Who should WIN The Voice?

[rfisher]

There's an article on TV guide that says Mark Burnett took the 4 judges and Carson out drinking before they started filming. The agreement was that "none of us watch those reality shows and none of us need to do this, so let's make a reality show about real talent." I don't think they'll ever bring anybody on who can't sing since the judges won't waste their time.

Adam is also proud of himself for being a good coach. He didn't think he would be and is a little surprised at how involved he got in the process.

And they all drank a lot.

I might watch X factor unless it's on opposite the Sing Off. Ben Folds will beat out Simon anyday for me. Plus, I love the groups they have on the Sing Off which is another case of only showcasing people with real talent.

[Cheylana]

Someone said Tues they thought Vicci and Bev may have split votes and I wonder if that's true.

I did suggest that, since they are both lesbians primarily performing rock music, though I also thought Vicci might split some votes with Javier since they are both Latino. On the other hand, maybe Javier benefited from being the only guy in the finals.

But I think the bigger issue is that Cee-Lo kinda cut Vicci's legs from under her last week when he said he hoped Nakia would advance and gave him a slighty higher score. I guess he was just calling it as he saw it, but it was kind of a momentum killer for Vicci's chances to win.

[rfisher]

Really? I don't think being Lesbian or Latino had any impact at all. Nor did the fact Javier was male or Black. I don't think there was a Lesbian, Latino, Black, or male contingent power voting. Singing rock was probably the bigger factor. Javier and Dia are more mainstream and garnered more itune downloads and more online/phone votes. Nor have I heard anybody say they voted for X because their coach said anything. They've voted for the singer who sang the songs that fit their own musical preference.

Bev, Vicci and Nakia didn't make any attempt to deflect their sexuality, but they didn't make a big deal about it either. They were who they are just as the other contestants. Which makes The Voice the only reality series where the contestants have been free to be themselves on TV.

When only one person can win, others are going to not win. But, the general consensous I've read and heard people comment on is that all four were equally talented. They just performed different styles of music. Nobody was really a "loser".

[PrincessLeppard]

Is anyone planning to watch X Factor? I'm not.

I'll see if I like anyone. Then I'll decide.

I only saw snippets of this show, but I hope one thing they fix next time is that, say, when they get to the final eight, they just kick off one at a time. I don't like that one person from each team gets auf'ed. If a mentor loses both remaining team members in two weeks, so be it. He or she should have chosen better.

[genevieve]

But I think the bigger issue is that Cee-Lo kinda cut Vicci's legs from under her last week when he said he hoped Nakia would advance and gave him a slighty higher score. I guess he was just calling it as he saw it, but it was kind of a momentum killer for Vicci's chances to win.

I had fogotten that, but I do think that Cee-Lo's production style hurt her a bit. She's a singer/songwriter, and the production on her single is way overblown for her strengths. Even the evolution of her style during the time on the show...there's been no big makeover a la AI, but don't think I haven't noticed the eye shadow and the slight feminization over the weeks (I'm not talking about Love is a Battlefield, which was deliberately OTT)...well, on a show where they're allowed to really be themselves it might have been a miscalculation.

I expected that Cee-Lo, with his creativity and curiosity, would be the best mentor of the group, but I think his style is GO BIG, and that can overshadow the artist. Even though Battlefield was the performance I made sure to watch again yesterday morning before work, it was clearly Cee-Lo's spectacle and it didn't promote Vicci the way the other artists' duets did.

I didn't like Blake as a mentor during the battles or the first round - he made some way stinkeroo song choices - but he certainly ended up being a great mentor in the end to his final 2. And Xtina...she really surprised me with the way she really embraced singers who do not resemble her at all - literally and in singing style. I thought Adam started cocky and ended a little less cocky. Clearly he did a great job of getting fab talent on his team and now he's got bragging rights (so maybe he'll start off cocky again ). I think he knew where to gently push and when to step back with Javier.

I'm sad the show is over!

[rfisher]

I'll see if I like anyone. Then I'll decide.

I only saw snippets of this show, but I hope one thing they fix next time is that, say, when they get to the final eight, they just kick off one at a time. I don't like that one person from each team gets auf'ed. If a mentor loses both remaining team members in two weeks, so be it. He or she should have chosen better.

I don't think that will happen. Part of the program is the coaches competing against each other as well as their singers competing. That would make it like AI and they don't want that to be the situation. I didn't have any problems with the format.

It will be interesting to see if the coaches change their strategies next season. I think they sort of played it by ear this time. I'm so glad all 4 have agreed to come back. The interaction between them was as entertaining as the singers.

[Allskate]

I don't think that will happen. Part of the program is the coaches competing against each other as well as their singers competing. That would make it like AI and they don't want that to be the situation. I didn't have any problems with the format.

Yeah. I think they need to keep all the coaches in it to the end because of the coach rivalry aspect of the show. I do feel bad for the more talented ones that go earlier than they should. But, I think there has to be a way to kind of limit that. I still like the idea of each coach, after the battle rounds, being allowed to pick one of the singers that the other coaches cut. Then you could have Adam calling Blake a moron for cutting someone or Christina getting a singer that she lost out to Adam in the audition rounds. It would be fun and then a few of the ones who get booted too soon -- because of a bad song choice or bad matchup or just an off day -- will get to stay, but you'd still have the coach rivalry aspect.

