The Voice coaches advanced eight artists with the commencement of "The Knockout Rounds" during Monday night's Season 11 broadcast on NBC.

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"The Knockout Rounds" kicked off Monday night as Adam Levine, Miley Cyrus, Alicia Keys and Blake Shelton began pairing off members of their teams to duke it out for one spot in each matchup. The contestants were each allowed to sing a solo -- a song of their own choosing -- in the hope of outperforming their opponent and advancing to "The Live Playoffs."

The artists who won their Knockouts were Sundance Head, Kylie Rothfield, Ali Caldwell, Simone Gundy, We McDonald and Riley Elmore.

During this round, each coach is allowed only one steal for his or her team. An artist can only be stolen by another coach after losing his or her respective faceoff.

The artists who were lucky to be stolen in last night's episode were Josh Gallagher and Jason Warrior.

All the contestants were guided and assisted by The Voice's newest key advisers Faith Hill and Tim McGraw.

For the first Knockout, Blake paired Josh with Sundance because they are the two singers most likely to be heard on country radio right now. Sundance sang an acoustic version of the song "The Climb" by Miley Cyrus, which was risky and a shock to Blake. Josh performed "My Maria" by Brooks & Dunn.

Blake said choosing between Josh and Sundance was one of the toughest decisions he's had to make so far this season. Blake told Sundance that his risk paid off and he delivered a solid performance, while the coaches agreed Josh fits into what is popular in country music right now.

Blake "got really technical" by picking Sundance, saying there was "no question" in his mind that Sundance needed to be rewarded for taking such a chance.

However, Adam stole Josh for his team, saying it was "the easiest steal yet." Adam noted that it was a surprise Blake let Josh go since he was one of the best singers on his team this season. 

Next up was Kylie against Whitney & Shannon Sim for "Team Alicia." Alicia paired the girls -- who became best friends on the show -- because they both have a "folksy sound" and "similar energy."

Kylie belted out "Hound Dog" by Big Mama Thornton, and Whitney & Shannon performed "I Won't Give Up" by Jason Mraz. Alicia felt the Knockout was like worlds colliding.

Alicia told the duo they are "brown goddesses" who have a sound so different from what people listen to now. She told Kylie that after an amazing performance, there is even more inside of her that has yet to be unleashed and set free. Alicia therefore chose Kylie as the winner.

Miley then matched Ali with Lauren Diaz because they are on the "same playing field" vocally. Ali belted out "No Ordinary Love" by Sade, and Lauren sang "Rise Up" by Andra Day.

After the performance, Adam told Ali that saying she can win this show is an understatement, and Blake agreed there is "no doubt" she'll go far. However, Lauren impressed with her emotion in the song, and her urgency or desperation to stay on the show came across.

Miley told Ali that she is "a total star" and could win, and even better, she doesn't view herself that way because she's so humble. On the other hand, Lauren boasts beauty, personality and feeling in her performances. Miley ultimately declared Ali the winner of the Knockout -- a harder decision that she initially expected.

Simone's Knockout was against Dave Moisan for a spot on Adam's team going forward. Adam paired them together because they are both "heavy-hitting singers." Dave performed "Like I Can" by Sam Smith, which Adam found to be an ambitious choice. Simone performed "Midnight Train To Georgia" by Gladys Knight & the Pips.

Alicia noted after the performance that Dave did not choose the right song for his voice. Adam said it was great Dave tried and "did his thing" but he had to make his decision judging the Knockout alone. Due to that circumstance, Adam selected Simone as the winner because of her power and emotion. It was also clear Dave was a little nervous. 

We's Knockout was against Courtnie Ramirez for "Team Alicia." Alicia matched up these two 17-year-old girls because they deliver powerful vocals for their young age.

Courtnie sang "If I Were A Boy" by Beyonce, which showed off her range and surprised Alicia in the best way. We hit "No More Drama" by Mary J Blige out of the park. After asking the audience to stand up and scream for the girls, Alicia chose to advance We to "The Live Playoffs" because her look, sound and name are unforgettable.

Alicia told Courtnie and We that neither of them should carry any doubts or fears as they progress in their careers because of their incredible talent. Adam admitted he would have liked to "steal" Courtnie if he had another one to use.

And last but not least, Jason and Riley were paired up by Adam. Riley sang "Haven't Met You Yet" By Michael Buble, which was a smart choice, while Jason belted out "I Want You" by Luke James, exploring his range and falsetto a little bit.

Adam found this Knockout really difficult since Jason is "out of this world" but Riley's tone is so "distinctive." After the performance, Adam told Jason he's a talented singer and a good human being. On the other hand, Riley's singing always shocks Adam and transports him back to an earlier time.

Although both guys were valuable to his team, Adam chose to keep Riley on his team because no one else on the show is like him. However, Blake wasn't about to let Jason leave the competition. Blake expressed how Jason can "win this thing" and there is no one else who puts that much emotion into their performances.


About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski

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