‘The Voice’ Season 21 Episode 8 Recap: Who Did Jershika Maple Choose as Her New Coach?
Night two of The Voice Season 21’s Battle Rounds is in the books after episode 8 on Tuesday, Oct. 12. Coaches Ariana Grande, Kelly Clarkson, John Legend, and Blake Shelton paired incredible artists on their teams, which meant tough decisions when it came time for eliminations.
But first, the evening began with a continuation of Monday night’s cliffhanger: who did Jershika Maple choose as her coach? As a reminder, she competed against Jeremy Rosado on Kelly’s team. Kelly chose Jeremy, but Ariana and John swooped in to save Jershika from elimination. On Tuesday, Jershika found a new home on John’s team. Then, the night continued with more amazing battles.
Team Blake
Blake kicked off the episode with a battle between Hailey Green and Lana Scott. The singers duetted “Girl” by Maren Morris, which really showed off the edge in both their voices. In rehearsal, Blake described Hailey as “wild” and noted that she brings “attacks” to her singing, just like she does as a linebacker on her high school’s football team. Meanwhile, he heard a “country edge” in Lana’s voice.
Later, Kelly saw the very same strength in Hailey, calling her a “cheetah.” She liked what Lana brought to the stage, but Kelly’s interested in seeing where the cheetah will go. In the end, Blake chose Hailey because of her powerful vocals. But it’s not the end of the road for Lana, either; Blake pulled out his save for the singer. Apparently, that was his plan all along. He wasn’t ready to let either artist go home.
The Voice also showed a brief glimpse of Team Blake’s battle between Libianca and Tommy Edwards. Their performance of “Save Your Tears” by The Weeknd blew Blake away, and he noted that his team is shaping up to be “dynamite.” Libianca won this battle; Blake said he admired her “unique voice,” and he’s looking forward to seeing her in the Knockouts.
Team Blake: Lana Scott, Hailey Green, Peedy Chavis, Wendy Moten, Carson Peters, Kaitlyn Velez, Berritt Haynes, Clint Sherman, Manny Keith, Libianca
Team Kelly
The Voice fans received only a brief look at Team Kelly’s next battle during episode 8. She paired Xavier Cornell with Carolina Alonso for a performance of “Telepatia” by Kali Uchis. Kelly chose Xavier because she thinks he can surprise everyone this season with his ability to tackle any tune.
Team Kelly: Girl Named Tom, Kinsey Rose, Gymani, Holly Forbes, The Cunningham Sisters, Wyatt Michael, Aaron Hines, Jeremy Rosado, Parker McKay, Xavier Cornell
Team Ariana
Ariana paired Vaughn Mugol with Katherine Anne Mohler for a performance of “Dilemma” by Nelly and Kelly Rowland. During rehearsal, Ariana’s Battle Adviser, Kristin Chenoweth, called Katherine’s voice “silk.” Ariana agreed but thought Katherine could loosen up a bit with her “mathematical” take on music. She encouraged Katherine to explore with her voice a bit.
The encouragement worked because Vaughn and Katherine wowed the coaches. John said both artists moved out of their comfort zones for this song, but Katherine stood out to him more. Meanwhile, Kelly enjoyed Vaughn’s falsetto notes. Blake lived under a rock and didn’t know this famous song, but he still knew a good performance when he saw one. Finally, Ariana chose Katherine because she’s an “incredible student of music.”
Team Ariana: Katie Rae, Jim & Sasha Allen, Raquel Trinidad, Ryleigh Plank, Sophia Bromberg, KCK3, Katherine Ann Mohler, Hailey Mia, David Vogel, Bella DeNapoli
Team Legend
Team Legend closed out the night with a battle between BrittanyBree and Samara Brown. Their performance of “Something He Can Feel” by Aretha Franklin earned a standing ovation from John and Battle Adviser Camila Cabello in rehearsal and then another one from all four coaches during the battle. This may have been BrittanyBree’s first time branching out into secular music, but no one would guess from that performance.
Kelly said both artists had “insane” voices, while Ariana noted that their tones complemented each other. John chose BrittanyBree as his winner, but he pressed his save button for Samara, while Kelly and Ariana wanted to steal. In the end, Samara went back to John’s team. For John, BrittanyBree and Samara feel like some of the best talent this season has to offer.
Team Legend: Jack Rogan, Samuel Harness, Samara Brown, Janora Brown, Sabrina Dias, BrittanyBree, Shadale, Jonathan Mouton, Joshua Vacanti, Paris Winningham, Keilah Grace
