Last week on The Voice, the Top 8 were revealed, and two contestants were eliminated after America’s vote. Kim Cruse (Team Legend) won the instant save, and Kique (Team Gwen) and Rowan Grace (Team Blake) were sent home.
For this week’s semi-finals, Carson Daly announced that the contestants would perform duets of Whitney Houston songs in support of the upcoming Whitney Houston biopic film, “I Wanna Dance with Somebody.”
Team Gwen’s Justin Aaron kicked off the performances this week with an empowering rendition of Stand Up by Cynthia Erivo, accompanied by a choir. Justin is typically a strong singer, but his performance was underwhelming next to a full choir. However, he’s still a front-runner in the competition, given his consistency week after week.
Morgan Myles and Bryce Leatherwood paid tribute to Whitney Houston with a romantic duet of her classic love song Saving All My Love for You. Morgan hit the high notes like a dream proving why she made it this far in the competition.
The youngest contestant in the competition, Brayden Lape from Team Blake, challenged himself this week to sing the country ballad, In Case You Didn’t Know, by Brett Young. The only part more perfect than his performance was his hair.
Team Legend’s young diva, Parijita Bastola, sang Sia’s Unstoppable. She dedicated the song to her parents, who immigrated to the United States. Her strong and uplifting performance was solid from start to finish, deserving a standing ovation from the audience and coaches. Coach Camila was rendered speechless. Her coach, John Legend, found her performance inspiring and said people often ask him about her.
Team Blake’s Bodie and Brayden Lape performed a subdued, folksy version of Whitney Houston’s I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me) that was confusing at best, given it’s a classic, uptempo dance song. Bodie showed his range by singing and playing acoustic guitar.
John Legend calls Kim Cruse’s semi-finals performance ‘divine’
Team Legend’s Kim Cruse looked like a legend singing the legendary Summertime from Porgy and Bess. She sparkled in her gown just as much as her voice, proving she was a superstar in this competition. She earned the second standing ovation of the night. Carson Daly and Camila Cabello said they felt like they were in a movie. Coach Legend called her performance “divine.”
Omar Jose Cardona had a tough act to follow after the beautiful Kim Cruse left the stage. He pulled out all the stops singing My Heart Will Go On by Celine Dion. He held his own in the competition by holding the final note for what seemed like an impossibly long time proving his talent was meant for the stage. Coach Legend said he was always on point in each week’s challenge.
Bodie performed Without Me by Halsey, arranging and singing his own rendition of the song, proving he’s the whole package. The audience chanted his name after the performance. Coach Blake predicted he would go to the finale.
Omar Jose Cardona and Justin Aaron honor Whitney Houston with their stellar performance
Omar Jose Cardona and Justin Aaron honored Whitney Houston with their inspiring duet Greatest Love of All. Being two of the stronger singers in the competition, Whitney would’ve been proud of their arrangement.
Team Blake’s country boy, Bryce Leatherwood, sang a heartfelt version of the country song If Heaven Wasn’t So Far Away by Justin Moore. A homesick Bryce was singing for the family he was missing back home in Woodstock, Georgia. Coach Legend felt it was his best performance in the competition. Coach Blake said he activated his legion of fans and predicted he would go to the finale.
Parijita Bastola and Kim Cruse memorialized Whitney Houston with her version of the classic song, I’m Every Woman. It truly felt like a music award show performance.
Morgan Myles closed the night with an emotional tribute to her cousin and grandfather, who both passed away from brain cancer. She sang Lady Gaga’s Always Remember Us This Way. Her family drove from Nashville, Tennessee, to watch her perform. Coach Gwen said it was hard to find words for how great she is and how much she has grown as a performer. Coach Camila said her tone of voice had “truth and grit.”
Every performance showed the Top 8 belonged on the stage this week. Stay tuned for the results show tomorrow to see who made the finale of The Voice!
The Voice airs on Mondays and Tuesdays at 9/8c on NBC.