had much of an outcome on the result anyway. So what was the point then?
ONE REPUBLIC PERFORMS "LOVE RUNS OUT"
-I like the song, and Ryan Tedder is one of those vocalists that never gets his proper due, even though the man is insanely talented beyond just his songwriting capabilities. But all I could think during this was "Eh, Josh did it better."
-Back from break, Carson asks what the coaches would like to say to their contestants. Adam tells Christina that no matter what happens tonight, she'll have a record deal because he would like to sign her to his label. Shakira gets to talk even though she doesn't have a contestant left, and Usher posits that we could finally have a new coach winning The Voice. Blake says no matter what, he's going to miss Shakira and Usher. They have a group hug that thankfully doesn't become a selfie moment, before Shakira and Usher offer up "Thank Yous" to the band, the crew, their fellow coaches, and to Carson. A charming, endearing farewell.
JAKE PERFORMS WITH KAT, KRISTEN, AUDRA, MORGAN, AND RYAN
-Jake describes Kat as a "bad mamma jamma" while talking about how Kristen has always had her back. He chose Audra out of Team Blake loyalty and respect for her talent. He praises Ryan Whyte Maloney's abilities, and then notes he chose Morgan Wallen due to the musical sensibilities they share.
-They sing "Summertime" by Kenny Chesney, and I'll never stop loving that The Voice allows contestants to craft their own finale performances, complete with bringing back some of the better contestants who didn't get through. I just love that about this show, and it pays off here in spades. This is just a fantastic performance. I was particularly impressed by Ryan Whyte Maloney. Why didn't he get through, again?
-Apropos of nothing: Marry me, Audra.
-Back from break with Carson introducing a bunch of videos from fans and celebs (including Tara Lipinski) answering which Voice personalities they'd add to their Sprint Family plan if they could. A cute filler video, and nothing more.
CHRISTINA GRIMMIE AND ED SHEERAN PERFORM "ALL OF THE STARS"
-Because people need to be crying on a Tuesday night, Ed Sheeran and Christina Grimmie perform "All of the Stars," the song "The Fault In Our Stars". It's completely acoustic, and guys
GUYS
EVERYONE. "LISTEN TO ME."
THIS WAS STUNNING
I didn't love anything this season as much as I loved this. Ed and Christina's voice blended together beautifully, and it was just such a gorgeous, deeply felt vocal. So good. Seriously, SO GOOD. 10/10 would download.
NON-U.S. VIEWERS, WATCH HERE: Christina Grimmie and Ed Sheeran, "All of the Stars"
-Back from break with our next group performance, and it's a Hall and Oates classic! I LOVE THOSE GUYS!
DELVIN CHOICE, JAKE BARKER, MORGAN WALLEN, PATRICK THOMSON AND STEVIE JO SING "SHE'S GONE"
-They sound pretty damn great here. I gave this season a lot of guff in the early going, but this season actually had a fairly deep talent roster. Granted, my big issue was with how a lot of these contestants were used, as hardly any of these cut contestants were given songs that maximized their potential. This song is, surprisingly, a song that brings out the best in everybody. They could go on tour as a five-man group and it'd probably be a damn good show. I'm not kidding.
-Mel B. is in the audience to promote "America's Got Talent", as she notes they have great singers, a strongman who pulls a car with his teeth, and a pig who tries to solve a math problem. "Blake Shelton is on another NBC show?" Carson asks. Where has "this" Carson been?!
-Back from break with a special video
LIFESTYLES OF USHER RAYMOND
-Robin Leech (or a very good sound-a-like) narrates "The Lifestyles of Usher Raymond," who explains his personal mantras, such as "Evolve or evaporate" and "If you're the second winner, you're the first loser" or some other such silliness. He also talks about eating cabbage raw, among other quirks that apparently make Usher the impenetrable embodiment of cool he's been all these years. I kind of hope Usher isn't through with The Voice for good. He's not always the liveliest coach, but it's clear he takes this process seriously, and shows like this have too few coaches/judges/mentors like him.
JUSTIN MOORE PERFORMS "LETTIN' THE NIGHT ROLL"
-Justin Moore is apparently the Academy of Country Music's reigning New Artist of the Year, yet his voice renders him virtually indistinguishable from a young Blake Shelton. Maybe that's why he's been so successful? Either way, I don't particularly enjoy this song, even while I have no trouble admitting that it's actually quite catchy, and Moore sings it very well. It's just not my ticket.
