As the Knockout Rounds came to a close, host Carson Daly unveiled a game-changing twist to coaches Reba McEntire, John Legend, Gwen Stefani, and Niall Horan. Last week, viewers got a glimpse of the intriguing new rule known as the ‘Super Save’.
This innovative ‘Super Save’ allowed each coach to resurrect one contestant who had previously been eliminated from any team, giving them a second chance to compete in the Playoffs. The coaches’ selections, as revealed by the spoilers, were as follows:
John Legend chose to bring back AZÁN, a contestant originally from his team who was later stolen by Niall Horan. Gwen Stefani used her Super Save to rescue Lennon VanderDoes from Niall’s team. Niall Horan decided to give his Super Save to Julia Roome, a member of his own team. Lastly, Reba McEntire saved Ms. Monet, also from her own team. This unexpected change in the rules added a thrilling new layer to the competition.
Super Save of John Legend – AZÁN
Azán’s journey on ‘The Voice’ was a testament to her resilience and talent. Despite only two chairs turning during her Blind Audition, where she performed Jill Scott’s “Golden,” she found a place on Team Legend. It was fitting, then, that John Legend chose to use his Super Save to bring her back into the competition.
John Legend couldn’t help but rave about Azán’s voice, describing it as “silky smooth” and praising her soulful, neo-soul vibe. He even went as far as to say that she was his favorite live performer among all his artists, which made his decision to bring her back to Team Legend a no-brainer.
After a setback in her Battle Round, Azán was stolen by Team Niall, only to face elimination once again following her Knockout performance of Anita Baker’s “Caught Up in the Rapture”. However, John Legend saw her potential and decided to save her once more, bringing her back into the competition. Her Playoff performance of Miguel’s “Adorn” was lauded as her best performance yet, earning her a spot in the live shows – the only Super Save singer to achieve this feat.
John Legend was full of praise for Azán, stating, “My Super Save Azán rose to the occasion and gave her best performance yet. She was literally flawless – I had to reward her by putting her into the lives.”
Super Save of Team Reba – Ms. Monet
As the Playoffs of ‘The Voice’ progressed, Reba was faced with a tough decision. She had the power of the Super Save, a choice she described as “undeniable.” She believed that some talents were “just too good to send home.”
One such talent was Ms. Monet, a seasoned backup singer whose unique style set her apart from the rest. Despite a Knockout Round loss to Team Reba’s frontrunner Ruby Leigh, Reba saw something special in Ms. Monet. She praised her as being “totally different from anybody else,” highlighting her R&B and soul influences and her stage savvy.
When given a second chance, Ms. Monet seized the opportunity. She delivered a powerful performance of Aretha Franklin’s “Until You Come Back to Me (That’s What I’m Gonna Do),” captivating the audience once again with her vocal prowess.
However, despite her best efforts, she couldn’t secure a spot in the live shows as Team Reba was reduced to just three singers. Unfortunately, Ms. Monet was sent home once again, marking the end of her journey on ‘The Voice’.
Super Save of Team Gwen – Lennon VanderDoes
In a surprising move, Gwen became the first coach to use her Super Save on an artist who was not originally part of her team, Lennon VanderDoes. This singer-songwriter, with his distinctive voice, had previously moved both Gwen and John to tears. Unfortunately, he was let go during the Knockout Rounds when no coach had any saves or steals left.
Gwen expressed her admiration for Lennon, stating that if she were to bring back any artist, it would be one with a clear artistic vision and self-awareness. She commended Lennon, who was a favorite among all the coaches, for his vocal abilities and his unique vocal style.
Lennon showcased his unique vocal tone in his rendition of the duet “Falling Slowly” by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglova, a song popularised by the film Once. However, his journey was cut short as Gwen had to reduce her team by half for the live shows, leading to Lennon’s departure from the competition once more.
Super Save of Team Niall – Julia Roome
Niall expressed his relief at having a Super Save at his disposal when he revealed to host Carson Daly that he was reinstating Julia Roome, the 13-year-old powerhouse vocalist who narrowly missed out in her Knockout Performance against Alexa Wildish and Lennon VanderDoes.
Niall had previously told Julia, when he had to let her go, that her talent was undeniable and that he would have saved her if he could. He then posed a question to her during a video call, asking her to choose between returning to eighth grade or rejoining The Voice and Team Niall.
Julia’s comeback was marked by a heartfelt rendition of Cyndi Lauper’s “True Colors”. Despite her best efforts, she did not make it to the live shows as Team Niall had to be reduced from six singers to just three, resulting in Julia’s second departure from the competition.