“The Voice” – Recap – Final Knockouts

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“Song choice is a very huge factor. They don’t sing the right song... they’re going home.”

~CeeLo Green

The final round of Knockouts, to fill the remaining spots in the Top 20, was full of talent, surprises, and nerves. Sixteen artists took to the stage, but only ten moved on to the Live rounds.

Last night, I watched the East Coast broadcast... then I watch again with the West Coast. I watched twice—partly because a couple performances were that amazing and partly because I didn’t agree with some choices and wanted to see if I missed something. Even after the second time around, however, I still stand by my opinions.

“The Voice” - Recap – Knockouts (Part 1)

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“It’s really important to see who can command the stage under pressure”

~Christina Aguilera

Going into the Knockouts, I can’t even imagine the amount of pressure the artists must have been feeling. Everyone left is so talented, and any one of them could (and probably will) make it in the music industry. I feel for the judges, as cutting their teams by half must be a very difficult task. Unfortunately, that is the competition. The Knockouts are designed not to say who is the better singer per say, but rather who is far enough along to work through the pressure and their nerves in order to “command the stage.” Though there may be ‘winners,’ I don’t see those leaving the show as ‘losers.’ This is simply another step in their journey...

“Halloweentown” – 15 Years Later

October rolls in... and the Halloweentown movies are guaranteed to show up on television.

Who would have thought that fifteen years after Disney first released its Original Movie Halloweentown, it would still be a staple of today's Halloween traditions. The Halloweentown movies are to October what Miracle on 34^th Street is to December.

Many movies are synonymous with the Halloween season, but none have the excitement or 'cult' following that encompass Halloweentown. Why is that? The simple answer is just that—they are simple movies, and each one combines just the right amount of ‘creatures’ with an interesting, humorous, and fantastical storyline. Additionally, the characters and how they deal with and overcome the underlying ‘real-life’ issues in the movie add an element of realism. You put these all together, with an amazing cast, and you’ve got what’s needed to keep the movies in the mainstream, year after year.

“The Voice” – The Final Battles

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Tuesday night the final battles were played out. Each coach has eight artists, so we go into the Knockouts with thirty-two singers. During the battle rounds, I lost four of my original top twelve picks, but after the battle rounds, a couple of artists showed me what they're really capable of... so I add two to my list to make my Top Ten after battle rounds.

Part four SPOILERS ahead...

“The Voice” – The Battles (Part 3)

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It’s the final week for the Battle Rounds on The Voice, and last nights show highlighted just how much the remaining artists want the win... but it also had a few shocking choices and some surprising performances.

Spoilers of Part 3 ahead...

Album Review: Katy Perry – “Prism”

Available on iTunes

Katy Perry’s album, Prism, is set for worldwide release on October 22. I could sum up the entire album review with one sentence: "Prism is one of those few albums that every track is worth listening to."

Its not very often I will go and buy an entire album when its released, but Katy Perry’s new release is one of them. There will be no picking and choosing certain songs to download, because each track on the disc is great. Katy Perry put together an amazing song list, and her fans are going to be very impressed. It will be no surprise when the album hits number one.

A prism, by definition, separates white light into a spectrum of colors. The aptly titled album Prism separates Katy Perry's different feelings and emotions. The majority of this album shares with us some very personal and very real emotions and feelings. On a whole, Prism is probably Katy’s most personal album to date and acts almost as a diary she is allowing the world a peek into.

Artists will often take events from their lives and incorporate them into their works. Relationships, decisions, regrets, or achievements are just a few of the many things artists will use. When it comes to musical artists, it doesn’t matter if they write the song or just find a song they connect with deeply, they draw from their personal lives to add emotion and personality to the song. This is what makes an amazing singer and what creates a hit song. What bothers me, however, is the amount of people who try to figure out (or speculate publicly about) who or what the song is about. It doesn’t matter, and it really is none of our business. The song is their public expression they have chosen to share... the reasons are theirs to hold privately.

Katy Perry infuses many different personal elements into Prism, and the lead-off single “Roar” pretty much sets us up for what the mood and theme of the complete album is. While I wouldn’t call it an ‘anthem’ like many people have, the song definitely sends a message that regardless of what is happening in your life, you are still in control... you make the decisions... you are powerful. When Katy sings that she “went from zero to my own hero,” she shows that you are always “the champion" of yourself.

