Top 4 Revealed — Vote For Finale Winner

Following one last round of difficult eliminations on April 13, the stage is officially set for tomorrow’s “The Voice: Battle of Champions” finale (NBC, 9/8c). But which of the four singers left standing will emerge the winner of Season 29? Let’s discuss.

Monday’s Semi-Finals turned out to be a night of make-or-break performances, bold (and occasionally questionable) arrangements, and game-changing results. Do we agree with the four singers who were ultimately chosen to compete in the finale (one each for Adam Levine and John Legend, plus two for Kelly Clarkson, who won the “All-Star Showdown”)? With the possible exception of one Clarkson’s two choices, yes, we stand by all three coaches’ decisions. We also don’t envy any of them; this season’s talent pool left them with plenty of good options.

Read on for a breakdown of “The Voice” Season 29 Semi-Finals results, including which four singers are moving on to the finale, and which five contestants have reached the end of their “Voice” journeys. While you’re down there, be sure to vote for the singer you hope will win on April 14, then drop a comment with your thoughts on the “Battle of Champions” overall.

This was a strong start to what turned out to be a very strong night of performances. KJ Willis and his gold suit owned every inch of the stage with a polished performance of Stevie Wonder’s “Higher Ground,” all while remaining vocally on-point. Will is simply a joy to watch on stage, always bringing the party without breaking a sweat. The ease with which he approaches each performance puts the audience at ease, resulting in a good time all around. We often found ourself getting so lost in his performance that we were genuinely blindsided by some of his more impressive high notes. (Like, who invited them to this party? And are there more coming? Oh yes, there are!) That little turn Willis did at the end was just the cherry on top of a great performance. Next stop: “So You Think You Can Dance!”

TVLine’s grade: A

Even though we love everything about Willis, we understand that difficult decisions have to be made, and we think John Legend ultimately chose the right team member (see below) to compete for him in the finale.

We’ve now come to the part of our program where we must respectfully disagree with Kelly Clarkson, who claimed that Sam Smith’s “I’m Not the Only One” was Mikenley Brown’s best performance of the season. It was very good, but was it better than the contestant Clarkson chose not to bring with her to the finale? We’re not so sure. The song started a little lower than Brown is probably comfortable, but we’ve got to hand it to her, she didn’t just come out of her shell when she reached that first chorus — she exploded out of it. The natural rasp in Brown’s voice added a level of desperation to the song, raising the emotional factor considerably. She continued to let loose as the song progressed, but she also knew just when to play things more quietly, like the gorgeous falsetto she employed on “you don’t think I know what you’ve done” towards the end of the song.

TVLine’s grade: A-

Look, we’re not saying Brown was bad. Far from it. She just isn’t the second person we would have included on Clarkson’s team along with Liv Ciara.

This entire performance was the definition of smooth. Dressed in a crisp white suit, bathed in milky fog, Jeremy Keith did what needed to be done with Babyface’s “Whip Appeal.” It was an intimate performance, as if Keith was romancing us with each silky run and tender lyric. (And it worked! Consider us romanced!) That little vocal rumble he pulled off on “sweet aaasss can be!” shook us to our core. Beyond the visuals, there was almost something spiritual about what Keith did on that stage tonight. It was like “The Voice” pulled him out of a ’90s R&B time machine; he could have held his own with the greats back then.

TVLine’s grade: A

We feel the same way about Keith that we do about KJ Willis: we love him, and we wish there were more than four open slots in the finale, but Adam Levine made the right call — even if it wasn’t the one Keith was hoping to hear.

We’ll admit, we were curious when John Legend informed Syd Millevoi that she’d be performing an “acoustic, stripped-down” version of Ariana Grande’s “Into You,” a notoriously fun song that has gotten its fair share of plays in our own music library. What we ended up with, however, was a half-baked ballad that sucked all the fun out of the original song. Still, when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade — and when “The Voice” sticks you with a questionable arrangement, you sing the heck out of it anyway. (Bonus points for doing it with a Grande-approved ponytail.) Millevoi was in rare form this week as she belted for the gods, riffing and running her way through the reworked track. Even though we don’t think this version worked as well as the show thought it would, there’s no denying the raw talent Millevoi brought to the performance.

