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

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The final part of "The Knockout Rounds" kicked off with Adam Levine, Miley Cyrus, Alicia Keys and Blake Shelton 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 Austin Allsup, Darby Walker, Brendan Fletcher, Sa'Rayah, Dana Harper, Sophia Urista and Aaron Gibson.

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.

Alicia was the only coach who had a "steal" left at this point in the competition, so she decided to save Josh Halverson from Miley's team.

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

For the first matchup, Blake paired Austin with Gabe Broussard because they both have a rough-around-the-edges sound and could break into a variety of music genres. Austin performed "Breakdown" by Tom Petty, while Gabe sang "It Will Rain" by Bruno Mars.

Blake told Austin that he broke out of the pack and is building momentum. Blake joked he's "a freak" -- in a good way of course. Blake then told Gabe he has so much talent and girls go crazy for him. Blake appreciated his "raw emotion" at the young age of 15.

In the end, Blake declared Austin the winner because he has a place in country music right now. Gabe was therefore eliminated.

Miley then matched up Darby and Maye Thomas for their Knockout because they both see themselves doing indie-alternative pop, yet only one of them can fill that lane on the show. Darby sang "Shake It Out" by Florence and The Machine while Maye performed "Closer" by Tegan and Sara.

Miley admitted this pairing nearly gave her "a nervous breakdown" because she didn't want to let either one of them go. Miley told Maye there is always "an experience" when she performs because no one moves like her. Miley called it a home run.

The coach then reminded Darby how excited she had been to originally get her on "Team Miley." Miley said she nailed the performance and declared Darby the winner of the Knockout because of her unique voice and energy, therefore sending Maye home. Miley noted it was "one of the hardest decisions" she's had to make in the competition so far.   

For "Team Adam," Brendan sang against his teammate Nolan Neal because they're both rock singers. Adam said Brendan is soulful and earthy, while Nolan has an explosive voice. Brendan took the stage with "Soulshine" by The Allman Brothers Band, and Nolan performed "Love Is Your Name" by Steven Tyler.

After the performances, Adam told Nolan that he's an extroverted performer and his range is unbelievable. Brendan, on the other hand, represents a whole other approach Adam respects equally. Adam wouldn't want Brendan to change.

Adam called both artists "world class," saying neither of them deserved to go home. However, Adam chose to keep Brendan on his team, therefore eliminating Nolan.

Next up was Sa'Rayah against Michael Sanchez for "Team Alicia." The coach paired them together because they both have big, soulful voices.

Michael sang "Just the Two of Us" by Bill Withers, and Sa'Rayah performed "Ain't Nobody" by Chaka Khan. Alicia told Michael he seemed free and is very special.

Alicia then told Sa'Rayah that she's a "ray of light" and her performance was "out of this world." Although they both "owned it" onstage, Alicia advanced Sa'Rayah to "The Live Playoffs," eliminating Michael in the process.

Blake then matched up Dana with Karlee Metzger because they both occupy a similar space musically and have powerful, smooth voices. Dana sang "You Give Me Something" by James Morrison, and Karlee took the stage with "Invincible" by Kelly Clarkson.

Blake told Karlee that she's not the type of vocalist to pick a Kelly Clarkson song, so it was clear she was pushing herself.

Meanwhile, Dana has a "relaxing, warm voice" and a great lower register in her range. Blake decided Dana had won the Knockout because she always manages to show a different side of herself onstage. Karlee was therefore sent home.

For "Team Miley," Aaron sang "Die a Happy Man" by Thomas Rhett against Josh, who performed "Whiskey and You" by Chris Stapleton. They were Miley's "rockers."

Miley told Aaron that he's grown so much and he made her really proud. Josh, on the other hand, brought everyone into his world through his performance. Miley ultimately chose to keep Aaron on her team because she wants him to really believe in himself.

However, Alicia pressed her button to steal Josh, who had previously been on her team. Alicia wanted Josh to come home because his "artistry deserves to be heard in people's homes and hearts." Alicia was waiting to get him back the whole times.

Monday night's broadcast also featured a brief clip of Sophia defeating Josette Diaz in her Knockout for Miley's team. Sophia successfully belted out "I Can't Stand the Rain" by Tina Turner.
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski

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