While many of the songs deal with love and relationships, the messages can be applied to almost any aspect of one’s personal life. It’s mostly about taking time for and loving yourself. It shows that, in life, there is no room or purpose to dwell on mistakes. Learn from them and allow yourself to grow stronger from them. Life is short, so don't live in yesterday or worry about tomorrow... Live in today.

The most powerful, and in my opinion best, song on the album comes in the latter half of the track list. “Love Me” is a ballad that includes a great message, but also shows the amazing and powerful vocals Katy Perry has. The song itself talks about losing your insecurities and just being who you are with no shame. Don’t question yourself, and don’t second guess yourself is what Katy is trying to convey as she softly and powerfully sings, “No more standing in my own way ... I’ll be the one defining who I want to be.”

While the theme is instilled into many of the tracks on the album, Katy Perry does mix in some traditional Katy, some new Katy, and some fun Katy. “Legendary Lovers” is very different and infuses a sense of Dubai mixed in with a unique blend of a slow pop beat and fast lyrics. Though it doesn’t have much of a hook, it has a very infectious beat. “Legendary Lovers” may not be a song you'll hear on the radio or in clubs, but it is a song worth having on your playlist.

“Birthday” brings some of the traditional and fun Katy to the disc. A simple song with a fun beat... though you may have to come up with a creative way to explain “So let me get you in your birthday suit. It's time to bring out the big balloons” to a younger fan... still cute and playful.

“Walking on Air,” the fourth track on the album, gives a small break to the overall theme. This is absolutely made for the clubs and has an electrifying dance beat. It’s fast tempo and catchy chorus will pump the dance floor. The techno-like bridge builds you up before coming down at just the right moment before pushing it full out again. One of the best dance tracks I’ve heard in a while.

Another worthty mention is the final track on the basic version (there are three additional bonus tracks on the deluxe version). “By the Grace of God” is highly spiritual and takes us deep into Katy’s personal dealings with events in her life. The song plays as multiple diary entries comprising each verse. Katy exposes the struggle and pain experienced during a period in her life and paints a very vivid picture of feeling lost and hopeless, but by “The Grace of God” and the love of friends and family, the courage needed to win the fight and find meaning is achieved... the final chapter in the diary of Katy Perry: Strength, Power, Respect, and Love for oneself.

I could go through each track, but what I’d have to say would pretty much be the same thing with different words. Really, every song is amazing and worth having. What impressed me the most, however, is how pure and raw Katy is throughout this album. There was very little, if any, ‘auto-tune’ or any type of digital enhancing. Prism is pure Katy Perry. I wish more artists were like her. She is a very talented vocalist and doesn’t need to rely on ‘technology’ to produce a number one album. She relies only on herself and what she can do. Fans see this and respect her even more for it. 
So I’ve only one thing left to say—Buy Prism! … The entire album. I’d go with the Deluxe version as the bonus tracks are too good to pass up and worth the extra few dollars. This is one album that you can just press play and walk away... the ‘skip’ button will not be needed.

Hear Katy’s story...

Be a winner!

Show your strength!

and “Roar!”

“The Voice” – The Battles (Part 2)

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The second round of battles took place Tuesday night. Like Monday’s episode, there were six battles that took place, but with Tuesday’s show only being an hour long, we only saw three complete battles. NBC showed only highlights from and the coaches’ decisions on the other three battles. While I completely understand the need to edit for space (or time when dealing with television), I’m not sure how fair this is to the artists who’s exposure is cut short.

Results and recaps ahead...

“The Voice” – The Battles (Part 1)

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“They’re all so talented. It’s this explosion on stage.”

-Christina Aguilera

Just as the name suggests, the contestants compete in a vocal battle against each other, with the winner staying and the other going home (unless another coach steals them). As my first year of watching The Voice, I found The Battle Rounds energetic, entertaining, and sad. Every one of the contestants is so talented, it was hard to see some of them go.

Before the Battle Rounds, the coaches, with assistance from some expert advisors, train each competing artist for the battle before they hit the stage. Christina recruited Ed Sheeran to help her coach her team. CeeLo got the help of Miguel. Adam had Ryan Teddler, and sitting beside Blake as he coached his team was Cher. We don’t get to see much of the coaching, but that’s not the main event. So how did last night's Battle Rounds play out? If you haven’t seen the episode yet, STOP reading here. Review and results ahead.

“Glee” remembers Finn Hudson and Cory Monteith

Thursday night, the emotionally heartfelt and tear-inducing episode of Glee aired, aptly titled “The Quarterback.” This episode of Glee was a tribute to the late Cory Monteith and to his character Finn Hudson.