JOSH KAUFMAN PERFORMS WITH TJ WILKINS, SISAUNDRA LEWIS AND STEVIE JO
-For his "Bring Back Performance," Josh is bringing back TJ Wilkins, Sisaundra Lewis, and Stevie Jo (hmm, he's popular tonight). Josh loves TJ's soulful style, and says the same of Stevie Jo, recalling when he sang Usher's own song and got him to turn his chair around during blind auditions. Josh also notes what a talent Sisaundra is, and how great it was to have her around this season.
-They perform "Am I Wrong" by Nico Vinz, and it's a groovy track that I wish Josh had performed at some point during the competition. It's the kind of modern, funk-influenced song that makes Josh feel immediately current and relevant in mainstream music. Not that he doesn't now, since I think he could be a smashing Adult Contemporary artist. But I think he might want more than that, so something like this would probably be the best route for him to take, musically. In short, I absolutely loved this. Everyone sounded like a million bucks, particularly Josh, who just lays it down here. TJ and Sisaundra bring serious fire too, and Stevie Jo continues to illustrate just why everybody has been picking him tonight. A terrific performance.
-After the performance, we throw to a video package honoring Shakira
YOU DON'T MESS WITH SHAKIRA
-Blake talks about how you never want to find yourself on the wrong end of an argument with Shakira. Usher says, "While she's talking, shut up." It's an amusing little video, with clips of Shakira's fiery arguments throughout the season. Adam notes she's a firecracker, and then mimics walking on eggshells when he's around her. All these clips of Classic Adam has me hating the blonde look even more. Okay, maybe "hate" is a bit strong. I don't really hate it, per se. I just don't particularly think it's a great look, is all. On the plus side, he at least matches hair color with Shakira, which makes them look a bit like feuding siblings here.
ED SHEERAN PERFORMS "SING"
-I didn't particularly care for this, even though I love the song and adore Ed. Maybe it's the awkwardness of how his falsetto on the chorus sounds live. I don't know, something just seemed off. That said, it was a very lively and electric performance that illustrates Ed's versatility, since it's miles from what he did earlier with Christina. I would be remiss if I didn't point out how awesome the set is for this, as he's surrounded by old TVs. I'm easily impressed by that sort of thing, obviously. (Come to think of it, I'm easily impressed in general.)
NON-U.S. VIEWERS, WATCH HERE: Ed Sheeran, "Sing"
-Back from break with Carson interviewing the eliminated teammates and friends of the finalists: Tessa and Bria wish Christina luck, saying "All for one, one for all." However, they also wish all the best to Josh and Jake because "We're all family here." Sisaundra and Audra wish Jake the best as well, while Josh's teammates want him to "kick butt."
JAKE WORTHINGTON PERFORMS "MOUNTAIN MUSIC" WITH ALABAMA
-It's more or less the performance you'd expect. If I didn't already know this song already, I'd think it was a Swon Brothers original. As it is now, it's mostly just an okay performance. It feels more like Jake and Alabama are just hanging out. And, honestly, that adds a bit to the performance as a whole, since there's a lighthearted, fun feel to it all. However, it just doesn't sound all that great, and I'm not sure if it's the acoustic, or Jake and Alabama being out of sync or what. But hey, it's the finale. As far as this show is concerned, these contestants are off the clock.
-Back from break, we throw to the girls' group performance, with Carson going through all their names lightning fast, and including a singer named "MJ". Apparently, he meant Melissa Jimenez. But did he ever once call her that during this season? JUST SAY Melissa Jimenez, Carson!
DANI MOZ, DEJA HALL, MADILYN PAIGE, TESS BOYER, AND MELISSA JIMENEZ PERFORM "UMBRELLA"
-I really wanted to like this. I really did. But this was the hottest of hot messes. It's as if each woman was singing a different song, in a different fashion, with Madilyn trying to draw out each note, Deja seeming hesitant, and nobody blending all that well. Such a shame, because these singers are all talented individually.
KIA CAR GIVEAWAY
-In this video, Josh talks about how much this experience means to him, saying that this is an incredible chance for him to win for himself, his family, and for Usher. For his part, Usher feels Josh would be a deserving winner. However, Blake feels Jake deserves this as well. Jake discusses what this means to him, and then we throw to Adam, who praises Christina, who says that Adam always would tell her to "do your Grimmie thing to it." The interviewer then asks how each of the finalists would feel to win a car. And we get the least surprising car surprise in history, as the studio lights up and they find all-new Kia cars behind them. Even with the studio lights dimmed, how on Earth did they not notice those cars behind them?
ADAM LEVINE IS A FAN OF EVERYTHING
-And now it's time for the Adam Levine tribute, as the filler rolls on. This is kind of amusing though, as the coaches talk about how everything seems to be Adam's favorite song. We get a montage of him calling all sorts of songs "one of my favorite songs," and calling a bunch of different singers "one of the best/most badass singers in the world." I never really noticed this before, but it's a funny point. Yeah, it was filler, but I thoroughly enjoyed this, right down to Blake lamenting that Adam has never listed one of his songs as a favorite.
