The Battle Rounds of NBC's "The Voice" took off to an intense start last Monday with fiery duels that knocked everyone's socks off and sent the judges to a more perplexing state than they have ever been before.
With the help of guest celebrity mentors including John Fogerty, Brad Paisley, Missy Elliott, and Selena Gomez, the contestants who have emerged from the lengthy Blind Auditions are once again ready to show the judges and the public that they deserve their spot in the show, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Team Gwen only had one pair to pit off but it was not short of any intensity. Rockers Ellie Lawrence and Tim Atlas battled it out to The Neighborhood classic "Sweater Weather" with the former banking on her unique and feminine charm and the latter drawing out his hidden sex appeal. Writing for Yahoo Music, columnist Lyndsey Parker noted that this performance was one of real "duets" in the round as opposed to usual battles wherein upstaging each other becomes inevitable. Stefani ended up letting Lawrence stay but Atlas was fortunately stolen by Pharrell.
One of Blake Shelton's duels tested the power of experience. Young country crooners Tyler Dickerson and Zach Seabaugh shared the stage with Travis Tritt's I'm Gonna Be Somebody. Dickerson, with a performance portfolio under his helm and a moniker comparing him to Tritt, emerged victorious and advanced to the next round.
The Team Pharrell round also led to a very tough decision to settle. Both Celeste Betton and Mark Hood gave it their all to the classic "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" - that made mentor Missy Elliott break down to tears even during the initial rehearsals, Refinery29 reports. The four judges were clearly blown away, with Stefani calling it "the best duel she has ever seen in the show". As hard as it was for Pharrell, he ended up giving his nod to Hood followed by a tearful and emotional farewell from Betton.
Lastly, Team Adam's Jordan Smith and Regina Love shook the stage with their rendition of Sam Smith's "Like I Can". Both singers were able to perfectly display their individual strengths while still maintaining the chemistry needed in the performance. Crowd favorite Smith took home the crown but as Love was about to make the final curtain call, Stefani all of sudden banged her buzzer, saving the soulful diva and officially bringing her to Team Gwen.
Don't miss out on the other battles ninth season of "The Voice", Mondays and Tuesdays on NBC.
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