What To Know
- The Knockout Rounds began on the March 30 episode of The Voice.
- Kelly Clarkson, John Legend, and Adam Levine paired up their six team members for performances where they chose their own songs.
- The coaches picked a winner from each Knockout pairing to move on to the Semifinals.
The Knockout Rounds are officially underway on Season 29 of The Voice. After the Battle Rounds, coaches John Legend, Adam Levine, and Kelly Clarkson each had six artists on their teams, and they once again paired them up, this time for head-to-head performances of songs selected by the contestants themselves.
For this round, Team Legend and Team Adam were mentored by CeeLo Green, one of the original coaches of The Voice, and Team Kelly was mentored by Michael Bublé. With no Steals or Saves in play, the coaches had final say when it came to which of their artists won the Knockout and moved on to the Semifinals.
Scroll down for a recap of the Knockout Round performances and to find out where the teams stand:
Lucas West vs. Moses G. — Team Legend
Legend’s first Knockout pairing was Lucas West and Moses G., the latter of whom he stole from Levine’s team in the Battle Rounds. Moses chose “Let’s Get It On” by Marvin Gaye for the Knockout Round, while Lucas sang “New York State of Mind” by Billy Joel.
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“Moses, you cannot do that song unless you do exactly what you just did,” Levine said. “I cannot move the way you move. Lucas, you were not on my team, and I’m still mad about it. You just keep getting better and better, dude.”
Clarkson admitted she would “lean towards” Lucas if she had to pick a winner, but said that Moses makes her “so happy” and that she “found [herself] smiling so much my face hurt.”
Legend told his artists that he was impressed by both performances. He praised Moses’ “beautiful energy,” but raved over the “new things” that Lucas did vocally in his set. Luca was chosen as the winner of the Knockout.
Houston Kelly vs. JW Griffin — Team Kelly
Clarkson paired up her “country dudes” JW Griffin and Houston Kelly for the Knockouts. Houston opted to sing Luke Combs‘ “Love You Anyway,” and JW performed “If It Hadn’t Been for Love” by The SteelDrivers.
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Legend told the guys that both of their performances were “well done.” While he praised the “warmth” in Houston’s delivery, he was really into JW’s tone. “It has a nice crackle to it,” he said. “I could hear it on the radio.” Legend admitted that he would choose JW as the winner.
Levine thanked Houston for bringing a “sense of joy” to the show and reminding everyone that The Voice is all about “the joy of singing.” He then told JW, “I am your fan. I’m coming to your concert. I’m buying your T-shirt.”
The decision came down to Clarkson, and she picked the artist whom she felt was a “little more ready for competition right now.” JW was the winner of the Knockout.
Alexia Jayy vs. Bay Simpson — Team Levine
For the first Team Adam pairing of the night, Alexia Jayy and Bay Simpson went head-to-head. They sang “You Give Good Love” by Whitney Houston and “One Headlight” by The Wallflowers, respectively.
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Clarkson was so infatuated with Alexia’s performance that she got out of her seat to hug her. “It’s like if Whitney Houston and Lauryn Hill‘s voices had a baby,” she gushed, although she also told Bay that he’s “so cool because you don’t try to be cool.”
Legend pointed out that Bay has music in him and said he’s “super cool in all the right ways,” while also praising Alexia’s vibe, grit, soulfulness, and style. Levine added, “Bay, there’s been something special about you since I first heard you sing. You don’t have to have a voice like Alexia’s to have something viable as an artist.”
However, he admitted that Alexia has one of the best voices he’s “ever heard,” and ultimately chose her as the winner of the Knockout.
Abigayle Oakley vs. Liv Ciara — Team Kelly
After Clarkson used her Super Steal to keep Liv Ciara on her team in the Battles, she paired her with Abigayle Oakley in the Knockouts. Abigayle performed Sabrina Carpenter‘s “Feather,” while Liv sang Clarkson’s “Breakaway.” Clarkson urged Abigayle to lean into her “quirky” side, and agreed with Liv’s decision to change things up in “Breakaway” to make it competition-worthy.
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Legend applauded Abigayle for executing her performance “very well,” and said that Liv’s decision to pick her own coach’s song was “really effective, especially at the end with those big chest voice notes.” He selected Liv as the winner of the Knockout.
Levine didn’t make a choice between the ladies, but said he was “blown away” by Liv and that Abigayle “really had me feeling and understanding the lyrics,” which meant she was “doing what’s necessary to connect to the music.”
Clarkson said that Abigayle “perfectly executed” her performance, but was more impressed by how Liv made “Breakaway” into a “showstopper” song, and picked Liv as the winner of the round.
Natasha Blaine vs. Syd Millevoi — Team Legend
Legend paired up Natasha Blaine and Syd Millevoi for the next Knockout. Natasha decided to sing “Another Sad Love Song” by Toni Braxton, and was urged by her coach to “be sultrier” when she took the stage. Meanwhile, Syd performed “Tell Me You Love Me” by Demi Lovato.
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Both Levine and Clarkson raved over Syd’s range and ability to hit any note possible, but admitted that she needs to “connect” with the audience more if she wants to be taken to the next level. Levine complimented Natasha for how much she’s improved on the show so far, while Clarkson said she loves her lounge singer “vibe.”
Legend added, “Natasha, I liked the stylistic choices you made. You understand who you are as a vocalist. Just lean into that and work on being the best in that lane. Syd, I completely agree with what they’ve been saying about the next level for you. You’re one of the most gifted artists we’ll ever come across, period, so the next level is making the audience believe you as an artist.”
Clearly confident that Syd can take things to the place he wants her to, Legend picked Syd as the winner.
Jeremy Keith vs. Mike Steele — Team Adam
Levine paired up his Battle Round Steal, Mike Steele, and Jeremy Keith for the Knockouts. Jeremy sang “Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing” by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, and Mike picked “How You Gonna Act Like That” by Tyrese.
Griffin Nagel/NBC
It was a tough decision for Levine, and his fellow coaches weren’t any help. “You’re both so phenomenal,” Clarkson said. “Jeremy, you’re such a rock steady singer. Your voice opens up. It’s so beautiful. Mike, you have one of the coolest tones. Your runs were really cool. You got a little lost in it, in a good way.”
Legend pointed out that Jeremy is the “better pure singer,” but that Mike is “just swaggy.” In the end, Levine picked the artist who he thinks is “ready now,” which was Jeremy.
Here’s where the teams stand so far. The remaining slot on each team will be filled during next week’s episode:
Team Adam:
Alexia Jayy
Jeremy Keith
Team Kelly:
JW Griffin
Liv Ciara
Team Legend:
Lucas West
Syd Millevoi
The Voice, Season 29, Mondays, 9/8c, NBC
