Before reading this piece, check out our blog post about the second week of the Live Shows if you missed it!

This week on “The Voice” was the third round of live performances. The Top 11 contestants competed on Monday for a spot in the Top 10. On Tuesday, the nine contestants with the most votes were announced and automatically advanced, and the remaining two competed for the final spot. 

This week was also “fan week”: each contestant sang songs chosen by fans, and superfans also introduced the contestants before their performances. 

Our Top Five

1. Representing Team John Legend, Joshua Vacanti performed “The Show Must Go On” by Queens. His performance was so incredible, it was almost like a Broadway production. He started the performance standing on a piano singing softly, but then stepped down, delivering powerful vocals. He not only displayed a great vocal performance, but a theatrical one as well. 

2. On Team Kelly Clarkson, Hailey Mia sang “Elastic Heart” by Sia. According to Clarkson, the fans’ song choice was perfect for Mia and we agreed. Mia displayed incredible technique in her transitions to her head voice, and she has shown so much consistent growth throughout the entire competition. 

3. Also on Clarkson’s team, Girl Named Tom performed “More Hearts Than Mine” by Ingrid Andress. The three siblings got to display their talent with Bekah Liechty playing the piano, Caleb Liechty playing the guitar and Joshua Liechty drumming. Each sibling also got their own solo during the performance, which made their intricate harmonies sound even more incredible. 

4. Jershika Maple, on Legend’s team, sang “How Can I Ease The Pain” by Lisa Fischer. Maple showed her exhaustive range through a series of well-executed runs. Her unique stage presence of simultaneous strength and vulnerability captured the audience, perfecting the challenging song. 

5. Holly Forbes from Team Ariana Grande performed “Alone” by Hearts. It was the perfect song choice for her as it displayed her range and matched her tone. She belted some really high notes, and had a confident stage presence.

Team & Coach Performances

On Tuesday, between the result announcements, the remaining two teams performed with their coaches. 

As the first out of the team performances that week, Team Grande performed “FourFiveSeconds,” by Rihanna, Kanye West and Paul McCartney. The performance had a campfire theme, and Grande’s two remaining contestants took the stage along with Grande herself. The stripped-down performance was so beautiful because of the layered harmonies and the cozy visual. Jim Allen played the guitar during the performance, and the harmonies between him and his son, Sasha Allen were executed perfectly. Forbes’ powerful voice blended together with Grande’s sweet voice, and you could tell by the performance that everyone was glad to be on Grande’s team.

For their team performance, Team Blake Shelton performed “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)” by Four Tops. Shelton started off the arrangement by singing the first line, and the arrangement overall allowed his three remaining contestants to shine. It was lively, solid and showed off the unique vocals of everyone on Shelton’s team. Powerhouse Wendy Moten showcased her super-high notes, R&B singer Paris Winningham displayed the texture in his voice and country singer Lana Scott contributed vocals from her distinct lane.

The show also entertained Grande and Shelton’s unique friendship, with a “carpool buddies” skit.

Instant Save & Results

The two contestants with the least votes this week were Jim and Sasha Allen from Team Grande and Gymani from Team Clarkson. We felt both contestants didn’t deliver their best performance for the Instant Save, but in the end, Gymani was sent home after winning the Instant Save last week. Jim and Sasha Allen sounded nervous in their performance of “I Won’t Give Up” by Jason Mraz, while Gymani’s rendition of “Tell Me Something Good” by Rufus and Chaka Khan was overpowered by background instrumentals. Although we agreed with the voter’s verdict to save Jim and Sasha Allen, we both think that they need to step up their game as they are up against Girl Named Tom, another group with many harmonies.

Coach Rosters (as of Nov. 23)

Team Kelly: Jeremy Rosado, Girl Named Tom, Hailey Mia

Team Legend: Jershika Maple, Joshua Vacanti

Team Ariana: Jim and Sasha Allen, Holly Forbes

Team Blake: Wendy Moten, Paris Winningham, Lana Scott

Voting is becoming more and more important as we approach the finals, so remember to tune in and vote to support your favorite artists tomorrow night at 8 p.m.!