Most were very pleased (myself included) with the way Glee and FOX handled the goodbye to Cory and to his character, Finn. But, there are some that wanted more. Some were upset that the show did not include a means of death for Finn Hudson, claiming this lack of information prevents closure. A reason doesn’t change the fact that Finn Hudson died, so why does one need a reason for closure? Chris Colfer’s character, Kurt, expressed this amazingly well early in the show by saying, “Everyone wants to talk about how he died, but who cares? It's one moment in his whole life.”

Some are upset that Glee, a show known for dealing with sensitive issues, failed to incorporate Monteith’s addiction issues into the death of Finn Hudson, but this would not have accomplished anything. The circumstances surrounding Monteith’s death are completely irrelevant to Finn Hudson’s death. They are not the same ‘person,’ and at no point was there ever any indication that Monteith’s character Finn struggled (or even experimented) with drugs. How could the producers of Glee justify ending Finn’s life that way? They couldn’t, and I’m glad they didn’t. It would have served no purpose, other than to tarnish the memory of the character.

By not incorporating a cause of death into the episode, Glee was able to accomplish a rather complicated and astonishing feat—the ‘line’ separating Cory Monteith from his character Finn Hudson was blurred just enough to allow a little of each to cross over into the other. If it was declared that Finn Hudson died as a result of drugs, it would have put too much emphasis onto Cory; conversely, if Finn Hudson was said to have died in a completely different way (a car accident for example), it would have taken away too much from Cory. By not saying how Finn died, a perfect balance of actor and character was achieved. We were able to mourn the loss of Finn on Glee, while still remembering and mourning the loss of Cory.

Slightly blurring that line between Cory and Finn created a ripple effect through the rest of the cast. As their characters paid their musical respects and worked through the pain they were all feeling by the death of Finn Hudson, we were also allowed a small glimpse into the sadness the cast was feeling by the loss of their friend and costar Cory Monteith. The strongest of this was evident when Lea Michele’s character, Rachel, made her appearance in the latter half of the episode.

Standing in the glee club room and touching her necklace with the name “Finn,” Rachel quietly and simply said that “Finn was my person.” Everyone knows the relationship between Finn and Rachel extended very deeply off-screen as well, and Lea has an identical necklace with the name “Cory.” By fusing this element into her appearance on the episode, we could feel Rachel’s pain at losing Finn, but we were also deeply hit with how much Lea loved and is mourning the loss of Cory. When she performed her rendition of “Make You Feel My Love,” it was as though we were watching two separate hearts breaking in the same body. The truth and depth of Lea’s emotional, and probably most difficult performance of her life, was breathtaking, and it honestly could not have been done better.

Overall, I can’t even find the words to describe how well everyone involved did in creating this masterful work of television. “The Quarterback” was, by far, the most emotional and involved episode of any television show I’ve ever watched. Glee drew you into their world to share in the remembrance and celebration of Finn’s life, as well as Cory’s. So, no, it doesn’t matter how Finn died. It doesn’t even matter how Cory died. All that matters is how they lived. The people who's lives they touched... the lives they changed... and the people they loved and were loved by... That’s all that matters, and that’s all that should be remembered.

Well done FOX. Well done Glee. Well done everyone. Thank-You!

In honor of Cory Monteith, Fox Broadcasting Company, 20th Century Fox, and Columbia Records will be donating all proceeds from the sales of the episode "The Quarterback" and all songs featured in the episode to Cory's favorite charity Project Limelight.

Cory Moneteith

May 11, 1982 – July 13, 2013

Rest in Peace

"The Voice" - Final Blind Auditions

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Monday night the final few were chosen, and each coach’s team was filled with twelve exceptional artists. The caliber of talent on The Voice is incredible, and the coaches’ experiences and advice are going to make that talent flourish like never before.

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Adam Levine filled his team with two outstanding artists. Matt Cermanski walked on the stage for the second time (last season he turned no chairs) and blew us away with his rendition of “Have a Little Faith in Me.” Adam, CeeLo, and Blake all showed they had faith when their chairs turned, but when Adam’s chair turned, Matt’s face lit up and his performance shot into high-gear. The versatility and range of his vocals made for one of the best performances of the night... It even earned a standing ovation from Adam.

