Monday’s episode of “The Voice” marked the third part of Season 28 Knockouts, with four more contestants getting the boot — and one lucky trio (guess which one!) earning Niall Horan’s Mic Drop nomination.
Though none of this week’s performances were especially noteworthy, the hourlong broadcast did raise a few important questions. First of all, why were we only shown one side of Trinity and Jake Austin’s Knockout performance? Come on, “Voice,” don’t get us invested in these singers if you’re just going to boot them unceremoniously.
The other question we have to ask: Is it really fair for any one individual singer to go up against the three-person juggernaut that is Dek of Harts? No matter how good a contestant is, they can’t harmonize with themselves, much less deliver the three-part treats we’ve come to expect from the group at this point. Dek of Harts isn’t necessarily our “contestant” of choice, but we’re dying to see how the competition turns out for them. Are they the ones to beat?
Read on for a breakdown of the four Knockout performances from Monday’s episode of “The Voice,” then vote for your favorite of the night and drop a comment with your thoughts on Season 28 thus far. Were any of your favorites wrongfully eliminated tonight?
Team Reba: Ryan Mitchell (Zombie) vs. Conrad Khalil (Closer)
The show’s first-ever Carson Callback proved that the host didn’t make his choice in vain with a solid take on this Cranberries classic. His intensity was spot-on, and kept things interesting with a number of melodic change-ups, taking the coaches by pleasant surprise.
Then came Conrad with one of Ne-Yo’s biggest hits, which didn’t start off very exciting — but once he started snapping, we also snapped into it. (Side note: Why was he dressed like a British school boy? If this was a fashion face-off, we’d definitely choose Ryan’s leather pants over Conrad’s shorts.)
WINNER: Ryan Mitchell (B+)
ELIMINATED: Conrad Khalil (B+)
Team Bublé: Rob Cole (Wondering Why) vs. Marty O’Reilly (The Letter)
Bublé himself put it best: We would listen to Rob sing all day long. With his bluesy take on this Red Clay Strays song, it really felt like he was telling us a story. And his runs felt like natural musical choices, rather than deliberate show-off moments. But he really came alive when he got up from his piano, constantly keeping us guessing — and impressed!
As for Marty’s cover of this Box Tops classic, we’re not sure who should get the blame here. It sounded like his nerves were getting the better of him, but this was also a bizarre arrangement of a very well-known song… that we barely recognized. Either way, we never want to hear it like this again. Mary has a big sound and a lot of potential, but his voice is something of an acquired taste, a taste we will not be developing this season.
WINNER: Rob Cole (A)
ELIMINATED: Marty O’Reilly (B+)
Team Buble: Trinity (I’m Your Baby Tonight) vs. Jack Austin
This week’s “Wait, did I miss something?” moment came courtesy of the second Team Bublé Knockout. We saw the Canadian Crooner choose Trinity as his winner — and deservedly so, as she exhibited an impressive vocal range and enviable stage presence — but we didn’t get to hear so much as a note from her challenger, Jack Austin. And that’s a shame, because Jack and Dek of Harts gave what we believe to be the strongest Battle of Season 28. We were falling for Jack, and we would have loved to have gotten to see more of him. (At the very least, we would have liked to actually see this performance. What gives?)
WINNER: Trinity (A-)
ELIMINATED: Jack Austin (grade N/A)
Team Niall: Dek of Harts (What If I Never Get Over You) vs. Kayleigh Clark (Blue)
Let’s be honest, no one wanted to have to go up against this season’s three-person wrecking ball. The trio’s pitch-perfect harmony on this Lady A heartbreaker was unreal, guaranteed to drown out virtually any opponent on any of the coaches’ teams.
To be fair, Kayleigh put up a heck of a fight, even with the odds stacked against her. She was the knife in this gun fight, but at least she got plenty of decent stabs in by arming herself with this oft-covered Bill Mack country classic. With just enough rasp and yodeling skills for days, Kayleigh had the coaches entranced… but she still wasn’t Dek of Harts, and no one ever could be.
WINNER: Dek of Harts (A)
ELIMINATED: Kayleigh Clark (A-)
We also can’t say we’re surprised that Niall used his Mic Drop on Dek of Harts. A solid choice.