‘The Voice’ Top 20 Best Performances of 2018
NBC With 2018 coming to a close, The Voice has had an epic year of shows! Seasons 14 and 15 both saw a lot of talent and two wins by new coach Kelly Clarkson. From country singers to pop stars to gospel powerhouses, there were performances for everyone in 2018.
Looking back, here are our 20 favorite performances of the year:
20. Jackie Verna – “Strawberry Wine”
Jackie was an underrated country singer on Team Adam in Season 14. “Strawberry Wine” was her best performance, showcasing her soft and smooth vocals. It also gave her a chance to pick up a guitar, highlighting another side of the talented vocalist.
19. Spensha Baker – “Red”
Spensha propelled her way to the Finale on Team Blake in Season 14. Her performance of “Red” was memorable for her pitch perfect vocals and beautiful staging. Plus, it’s a cover of Taylor Swift! What’s not to love?
18. Dave Fenley – “Stuck on You”
Early on in Season 15, it looked like Dave Fenley would be one of the country stars to beat. Though he ended up being the first Team Blake top 13 member to be eliminated, his “Stuck on You” performance was one of the best that season. From the start, his voice and tone cut through the music. And it was nice to hear a country star cover something unconventional, like Lionel Richie!
17. Terrence Cunningham – “My Girl”
Terrence stood out instantly from his Blind Audition in Season 14. His falsetto made the coaches quickly turn all four chairs. And the fact that he accompanied himself on piano for this broken down version of “My Girl” make it that much better.
16. Sarah Grace – “Amazing Grace”
Talk about showing off all your talents! Sarah Grace covered “Amazing Grace” but to the tune of “House of the Rising Sun.” This multi-faceted performance even included a trumpet solo for the first time in the history of the show! And though reactions were mixed on line, it was memorable to say the least.
15. Britton Buchanan – “Perfect”
Britton had many memorable performances in his runner-up run on The Voice in Season 14 but the most emotional was his cover of Ed Sheeran’s “Perfect.” The single light on him, minimal musical backing, everything made the focus on his voice. And Britton delivered! We really got a glimpse at his raw talent here.
14. Mia Boostrom – “Wade in the Water”
You might not even recognize Mia’s name right away because she didn’t even make it to the Top 12 on Team Adam, but her Knockout performance was…well, a knockout! It’s hard to deny her talent in this clip. It’s even crazier to think she was eliminated just one round after this.
13. Kennedy Holmes – “Turning Tables”
Kennedy’s Blind Audition was THE moment of the Season 15 premiere episode. Not only her audition, but singing with Jennifer Hudson after and the coaches finding out she’s only 13 years old. Watching it back now, it’s crazy the amount of progress she made from this to the Finale. Even from the start though, her talent is so so clear.
12. DeAndre Nico – “Ordinary People”
Though DeAndre got caught up in a controversy with his coach Adam later in the season, his performance of John Legend’s “Ordinary People” was his most memorable. The soulful singer brought his own spin on one of John Legend’s earliest and most iconic songs. It’s really too bad he was one season too early for him to be his coach!
11. D.R. King vs Jackie Foster – “Sign of the Times”
This was a vocal WAR! D.R. and Jackie brought us the fiercest Battle of Season 14 (and both ended up moving on, for obvious reasons). The way they build off each other but harmonize well together too proves how talented these two are.
10. SandyRedd – “River”
Season 15 only had four four-chair turns in the Blind Audition. And SandyRedd’s cover of “River” was undeniably the most dynamic. She brights such a crazy fire and energy to the stage! It’s easy to see why all four coaches turned their chairs. SandyRedd is the full package, from her vocals to her commanding stage presence.
9. Christiana Danielle – “Hotline Bling”
Christiana’s Blind Audition was one of the most interesting and musically refined performances of last season. She slowed down Drake’s “Hotline Bling” to make it her own and absolutely nailed it! The fact that she is pitch perfect definitely doesn’t hurt either.
8. MaKenzie Thomas – “Vision of Love”
MaKenzie had quite the run on The Voice. She basically covered every diva powerhouse singer that exists. And after making Mariah Carey cry in the Knockouts, she finally covered Mariah by herself with “Vision of Love.” This performance did not disappoint! In fact, it exceeded all my expectations. She got so carried away in the music, she couldn’t even stop her runs at the end! MaKenzie is a true vocalist and this showcased that to the max.
7. Patrique Fortson vs Colton Smith – “God Gave Me You”
Patrique and Colton sang in the single greatest Battle of 2018. I don’t think there’s any competition to be honest, but that’s just me. Both singing an unexpected country song by The Voice‘s own Blake Shelton, Patrique and Colton brought it to another level. This Battle just goes to show, if you’re a talented enough singer, you really can sing anything.
6. Kyla Jade – “One Night Only”
Kyla covering JHud’s “One Night Only” had to be good. There’s literally no way this would have been bad. But Kyla, as she did in all of Season 14, had some crazy runs and unexpected vocal highlights in store! This was my favorite performance by Kyla, and that’s saying a lot considering she had some of the most memorable moments of that season.
5. Chevel Shepherd – “Blue”
The week right before this, Chevel started to show off her yodeling when she covered “You’re Lookin’ at Country.” But after that success, her coach Kelly Clarkson went full speed ahead. “Blue” showed off Chevel’s yodeling abilities like no performance before it had. This was really when she started to rise to the top of the pack. And we all know how that ended!
4. Kymberli Joye – “Break Every Chain”
Kymberli found her place on the show covering gospel music, as she is a seasoned gospel singer. One of the first of these performances, and arguably the most impressive, was Kymberli singing “Break Every Chain.” We’ve heard this song on the show before but never like this. She brought us to church! And continued to do so week after week.
3. Brynn Cartelli – “Here Comes Goodbye”
Brynn was a shining star on Season 14 of The Voice, especially at such a young age. The bond she shared with her coach Kelly was easy to see. But her performance of “Here Comes Goodbye” was the biggest breakout moment for Brynn. She proved she can compete with the best of them! And sounded great while she was doing it.
2. Kirk Jay – “Bless the Broken Road”
Right from the second Kirk opened his mouth, I think we all knew he’d be going far. African-American country singers don’t come along very often, but Kirk is “country ’til he dies.” His cover of Rascal Flatt’s “Bless the Broken Road” came full circle too, as Kirk sang with the band in the Finale.
1. Kennedy Holmes – “Confident”
How could we not put Kennedy at #1 on this list? If there is a memorable performance from The Voice in 2018, it’s this. Not only does Kennedy showcase some insane vocals but there’s a full on choreographed dance break, staging to look like Beyonce at Coachella, and some shoes being thrown by everyone watching at home. This girl has it all and this performance proved that to any doubters.
What do you think of our list? Were there any performances from 2018 on The Voice that we left out? Or anything we included you think we shouldn’t have? Let us know your favorites!
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