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Grey, a twenty-five year old member of a wedding band, was the final addition to Team Adam. She grew up singing country and attended the Berklee College of Music. Grey has one of those voices that can be deeper when she needs it to be but also hit those high notes people seem to crave for. Her song choice of “Catch my Breath” was perfect to showcase her amazing range and control. Both Grey and Matt are the ones to watch on Team Adam.

CeeLo Green had three spots to fill on Monday’s final Blinds. He picked up Tamara Chauniece, a Gospel trained and raised artist who dreams of going more mainstream. Her voice is pure and easily captivates her audience.

CeeLo also grabbed twenty-six-year-old Lupe Carroll. His version of “If I Were a Carpenter” exposed a rather unique and interesting vocal tone. CeeLo was intrigued enough to turn his chair and was happy to add Lupe to his roster.

Shawn Smith rounded out Team CeeLo. The army veteran, who suffers a hearing impairment in his right ear, nailed his audition with “Chicken Fried.” His dedication and determination really inspires, but it was his country edge and strong vocals that earned him the well deserved final Team CeeLo spot.

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Blake Shelton filled his final slots with two absolutely amazing country stars. Brandon Chase completely nailed it from the first note of “Wanted.” He is the real deal, and Blake knew that country music is in Brandon’s blood. Brandon’s vocals are outstanding, but at the same time, natural. He it made seem completely effortless and second-nature while he was on stage. Even after the audition, Blake walked into the ‘family/friends’ room to tell those who came to support Brandon just how proud they should be of him... that was a nice gesture on Blake’s part.

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Blake completed his team with one more country powerhouse. Brian Pounds took the stage with “Wagon Wheel” and sounded like we were all watching a headlining concert. He felt at home on that stage, and his confidence poured into his singing. He has a great country tone and a simple, natural sound. Team Blake is full, and these two amazing country artists round out his team perfectly.

Christina Aguilera had only one spot to fill last night, and she was being patient until she found “that one special male vocalist” that she just had “to have.” Team Xtina is already a powerhouse the other coaches should fear, but when she turned for the unbelievable Michael Lynch, she completely solidified her team’s strength. 

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Michael is a pop singer with an added Latin element, and when he performed “Bailamos,” the audience went wild and Christina lit up. His soft-pop tone is full of power. His range is vast, and his pitch is flawless... you add the abundance of energy and charisma he blasts out and you’ve got the one that could go all the way. Christina was so impressed with Michael, that after he chose her as his coach, she called for a microphone and performed an on-the-spot mini-duet with him. Michael’s performance truly was the highlight of the night... if not the entire Blind Auditions.

So with the teams all filled, we anxiously await the Battle Rounds to begin. Again, I’m new to watching The Voice, so I’m not entirely clear on what to expect, but I am excited for next week. 

As it stands right now, there are forty-eight very talented artists, and my top twelve (in no particular order) are...

TEAM ADAM

- James Irwin

- Matt Cermanski

- Grey

TEAM BLAKE

- Holly Henry

- Brandon Chase

- Brian Pounds

TEAM CEELO

- Juhi

TEAM XTINA

- Destinee Quinn

- Briana Cuoco

- Timyra-Joi

- Olivia Henken

- Michael Lynch

Follow me and my thoughts on Twitter and Facebook and don’t miss my weekly posts on what I see, hear, and think on The Voice.

Watch the voice every Monday and Tuesday on NBC! Check your local listings for times.

Go to nbc.com/the-voice for all the great info on the judges and artists. You can also find the links (for iTunes) to download the performances from each night.

Who caught your ear? Who’s your favorite? What do you think of the show? Leave your thoughts and opinions in the comments below, or connect with me on Twitter and Facebook.

See you next week for the Battle Rounds!

"The Voice" - Week Two - Blind Auditions (Tuesday)

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“You have to hear confidence. You have to hear experience. You have to hear conviction... literally in a very short amount of time. You have to hear it all.”

- CeeLo Green

The team rosters are almost complete, and soon, the battles will begin. Last night was the fourth round of Blind Auditions, leaving only one round left for the coaches to complete their teams.

The talent last night was flowing hard and fast, and the coaches where ‘fighting’ just as hard to entice the artists onto their teams. CeeLo picked up only two artists last night: Past gospel trio group member R. Anthony and fitness/dance instructor Keaira Lashe. Team CeeLo now has three empty slots to fill next week.

Blake managed to win over three singers last night, leaving just two spots open on Team Blake. Sam Cerniglia, a wedding/event singer turned Blake’s chair and CeeLo’s chair. His rendition of “It’s a Beautiful Day” was energetic and his range rather broad, but he sounded too much like a wedding singer. Cerniglia is very talented, and Blake is the one that will be able to expand his talent and range beyond that of ‘the wedding singer.’ Also joining Blake’s team is fifteen-year-old Emily Randolph and country singer Justin Chain.

