The Voice

“The Voice” Recap: Christina Aguilera Makes a Steal in Final #VoiceKnockouts

Christina Aguilera stunned the crowd with her final steal of the #VoiceKnockouts

With only a few spots remaining in the live rounds, some of the best competitors on "The Voice" delivered some of their very best performances in hopes of advancing past the final round of #VoiceKnockouts.

The wild card for Monday's episode? Christina Aguilera's final steal, which she guarded closely in hopes of winning over the perfect vocalist.

Nate Ruess, the two-time Grammy Award-winning frontman of the band fun., returned to The Voice studio to help coach the singers through their songs.

The first knockout competition featured two talented soul singers from Adam Levine’s team: Tonya Boyd-Cannon, who sang the Stevie Wonder classic “I Wish,” and Barry Minniefield, who wowed judges with powerful high notes on “What You Won’t Do for Love” by Bobby Caldwell.

“America needs to see a 53-year old black man giving it his all on stage,” coach Pharrell Williams said. “I love what you guys do so much. I wish I had a steal.”

Levine was likewise torn between the two contestants, but ultimately picked Boyd-Cannon to advance.

“I am so grateful because I’ve learned so much,” a tearful Boyd-Cannon said. “I’m going to the live playoffs with Team Adam, baby!”

Coach Blake Shelton challenged Kelsie May and Brooke Adee, his “two teenage singers,” to prove themselves under the spotlight — and in front of Ruess, who left both contestants star-struck. (In rehearsal, Adee was so stunned by Ruess that she forgot the words to her song.)

May decided to perform Taylor Swift’s “Tim McGraw,” while self-described “alternative artist” Adee belted out “Electric Feel” by MGMT.

Blake lamented having to choose between the two 16-year-old talents — “What the hell am I gonna do?” he moaned — but settled on Adee. “As much as I lean country, I can’t ignore when somebody like Brooke puts together a performance that solid,” he said.

The next #VoiceKnockout featured two dynamic singers from Team Christina: India Carney and Joe Tolo.

In what Pharrell Williams called “a big moment” for both singers, Carney delivered a powerhouse performance of “Big White Room” Jessie J, while Tolo hearkened back to his religious roots by singing Joan Osborne’s “One of Us.”

Carney wowed the crowd — and the judges — with her performance, as Aguilera picked her for a spot in the live rounds.

Like Shelton, Williams pitted two of his fresh-faced vocalists against each other: Jacob Rummell and Lowell Oakley.

Rummell, whose distinctive high tenor earned him a steal from Williams, tried to find his confidence onstage with a performance of “Life of the Party” by Shawn Mendez.

Oakley struggled in rehearsals, cracking on a high note during his rehearsal of “My Girl,” the Motown classic by The Temptations. But Williams encouraged him to keep trying: “What I just heard was a beautiful take on a classic song that a lot of people can’t touch,” he told the young singer.

And even though Oakley admittedly didn’t perform how he wanted, Williams picked him — and urged him to be more confident. “I’ve saved you twice already,” he said. “I’m not gonna give up on you.”

Team Christina’s second #VoiceKnockout featured the electric tenor Rob Taylor, who delivered a thrillingly soulful rendition of Al Green’s “Love and Happiness.”

Next up was the Treeva Gibson, who sang “Chasing Pavements” by Adele.

“I grew up always wanting to be a singer — but being from the deaf community, I was never really sure I could make it,” said Gibson, whose parents are both deaf.

In an effort to inspire Gibson to sing with gusto, Ruess even grabbed the mic during rehearsals and performed his own rendition of “Chasing Pavements.”

But it was Taylor’s performance — and his dynamic falsetto — that earned him a spot on the live rounds.

In the final knockout of the night, Team Adam’s Lexi Dávila faced off against rocker Joshua Davis. Davis chose to sing the Amos Lee’s ballad “Arms of a Woman” in honor of his wife. Dávila lit up stage with an electric “Anything Can Happen."

“Lexi came out today and astonished both myself and Nate,” Levine said. “And Josh has some serious competition.”

Shelton — always eager to play the contrarian against Levine — commended Davis on his performance.

“Joshua, I really wanted to spoon with you,” Shelton said. “That is easily the best I’ve ever heard you.”

But just seconds after Levine picked Davis as the knockout winner, Aguilera swooped in with her final steal, claiming the talented Dávila for Team Christina.

“Thank you for being so dumb,” Aguilera crowed at Levine, “because she’s MINE!”

“The Voice” returns Tuesday at 8 p.m. Eastern / 7 p.m. Central, featuring a live @periscope Viewing Party with the #VoiceTop20.

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