It will be interesting to see if the coaches change their strategies next season. I think they sort of played it by ear this time. I'm so glad all 4 have agreed to come back. The interaction between them was as entertaining as the singers.

I think they're going to fight even harder to convince contestants to pick them as coaches! That worked for Adam with Javier. I also think that some of the coaches may be more willing to go out of their comfort zones, either with who they choose for their team, or in the song choices they make for their contestants.

Also, I suspect that they will bring in more of the coaches' friends and colleagues to help mentor the contestants; that will draw in fans of more artists.

[reckless]

I think they should eliminate the battle rounds and do two more weeks as each team goes from from 4 to 2. I thought the battle rounds tended to favor one singer over another and hurt contestants if the judge picked a bad song. They could do one episode for each team -- four songs -- with two eliminations. They also could do longer episodes with eight songs (using two teams) in each week and eliminate only one team member at a time.

If they did the one team per week with two eliminations, I also would have one results show where all the eliminations are decided. That would avoid giving anyone more time to prepare for the semifinals. Even though the singers technically are competing against one another, the earlier performances do influence viewers so having extra weeks to prepare is an advantage.

[skatesindreams]

Really? I don't think being Lesbian or Latino had any impact at all. Nor did the fact Javier was male or Black. I don't think there was a Lesbian, Latino, Black, or male contingent power voting. Singing rock was probably the bigger factor. Javier and Dia are more mainstream and garnered more itune downloads and more online/phone votes. Nor have I heard anybody say they voted for X because their coach said anything. They've voted for the singer who sang the songs that fit their own musical preference.

Bev, Vicci and Nakia didn't make any attempt to deflect their sexuality, but they didn't make a big deal about it either. They were who they are just as the other contestants. Which makes The Voice the only reality series where the contestants have been free to be themselves on TV.

When only one person can win, others are going to not win. But, the general consensous I've read and heard people comment on is that all four were equally talented. They just performed different styles of music. Nobody was really a "loser".

That's how I saw it, too.

[michiruwater]

Um, I didn't realize that Dia was Dia Frampton of Meg & Dia. They've had several minor hits in the US but yet she was allowed to be on this show? I mean, I first heard both 'Monster' and 'Black Wedding' on the radio and then saw them on MTV back in the day.

Also, I freaking love Meg & Dia. If I'd been following more closely up until now I would have been fangirling it up. Fail.

[KikiSashaFan]

Tori and Taylor Thompson won that American Idol spin off American Juniors a few years back. They put out an album or two from that, but there was no mention of that on the show. Oh and to go along with that, even though it's completely irrelevent, Lucy Hale from Pretty Little Liars also won along with them.

[michiruwater]

Hah, you just know I love PLL, but I am looking that up immediately! Thanks.

It just seems surprising to me. I have all of Meg & Dia's albums and have been listening to them for years. To see her on a competition as though she's brand new is odd, though I know it's happened before.

[rfisher]

Many of the contestants have been professional musicians for a long time and have had prior recording contracts. It's not an issue. Bad singers never get past the production crew. This isn't like AI. Thank goodness.

[PeterG]

I thought the whole premise of this show was to find seasoned acts and skip all the rookies completely (similar to "Rock Star"). I much prefer watching people who know what they are doing.

Um, I didn't realize that Dia was Dia Frampton of Meg & Dia. They've had several minor hits in the US but yet she was allowed to be on this show? I mean, I first heard both 'Monster' and 'Black Wedding' on the radio and then saw them on MTV back in the day.

Javier also had some minor success, his first album squeaked into the top half of the Billboard 200 charts (and into the top 20 on the R & B charts). The first single from that album charted on the Billboard Hot 100 charts (barely) and almost made it into the top 40 of the R & B chart.

Javier's discography, courtesty of wikipedia

[skatesindreams]

Would you rather see people with talent, who have been struggling for opportunities and recognition; or less gifted absolute "unknowns"?
The fact that some of the contestants have had some "minor success" before, only highlights how difficult it really is to "make it" as an artist.in the music industry

I have no problem as long as the show can continue to bring talent like what we had this season to our attention,

[genevieve]

whee, Vicci Martinez just announced 2 shows at a venue in downtown Seattle later this month - by the time I read it, the early show was sold out but I got tix to the later one. It's a great place to see live music

I can only hope she will be looking for some consolation for not winning

[PeterG]

whee, Vicci Martinez just announced 2 shows at a venue in downtown Seattle later this month - by the time I read it, the early show was sold out but I got tix to the later one. It's a great place to see live music

Did you get my ticket too?

I can only hope she will be looking for some consolation for not winning

I'm a good hugger...........

[genevieve]

I did get 2 tickets, and I don't know if any of my friends will want to go.... of course if you are planning to interfere with my deep caring concern for her post-Voice well being, I may have to hurt you

[PeterG]

I did get 2 tickets, and I don't know if any of my friends will want to go.... of course if you are planning to interfere with my deep caring concern for her post-Voice well being, I may have to hurt you

My guess is that you may be able to console her in a way that I just don't have in me. Just a hunch.

[genevieve]

one can only hope