Adam scored big last night, picking up three very strong voices. Will Champlin won over three chairs with his incredible voice and amazing rendition of “Not Over You.” With his steady pitch and great range, Champlin will take Team Adam pretty far.

After all four chairs turned, Adam was able to take Ashley Dubose away from Blake, Christina, and CeeLo. She was definitely the coaches favorite of the night, and though her performance of Rihanna’s “Diamonds” was absolutely solid and truly amazing, it just didn’t grab me. She’s got the talent and a great coach. I’m curious to see where that will take her.

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Adam’s major score of the night, however, was James Irwin. Irwin auditioned for The Voice last season, but no chairs turned for him. People often say the second time around is always better, and Irwin proved that beyond any doubts this season while performing “Losing My Religion." His personality, his control, and his rocker edge made watching him the highlight of the night. He put everything of himself into that song, and all four chairs turned. James Irwin is a rocker at heart and is perfectly at home on Team Adam and one of my top two picks for the night. Amazing performance.

Christina’s already powerhouse of a team picked up three singers, leaving her only one slot to complete her team. Team Xtina added seventeen-year-old Amber Nicole and cruise ship entertainer Stephanie Anne Johnson. Christina also managed to win over the very talented country singer Olivia Henken. 

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Henken has been singing since she was four-years-old, has entered over a hundred singing competitions, but is still trying to be ‘recognized.’ I actually find that hard to believe after hearing her perform “Two Black Cadillacs.” She beamed with confidence, and her soft and sensual voice simply captivated you. Her vocal range I’d liken to Carrie Underwood. Olivia is a cowgirl in her heart, and ironically, I think Christina is the best choice for her. You will be seeing Olivia in the top ten, and she rounds out my top two of the night. 

As the teams stand now, I suspect that Christina may just have the power to de-throne Blake Shelton this season.

Dont' miss the final round of the Blind Auditions next Monday on NBC. 

Follow me and my thoughts on Twitter and Facebook so you don’t miss the weekly posts on what I see, hear, and think on The Voice.

Watch the voice every Monday and Tuesday on NBC! Check your local listings for times.

Go to nbc.com/the-voice for all the great info on the judges and artists. You can also find the links (for iTunes) to download the performances from each night.

Who caught your ear? Who’s your favorite? What do you think of the show? Leave your thoughts and opinions in the comments below, or connect with me on Twitter and Facebook.

"The Voice" Recap - Week Two - Blind Auditions (Monday)

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“If you can touch us with the passion, the feeling, and emotion in the song that you are singing ... that’s going to make us want to push our button.”

-Christina Aguilera

This is what makes The Voice as great as it is. The coaches look beyond the technical when choosing contestants, because technique can be taught, but passion, feeling, and emotion comes from within. Only when these three important elements are combined with technique is a great artist born.

Week Two of the Blind Auditions continued last night on NBC with Round Three. As with last week, the coaches were very entertaining... Blake Shelton even brought out his “big guns” (his three trophies showing his wins from the past three seasons) to entice contestants to his team. Adding humor really does set The Voice apart from all other competition shows—in a very good way.

Team Adam grabbed Justin Blake and Preston Pohl. Both artists contribute some needed strength to Adam’s team. Justin took a huge risk by performing one of Blake Shelton’s songs (“Sure Be Cool if You Did”). Oddly, Shelton didn’t turn his chair, but Adam (and only Adam) did. Justin has a strong country voice with great pitch, and it should be interesting to see how a country singer does on Adam’s team. 
It is, however, Preston Pohl who puts Adam’s team in the running. Pohl’s strong, soulful sound combined with his wide vocal range and high energy turned three chairs and adds him to my favorites for the night.

Team Blake did not too bad last night—picking up Ray Boudreaux, Monika Leigh, and Cilla Chan. Ray’s 'Bluesy' vocals showed good tone but lacked a little in control and delivery. Monika Leigh turned three chairs with her soft voice and jazzy feel. Her voice was subtle, but her sound had a very natural power to it. It seemed as though she just opened her mouth and out came this wonderful sound. She will do well on Blake’s team. Cilla Chan didn’t get more than a minute or so of airtime last night, so I had to go to iTunes to listen to her performance. I kind of see why she didn’t get the airtime like the others. While her singing is technically sound and her pitch doesn’t falter, she seems to lack those three very important elements needed to make a star. There was no passion, no feeling, and no emotion. Her rendition of “Come and Get It” may have been technically great, but it just didn’t grab me. I sincerely hope she finds that passion and emotion to put into her songs, because she does have the vocals.

