Before reading this piece, check out our blog post on the second week of battles if you missed it!

This week on “The Voice” was the third week of battles. With more acts packed into this week’s episodes, we will switch back to ranking our top five performances.

Our Top Five

1. On coach John Legend’s team, Omar Jose Cardona and Lana Love battled with “Into the Unknown” from the soundtrack of Frozen 2. Cardona and Love are the most theatrical contestants on the show, and they did not disappoint with this performance. From the start, they were both fully immersed in the song, using their facial expressions and motions to convey the lyrics, alongside impressive runs and pitch-perfect belting. The performance sounded straight from Broadway and earned Love and Cardona a standing ovation from all four judges, but Cardona won due to his distinct, powerful voice. 

2. Sasha Hurtado and Devix sang MGMT’s “Electric Love” on coach Camila Cabello’s team, giving the song a soulful twist. Devix started off the battle with his warm, layered tone in his lower register, and then Hurtado came in with her falsetto switching to her chest voice. The harmonies and runs throughout the performance were perfect, and their vocals blended so well together. Although both were amazing, Devix’s inflections, dynamics and subtle runs were unmatched. Cabello deemed Devix as the winner of the battle, and Hurtado was stolen by coach Gwen Stefani. We are so excited to see more of both contestants!

3. Also representing team Cabello, Andrew Igbokidi and Zach Newbould performed “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” by Whitney Houston. Their performance featured runs and harmonies from both contestants. We felt as though Newbould displayed more emotion, but Cabello chose Igbokidi as the winner because of his unique voice and potential. Unfortunately for Newbould, there were no more saves or steals left; Stefani and Cabello both stated that they would’ve stolen/saved Newbould if they had theirs available.

4. Alyssa Witrado and Ian Harrison performed Billie Eilish’s “Happier Than Ever” representing Stefani’s team. While this song is pretty difficult to cover due to the raw emotions and wide range of vocals, Witrado and Harrison did a great job. We were impressed with Witrado as she has improved so much since her blind audition; during the performance she was always on pitch and her runs were clean. Harrison surprised us as well when midway through the song he sang a whole octave higher. In the end, we thought that Witrado should win the battle because the song catered to her vocals and tone more, and Stefani agreed. However, Harrison was stolen by Legend which we agree with because we feel that with the right song, he could really shine. 

5. Kevin Hawkins and Hillary Torchiana sang “Preach” by John Legend on coach Blake Shelton’s team. Both singers were emotional right from the first note, and they harmonized perfectly together. Shelton’s song choice was fitting for this battle, as Hawkins and Torchiana both shined in their solo moments. In the end, Shelton picked Hawkins, stating that we haven’t seen what he’s capable of yet. 

Coach Rosters (as of Oct. 25)

Team Stefani: Alyssa Witrado, Cara Brindisi, Kayla Von Der Heide, Destiny Leigh, Kique, Daysia, Justin Aaron, Rowan Grace, Sasha Hurtado

Team Legend: Omar Jose Cardona, Emma Brooke, Peyton Aldridge, Valarie Harding, Morgan Taylor, Parijita Bastola, The Marilynds, Kim Cruse, Ian Harrison

Team Cabello: Morgan Myles, Orlando Mendez, Reina Ley, Devix, Chello, Andrew Igbokidi, Eric Who, Steven McMorran, Jaeden Luke

Team Shelton: Kate Kalvach, Bryce Leatherwood, Kevin Hawkins, Brayden Lape, The Dryes, Eva Ullmann, Bodie, Austin Montgomery, Jay Allen

Join us next week for the first round of the Knockouts! This season the Knockouts will feature three-way competitions between contestants on the same team rather than two. This will be the first time featuring this new format, and it will get significantly more competitive as contestants fight for a spot in the live shows. The stakes are becoming more important, and we are excited to see what’s next!