The Voice's Top 12 artists took the stage for home viewer votes on Monday night's Season 12 performance show on NBC.
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The live shows kicked off last night with the remaining 12 artists singing, and in a The Voice first, country and pop icon Shania Twain sat in one of the big red chairs with Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, Gwen Stefani, and Alicia Keys to critique each performance. Shania had also served as an adviser for all the contestants during the last week of rehearsals.
Jesse Larson from Minneapolis, MN, sang "Make You Feel My Love" by Adele for Team Adam. Shania called him "a stunning vocalist" and was very moved by his performance. Adam revealed that Jesse is a guitar player who simply discovered he can sing, so Adam is shocked by his talent and referred to him as the "best pure singer" in the competition. Adam said Jesse's rendition of the song put him on the map.
Mark Isaiah from Mt. Pocono, PA, performed "One Dance" by Drake featuring Wizkid & Kyla on behalf of Team Adam. Shania said he has "star quality" and came to life onstage. Adam was "blown away" by Mark's improvement and stage presence.
Stephanie Rice from Houston, TX, took the stage with "White Flag" by Dido for Team Alicia. Shania said emotion poured out of Stephanie, while her former coach Gwen noted she has a gift for "channeling inner pain" and tenderness. Alicia said Stephanie is "the purest artist on this show" and always manages to bring people into her own world.
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Troy Ramey from Sea Cliff, NY, sang "Free Fallin'" by Tom Petty for Team Gwen. Shania loved the subtleties in his voice and was captivated. Troy's former coach Adam appreciated how he made the song his own, and Gwen expressed how his personality came to life on the stage.
Aliyah Moulden from La Habra, CA, performed "(Love is Like A) Heat Wave" by Martha and the Vandellas for Team Blake. Shania said the young artist commanded the stage and has amazing poise at age 15. Blake complimented his artist by saying she's becoming a complete performer in front of everyone's eyes.
Chris Blue from Knoxville, TN, was up next with a performance of "Love and Happiness" by Al Green for Team Alicia. All four coaches gave him a standing ovation, as well as Shania, who thought Chris released his "wild man" on the stage that night. Shania said the artist can sing anything and "exploded" in his performance. Alicia explained Chris has an uncanny ability to make things electric when he sings and America is definitely feeling him.
Lauren Duski from Gaylord, MI, sang "Lord I Hope This Day is Good" by Anne Murray for Team Blake. Shania noted the song was perfect for her and she has "a true, honest spirit" about herself. After Shania gushed about how Lauren could've written that song herself, Blake admitted she's the artist The Voice has been waiting for -- that all she needs is a microphone and a country song "to light the place up."
Lilli Passero from Los Angeles, CA, performed "Man! I Feel Like a Woman" by Shania herself for Team Adam. Despite battling an illness at this point in the season, Shania complimented the artist on a job well done. Adam also said Lilli is "so capable" and they'll do "amazing things" on the show going forward.
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Brennley Brown from Apple Valley, CA, took the stage with "Long, Long Time" by Linda Ronstadt for Team Gwen. Shania, Alicia and Gwen all gave the artist a standing ovation. Shania said her technique was "amazing" and she's "as good as it gets no matter what age you are." Blake told the young artist it was a "brilliant" song for her and she's with the right coach. Gwen finally called the piece "perfect," saying Brennley has excellent dynamics in her vocals as well as intuition.
Terry "TSoul" Pinkard from Richmond, VA, sang "Always On My Mind" by Willie Nelson for Team Blake. Shania said he puts his soul into what he sings and appears to get lost in his own world while onstage. Blake was extremely proud and happy for his talented artist.
Hunter Plake from Baton Rouge, LA, then sang his own rendition of "Somebody That I Used To Know" by Gotye for Team Gwen. Shania felt like she was at his concert because he's so believable, saying he has an incredible range. Gwen thought it was so exciting to watch the artist sing an energetic and uptempo song, and she complimented his creativity on the arrangement.
And last but not least, Vanessa Ferguson from Greensboro, NC, performed "A Song For You" by Donny Hathaway for Team Alicia. Shania said Vanessa has so much class and she's true to her own identity. Alicia noted that no one could sing that song the way Vanessa did, adding that her team member breaks down walls in everyone listening to her music and creates magic onstage.
On Tuesday night's live results show of The Voice, the show's "Instant Save" format will return and one of the Top 12 artists will be eliminated.
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski