“The Voice” just entered its Season 21 finale week with a powerful start. Three coaches — Blake Shelton, Kelly Clarkson and John Legend — are still in the competition. Sorry, Ariana Grande.
Each artist performed two songs, a ballad and an upbeat tempo song, on Monday, the first day of the finale.
Team Blake still has two horses in the race — Paris Winningham and Wendy Moten. Team Kelly is keeping up with the help of Girl Named Tom and Hailey Mia. Team Legend is left with one talented performer — Jershika Maple, per Entertainment Weekly.
Here is a recap of all the performances:
Hailey Mia — Team Kelly
The 14-year-old opened the show with the song “deja vu” by Olivia Rodrigo. The judges were impressed by the control she had over her voice.
For her second performance, she sang “idon’twannabeyouanymore” by Billie Eilish. The song was an inspiration for her to overcome her insecurities. Clarkson said that she was “dripping with tone” and Legend called this performance the best one by Mia so far, per Gold Derby.
Paris Cunningham — Team Blake
Cunningham sang “Me and Mrs. Jones” by Billy Paul, dedicating it to his father. Shelton said that Cunningham raked in millions of votes and sold millions of tickets for concerts that aren’t even booked yet, per Entertainment Weekly. The judges described the performance as a sneak attack that starts slow and turns into something exciting and unexpected.
Performing “Ain’t Nobody” by Chaka Khan, the second song was a funky change of pace. Cunningham even threw his hat out while performing, which Grande caught. Clarkson said that he had the perfect balance of power and strength while performing the song.
Girl Named Tom — Team Kelly
They are the only group left in the competition which isn’t the only reason why they are special — they are a family singing group. And they performed “The Chain” by Fleetwood Mac, energizing the crowd with this classic rock song. Shelton said that they were well-rehearsed and Clarkson added that the song was “perfect for the finale,” per Gold Derby.
The group dedicated the next song, “Baby, Now That I’ve Found You” by The Foundations, to each other. They sat on stools, creating, what Clarkson called “a flawless performance.”
Jershika Maple — Team Legend
Her first song was dedicated to her church community. “They saw something in me that I could not see in myself,” she said, dedicating the song, “I’m Goin’ Down” by Mary J. Blige, to her community. Legend called her performance powerful. “You have been such a gift to work with,” he said.
She was saved by the judges twice and has only bloomed into a better performer during this competition, per TV Line. Singing “Rolling in the Deep” for her second song is a testament to her growth. “The combination of you being so technically good, and so soulful and so powerful ... there is no one like you,” said Legend.
Wendy Moten — Team Blake
Last but certainly not the least is Wendy Moten, an industry vet, who sang “How Will I Know” by Whitney Houston, according to Entertainment Weekly. “Best vocal live performances I’ve ever heard,” said Shelton, and Grande called her an “insane vocalist.”
For her second performance, she chose “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” by Judy Garland, dedicating the performance to her hometowns of Memphis and Nashville. Legend confessed that he has never seen anyone with a gift like hers.
Tune in to “The Voice” tonight at 6 p.m. MST on NBC to find out who wins Season 21.