ROBIN THICKE PERFORMS "GET HER BACK" WITH JOSH KAUFMAN
-The "Paula, Take Me Back" Tour 2014 is continuing for Robin Thicke, but man, am I glad he stopped here. "Get Her Back" is a minimalist jam that harks back to "Lost Without U," and it's a perfect fit for Josh's voice. I swear, both Josh's and Christina's pairings have produced some incredible moments, which is why it's such a shame that Jake's duet with Alabama was such a dud. Unless he has something else coming up, although with less than a half hour left until we crown a winner, I'm doubting it.
-Back from break with videos from home for each of the three finalists, and it's so endearing I found myself wishing "The Voice" did Hometown Visits as well.
TIM MCGRAW PERFORMS "CITY LIGHTS"
-Now this is more my speed. Of all the modern country tracks performed tonight, this was my favorite. Just an incredibly breezy, eminently enjoyable tune. And McGraw sounded damn good on the track, to boot. I might actually have to scoop this thing up on iTunes when this show is over. I genuinely enjoyed this.
CHRISTINA GRIMMIE PERFORMS WITH TESS BOYER, BRIA KELLY, AND JAKE BARKER
-Christina has chosen Bria for having a great voice, and for having an incredible rockers' sensibility. She also loves Tess and her voice, so she's in, naturally. Lastly, Christina selects Jake because he was such a good "big brother" to her during the competition. With her team assembled, she launches into "Team" by Lorde
-It's a decent performance, although I think Josh's group takes the cake for the "Bring Back" Performances. Still, this wasn't bad or anything, just kind of all-over-the-place. With that said, I forgot how much I liked Jake. And Bria hits an exceptional run towards the end that seems to go largely ignored in the background. So impressed.
BLAKE AND JAKE: CAUGHT IN A RAD BROMANCE
-Granted, they didn't actually title the video that, but I felt like being corny. This video is kind of great though, as it mostly centers on Blake and Jake bickering back and forth about everything from family, to music, to movies. Blake compares Jake to a little brother he loves, while Jake says Blake is like the uncle he never had. For his part, Blake says he can imagine standing in the winner's circle with Jake. It's a quirky little video that has a touching moment or two.
COLDPLAY PERFORMS "A SKY FULL OF STARS"
-Chris Martin sounds fantastic here, and the song isn't bad either. It's more of the ethereal, atmospheric semi-rock/not-quite-pop that Coldplay does now. I imagine it'll have its proponents and detractors, but this was a perfectly good performance to close out the season. It's kind of crazy to think how successful they are now. It feels like I was just picking up Parachutes yesterday and trying to get all my friends to listen to it. (Achievement Unlocked: Hipster Status) Still, these guys totally deserve it. Few bands deliver mainstream singles I like with anywhere near Coldplay's level of frequency, even though my enthusiasm for said singles wears off pretty quickly (Apple commercials made certain I got tired of "Viva La Vida" within weeks). I don't get why it's become such a cliche to like Coldplay, but these guys are great.
-Now, with all that having been said, can we just crown a winner already?
FINAL RESULTS
-And we get last words from all the finalists, with each of them thanking their coaches for everything they did, and getting emotional, but also increasingly nervous. Josh is honored to have worked with Usher and learned so much, while Jake adores Blake, and Christina loves Adam whether he signs her or not. Time for the results
CHRISTINA GRIMMIE finishes in THIRD PLACE!
JAKE WORTHINGTON is runner-up!
JOSH KAUFMAN WINS THE VOICE 2014!
TEAM USHER IS VICTORIOUS!
NON-U.S. VIEWERS, WATCH BELOW:
THE VOICE -- "Live Finale" Episode 621B -- Pictured: (l-r) Josh Kaufman, Usher -- (Photo by: Trae Patton/NBC)
-Because NBC is terrible at timing out its shows, we get some brief words from Josh and NO VICTORY PERFORMANCE?! Nope, we immediately cut to black as that's a wrap on Season 6 of The Voice. Well that's just silly. But hey, now Adam and Blake aren't the only coaches to have won The Voice! That's kind of outstanding, actually.
-So what did you think of the results? Did the right artist win The Voice? Sound off in the comments! And thank you for hanging out with us this season! We'll see you in the fall! (And hopefully before)
The post The Voice 2014 Winner Results - Live Finale - 05/20/2014 appeared first on Rickey - Entertainment News, Videos, Recaps, Results, Spoilers.
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