TVLine’s grade: A-

Jared Shoemaker confessed that he’s been looking forward to singing The Allman Brothers Band’s “Soulshine” all season, and we can see why. It was a perfect fit for his pure-country voice, and it indeed allowed his soul to shine on that stage tonight. When he sang “let your spirit take control,” he was doing just that. The power behind his voice was undeniable, even to his fellow contestants watching backstage. Shine on, cowboy. Shine on.

TVLine’s grade: A-

As good as Shoemaker was this week, and as consistent as he has been all season, we were neither surprised nor disappointed to learn that his journey on “The Voice” was ending in the Semi-Finals. At this point, you need a little something extra to break through; if Adam Levine had sent Shoemaker in against the other team’s selected finalists, he wouldn’t stand a chance. But we wish him the best, and we’d love to see him get a record deal out of this — or at least a shampoo commercial. (That hair!)

We’re not sure why “The Voice” was so determined to remix the fun out of so many songs tonight, but that trend continued with Liv Ciara’s ballad version of Irene Cara’s “Flashdance… What a Feeling.” Ciara may not have been dancing for her life, but she was certainly singing for it, especially those notes she belted out towards the end. Despite our objection to the arrangement, it still felt like Ciara took us on a journey; there was an youthfulness to the 16-year-old’s vocals that gradually matured as the song progressed. Overall, this felt like a classic “Voice” moment, the performance we’ll remember as the one where Ciara finally stepped — er, sang — into her power.

TVLine’s grade: A+

We can’t say we were surprised that Ciara ended up in the finale, but we were certainly relieved. With two open slots on Kelly Clarkson’s team, we figured Ciara was the no-brainer, while there was more room for debate over whether the second slot should go to Mikenley Brown or JW Griffin.

We’re always excited to hear (and see) what Alexia Jayy brings to the stage, and she saved something very special for the semi-finals, an electric rendition of Aretha Franklin’s “I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You).” The attitude, the screams, the belting — forget a recording contract, get this woman a crown. Our jaws remained firmly on the floor throughout this one, as Jayy constantly found new ways to prove that she is the one to beat in this competition. So much storytelling. So much stank! This was the kind of performance we feel like the original artist would appreciate seeing. (And she probably did, from the very best seats in the house.)

TVLine’s grade: A+

Of all the finalists revealed at the end of the episode, Jayy’s was the name we were happiest to hear. She isn’t just talented, she’s exciting, and we can’t wait to see what she brings us tomorrow.

JW Griffin may not have made it to the finale, but what a way to go out. The subtle country crooner already had Kelly Clarkson emotional while rehearsing Willie Nelson’s “Angel Flying Too Close To The Ground,” and he didn’t disappoint when it came time to hit the stage. This wasn’t what one might call an “explosive” performance, but there was still something utterly fascinating about Griffin’s delivery. An expert storyteller, Griffin believed every word that came out of his mouth, or at least it felt that way. Adam Levine summed Griffin up perfectly in his post-performance critiques, praising the subtlety of his voice; it’s not “overt,” it’s just a darn good instrument.

TVLine’s grade: A

Frankly, we’re a little surprised that Clarkson opted to keep Mikenley Brown on her team over Griffin, who we thought had a much stronger performance tonight. We can’t speak for Clarkson, perhaps she was thinking about Brown’s overall track record here, but our vote would have gone to Griffin.

One of the biggest and best surprises of the night, Lucas West tickled the ivories (and our hearts) with a jazzed-up rendition of Paul McCartney’s “Maybe I’m Amazed.” And that’s exactly how this performance left us feeling — amazed. This iconic song comes with plenty of expectations, and he exceeded every one of ours, both vocally and instrumentally. (He was beating those keys like they hurt someone he loved!) This was a stunning interpretation, a version unlike we’ve ever experienced. The way West would get us all worked up with a scream, then immediately “woo-oo-ooh” us back down to earth, was an experience we didn’t want to end. But even with West’s obvious gifts, his interviews suggest that he still has a lot of room to grow in his artistry, which only adds to his excitement as a competitor.

TVLine’s grade: “A+”

As much as we love KJ Willis, and as great as Syd Millevoi has been throughout the competition, John Legend was absolutely correct in choosing West as his finalist. With stiff competition from Teams Adam and Kelly, West is definitely Legend’s best chance at winning.