Top 12 Power Rankings

Season 5: Top 12

Matthew Schuler: Hallelujah

What can I say about Matthew’s performance this week. It was emotional, powerful, and heartwarming. It is performance’s like these that have made me fall in love with the voice. Christina chose a song that brought Matthew back to his gospel roots. I had high expectations for the song and he surpassed them. The softer parts sounded great, but it was the louder parts of the song that blew me away. Matthew was able to connect with the song and the audience was able to connect with him. I hung on each word he sang with bated breath. The studio audience was still and emotion swept through the room. Matthew once again proved why he is a favorite to win the show. Every single contestant stepped their game up this week, but I feel no one came close to Matthew. Needless to say I believe he is safe this week and for the next few weeks.

Jacquie Lee: Love Is Blindness

Jacquie Lee was coming off her best performance on the voice, thus far. She had a lot to live up to and she did not disappoint. Though it was not as good as her previous performance, she delivered a strong performance. The beginning of her song was hauntingly subtle. When she opened up her power was shown. She truly displayed her vast vocal range. Christina gave a great song choice for Jacquie. It was a great performance, but she did seem to get caught up in the tempo at one point when she frees-style screamed, but she caught up quickly. Overall, Jacquie still seems like a strong contender in this season’s Voice!

Cole Vosbury: Adorn

Cole opened up this week by telling us that his older sister died in a car accident, which is sure to get people on his side. Seeing him crying made me feel for the guy, and I only wanted to see him slay the song. He did not let me down. The risky decision to have him sing an R&B song paid off greatly and showed off his range and versatility. He wasn’t playing the guitar this week, and he looked a bit uncomfortable at first but looked fine by the end of the song. The beard looked great, but the performance was so much better. We loved Cole after last week, but this performance has vaulted him to the top of our rankings and has forced us to believe in him as a serious favorite to win.

Tessanne Chin: My Kind of Love

I don’t have much to say about Tessanne other than WOW. Her voice is incredibly powerful, and she continues to be the most consistent vocalist in the competition. Not even her crazy hairdo    (I loved it) could distract me from being hypnotized by her seemingly effortless performance. She sang this song for her husband, and we could feel her emotion coming through the TV screen. She clearly made an effort to improve her stage presence, and it paid off. I wish I had more to say, but it’s not surprising at all to see her put on a nearly flawless performance like this one. She is a lock to move onto the next round and should be considered a top contender to win it all.

James Wolpert: Mr. Brightside

It’s official, the lovable nerd has stolen my heart. This week James’ performance was one of the night’s best. Before the voice, James was an alternative rock musician and was comfortable with the genre. He was able to put his own little spin on the classic Killer’s song and blew judges and audience away. James used the whole stage and added life to the song using his body language. While other contestants just sang their songs he performed it. He was able to control his voice while moving and stayed in rhythm the entire time. I lept to my feet at the end of his song after he hit a huge note. This week showcased James’ range in voice and style. Last week he sang an acoustic song and this week he was a rockstar. Already a front runner in the competition, the performance this week further cemented James as a contestant to look out for. I would be shocked if he was eliminated this week.

Will Champlin: Demons

Will had the duty of the last performance of the night and he did not disappoint. He was coming off his best performance of the season. I liked the song choice Adam selected, Demons. The song is not too far off from last week’s performance of Secrets. Will connected well with the audience throughout the performance. He sang very confidently throughout the song and made it his own. HE finished it off with a great note. Overall, it was a very passionate performance. Will has been a surprise this season and he is still has a chance to win.  

Caroline Pennell: Wake Me Up

One of the top vote getters of last week, expectations were high for Caroline. This week Cee Lo chose the popular Avicii song in what seemed like an attempt to reach out to the younger viewers and maximize the Itunes downloads. Caroline showed more stage presence this week and seemed the crowd reacted to it. As opposed to the past few weeks where she sang more relaxed and slow songs this week Caroline sang and upbeat song that one cannot help but dance to. The judges complimented on her ability to stay in the rhythm of the song which is no easy task. Overall Caroline had a strong performance, but it was not close to the level we have come to expect from her. There was no big note or moment that stuck out. I blame the song choice on this weeks down performance as it did not allow for Caroline to showcase her range. That being said I would be shocked if she did not make it into the top 10.

Ray Boudreaux: All of Me

Handsome Ray gave the most surprising performance of the night and made Blake’s decision to save him look genius. I was nervous after watching the footage of his practice because he didn’t seem comfortable with the song choice. The simple V-neck that he wore was perfect for his performance because it set the tone for a raw, emotional journey. He drew us in from the start and never let go. He showed incredible range and kept the performance very swag. The ladies love this guy and the shot of his adorable baby daughter won’t hurt him either. Ray gets the award for most improved this week and deserves to move on into the Top 10 next week, so we can see if he can continue to improve.

Austin Jenckes: It’s A Great Day To Be Alive

The soulful, powerhouse singer from Team Blake was given a very big country song. He changed up his routine a bit by moving around the stage. Austin stayed true to the country roots of the song and came out with the strongest country performance this season. He may have gained a lot of country votes, which has shown to be important on The Voice. His performance ended with a huge note, which showcased his range. As Blake said: “Everyone wants to have a beer with Austin”, and I can’t disagree. He has some work to do, but is off to a great start.

Jonny Gray: Another Day In Paradise

Jonny is the only Veteran left on the show during Veteran’s Day. The song choice by CeeLo was a good one. He played his song on the guitar and was smooth. He had a good performance, but he played it safe. Jonny did not display much range and the performance was a bit bland. Though it was not a strong performance, Jonny is a very likeable guy. The patriotic vote may boost Jonny into the top 10, but unless he spices it up he could be sent packing next week.

Josh Logan: Man in the Mirror

After being saved by Christina last week, Josh had a lot to prove if he wanted to make it into the top 10. Christina wanted to challenge him this week and chose one of Michael Jackson's most iconic songs. Overall I thought the performance was solid, Josh did not seem to miss and notes or stray from the rhythm.  This week he showed that he was not just a rocker. It was a very soulful performance and displayed his softer side. There were no moments of the performance that wowed me. While it was a good performance, in my opinion Josh really needed to go above and beyond this week if he wanted to make it into the top 10. Every singer at this point in the competition is excellent and in order to move on to the next round you have to stand out. I saw nothing too memorable from Josh this week and based on his lack of votes this week I would not be surprised if he failed to make the top 10.

Kat Robichaud: Sail

Kat had the unfortunate task of following Ray, who and gave a completely opposite performance. She started off with some weird hip movement, which set the tone for one of her classic bizarre performances. She gave a high energy performance but isn’t as strong vocally as the other contestants. Her vibrato made a comeback, but I just think it sounds weird and doesn’t add to her performance. Her most memorable moment was when she decided to crowd surf, which was the best part of the whole act. Her glittery outfit definitely outshined her and the shot of her creepy/nerdy looking husband did not do her any favors. Kat should be going home, and it would be a real shame if she stole the spot of someone more talented in the Top 10.