‘The Voice’ Season 15 Live Finale Performances Recap
NBC Reading Time: 6 minutes
It’s Finale week on The Voice! That means tomorrow night, we will have our Season 15 winner! But will it be Team Blake’s Chris Kroeze or Kirk Jay, Team Kelly’s Chevel Shepherd, or Team JHud’s Kennedy Holmes? Well tonight’s performances will definitely help propel someone to the top!
Let’s see who stands out in our Finale recap!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G68iMRRB-_U
Chris Kroeze – “Sweet Home Alabama”
Chris stuck to his guns, doing some classic Southern rock. And maybe the most iconic song in this genre! Blake picked “Sweet Home Alabama” by Lynyrd Skynyrd for Chris’s Finale solo. Such big shoes (or should I say, boots?) to fill here! The song worked to all his strengths though, allowing Chris to show off his guitar skills and country twang. The performance, as a whole, wasn’t super memorable. It was a little “country bar cover” for me. But he did his usual thing here and I think his fans will be happy with this!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCz0SkaH_Fk
Chevel Shepherd – “It’s a Little Too Late”
In the flashbacks, seeing Chevel’s Blind Audition again was honestly crazy. She has come so far since then! There’s something about watching these young artists find their voice on the show that is so inspiring and amazing. Chevel brought it again, singing Tanya Tucker’s “It’s a Little Too Late.” Chevel’s voice is so smooth and her tone is bright, making her performances so easy to listen to. And the song was perfect for her, like her coach Kelly said. Their relationship is a huge part of why Chevel has made it this far!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FEePrdBOic
Kirk Jay – “Defenseless”
Kirk’s first performance of the night was his original song, “Defenseless.” In typical Kirk Jay fashion, it was a slow country love ballad. And, per usual, he nailed it! His consistency every week is something that has made him stand out all season long. “Defenseless” sounded like a song that might actually be on country radio right now. For a show that often struggles getting their artists/winners to be relevant, Kirk seems like as good a shot as any.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYlN5o1C7js
Kennedy Holmes – “Love is Free”
The intro package of Kennedy talking about being in the studio for the first time was super cute. And I love how JHud supports and encourages her! Kennedy’s original song is called “Love is Free.” The beginning of her performance started out slow (and a little low for Kennedy) but once she got into the chorus, she was dancing and having fun with it. Plus the message of the song is so fitting and important. Overall, I think this is a solid bop for Kennedy but I don’t see it being a huge hit. The coaches did all give her a standing ovation though!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMkXULSI1xc
Kirk Jay & Blake Shelton – “You Look So Good in Love”
A duet with Kirk and Blake just makes sense, so I think I can speak for everyone when I say that I was excited for this. They sang George Strait’s classic song “You Look So Good in Love.” Catering to the traditional country lovers, Kirk and Blake did a number on this one. It was fun to watch and made both artists shine together. This duet easily could’ve been a performance at the CMA Awards.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aq7rCA6Q5mk
Kennedy Holmes & Jennifer Hudson – “Home”
Last week in our red carpet interview, Kennedy said she would love to sing “Home” from The Wiz with JHud. And this week, she’s getting to do it! Wow, dreams really do come true on The Voice. There were insane harmonies, a lot of vocal showcases, and a clear chemistry between the coach and artist. This is everything you could ever want in a Finale duet! And the fact that Kennedy kept up next to her Grammy-winning coach says a lot about her talent. Not to be that guy, but this is a 14-year-old. Insane.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkLbvl4OgDA
Chris Kroeze – “Human”
Chris’s original song is called “Human,” and it’s about learning and moving on from your mistakes and imperfections. It’s a great message and Chris seemed genuinely into it. But unfortunately, I think this performance missed the mark. Chris does well with the more upbeat, lively songs and this didn’t show off that side of him. I would’ve preferred a more fun song where he could jam! Again, it seemed forgettable, especially after the epic Kennedy and JHud duet.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NpuvKn1OC4
Chevel Shepherd & Kelly Clarkson – “Rockin’ With the Rhythm of the Rain”
Finally we get to hear Kelly sing some country! And with the country singer she stole from Blake! Kelly and Chevel sang “Rockin’ With the Rhythm of the Rain” by The Judds. We got to hear some of Kelly’s crazy vocal breaks and Chevel showed off her incredible range. They both played off each other well. Chevel’s voice in particular tonight has been really really good. It really feels like she’s peaking at just the right time here in the Finale.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGSV9cDz7BU
Chris Kroeze & Blake Shelton – “Two More Bottles of Wine”
Here’s the fun performance we needed from Chris! For his last song of the night, Chris paired with his coach, Blake Shelton, to cover “Two More Bottles of Wine” by Emmylou Harris. The two were jamming out together and brought great energy to the stage! Rocking out with his guitar is what Chris does best. This performance allowed him to do just that, and with one of today’s biggest country stars.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvI4iG69Da0
Kirk Jay – “I Won’t Let Go”
Why fix something that isn’t broken, right? Well Kirk went that direction, singing another Rascal Flatts cover for the Finale. It’s what got him four chair turns in the Blinds and what he’s singing tomorrow with the actual band! This time it was “I Won’t Let Go.” As has been the case with Rascal Flatts songs in the past, this was great for Kirk’s voice. Kirk showed off his usual country vocals and added in some awesome runs to embellish the melody. This was a Finale-worthy performance for sure!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkeRBrZtBzw
Chevel Shepherd – “Broken Hearts”
As soon as Chevel started singing in the studio, I was ready for her to knock this one out of the park. And this was her time time in a studio! Chevel seems confident in who she wants to be as an artist now and prides herself on her storytelling. When it came time to perform live, Chevel was just as good as I expected her to be. She doesn’t have the biggest voice but she brings such an innocence and vulnerability to her music. You really feel what she’s singing. And as I’m writing this, “Broken Hearts” is already #1 on the iTunes charts!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y97sW_Mr1k8
Kennedy Holmes – “Confident”
To close out the night, we had Team JHud’s last artist standing, Kennedy Holmes. Kennedy sang “Confident” by Demi Lovato for her Finale solo song. This. Was. A. PERFORMANCE. Very strong Beychella vibes here! She had the dancing going, a full on band and backup dancers behind her, pyrotechnics, and some seriously impressive vocals. I still don’t understand how she wasn’t automatically voted into the Finale just last week. This honestly could be the first time an Instant Save wins the whole thing. And Kennedy deserves it after tonight’s performances! I have never seen anything that epic on The Voice stage. WOW!
But now it’s time to vote! And watch The Voice tomorrow night to see who will be crowned the Season 15 winner. It’s really anyone’s game here!