Team CeeLo added three artists to his roster last night. Anthony Paul, like Chan, didn’t get the airtime last night—pretty much for the same reasons. While his performance was technically okay, there was nothing there to move me. George Horga Jr. left his close Romanian family ties and headed to Hollywood to pursue music. I’m not sure if he will do well on the voice, but I think he will do extremely well in the business. He gives off a rather strong “boy-band” vibe, and his good looks and sensual vocals had the girls in the audience last night going wild. He may not win The Voice, but he will be just fine.

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CeeLo scored huge when sixteen-year-old Juhi chose him for her coach. What came out of her when she started her performance was, for lack of a better word, stunning. Vocally, Juhi has a strong, mature, and unique quality. She has a little bit of jazz in her and a whole lot of fun. Her energy and charisma was more than enough to captivate her audience. It was odd that only two chairs turned for her, as she's tied for one of my top picks of last night.

Team Xtina scored the highest last night—picking up Jacob Poole, Lina Gaudenzi, Timyra-Joi, and Briana Cuoco. Jacob Poole, like Chen and Paul, didn’t get much airtime last night, and I’m not sure about Poole. Vocally he was alright, but the whole song was very flat. However, if anyone can show him how to get the range he needs, it will be Christina... we will see. Lina Gaudenzi has background training in both Classical Music and Opera, and I think a little of both seeped its way into her performance of “Landslide.” Many of her held notes seemed to flutter and took away from the quality of her vocals in this particular piece. Adding elements from one genre into another sometimes works, but it didn't this time. She is strong vocally, but needs to adapt to fit the song she's singing—sort of like how a jazz dancer needs to modify technique to successfully pull off a contemporary routine.

Timyra-Joi and Briana Cuoco were the star picks for Christina and my final two picks for the night. Timyra-Joi, a fifteen-year-old powerhouse turned three chairs. She’s been singing all her life and has had a vocal coach for the past ten years, which definitely shows. Her power, strength, control, and pitch were almost flawless. Honestly, her vocals go way beyond her age.

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Briana Cuoco turned two chairs last night, which confused me. Her performance was absolutely solid... I was expecting all four to turn. She has a great rock tone and very powerful vocals. Her range goes beyond that of many artists, and when she hit the chorus of "You and I," her power came out in full force. She has the charisma and stage-presence to make it very far in the competition and in the music industry, which is why I can’t decide between her or Juhi as my top pick for last night... so for now, we’ll just leave it as a tie... I can have two!

On a side note... I didn’t want to talk about this, because in my view it has absolutely no relevance whatsoever to the show or the competition, but I’m concerned there are going to be many others who don’t see it that way. Briana Cuoco, as I’m sure everyone knows, is Kaley Cuoco’s sister. I’ve already heard rumors circulating that The Voice was fixed so that Briana would be on the show. Honestly, that has to be the dumbest and most ignorant thing I’ve heard (I'm using ignorant with its true meaning). Do we need to define “Blind Auditions?” Did you see even the smallest flinch from any coach when she told them her name? No! Briana made it on her own merit, her own hard work, and her own talent... and she’s got a whole lot of talent. She should be proud, because she deserves it. She makes my top pick (well, tied for top pick) this week because of what she can do, not because of to whom she’s related—end of story! So I implore everyone out there watching The Voice to cheer for and to vote for whom you really like... and really think has that amazing talent and not a famous family member. I think I would be safe to say that Briana does not want votes because she’s Kaley’s sister. She wants the votes because you think she deserves them and because you like her voice. That's all!

Watch NBC tonight (Tuesday) for the 2nd part of Week Two's Blind Auditions, and then come back here tomorrow for my thoughts.

Follow me on Twitter and Facebook so you don’t miss the weekly posts on what I see, hear, and think on The Voice.

Watch the voice every Monday and Tuesday on NBC! Check your local listings for times.

Go to nbc.com/the-voice for all the great info on the judges and artists. You can also find the links (for iTunes) to download the performances from each night.

Who caught your ear? Who’s your favorite? What do you think of the show? Leave your thoughts and opinions in the comments below, or interact with me on Twitter and Facebook.