NBC’s ‘The Voice’ rankings: Does Adriana Louise stand a chance against De’borah?

Now that first live performance show on “The Voice” is literally just hours away, we have the final edition of our contestant rankings for Team Christina Aguilera. (Remember, if you haven’t see our other rankings, be sure to do so for Team Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, and Cee Lo Green.) Christina’s team is rather interesting in that she has a few talents that are completely distinct, but also a few that tend to fade somewhat to the back of the 20 singers still left in the competition.

The criteria here is simple: Christina (and by an extension us writing this piece) have to think about strategy just as much as talent. You need to have people who can sing well enough to advance to the top 12 (which the coaches choose), but you also need diverse artists that America will know and want to vote for.

The rankings

5. Sylvia Yacoub – Sylvia’s audition was barely shown, and her battle round performance with Joselyn Rivera was overrated and not really worthy of both artists advancing. She has a nice voice, but there’s not any sort of competitive edge here that could get her deep in the season.

4. Dez Duran – The next three places were a massive mental game to figure out. If Christina is just pandering for votes, the good-looking and affable Dez is a good choice. He’s just not someone who we see winning the competition, and at best he would be destined for a top 8 finish if he made it to the next round.

3. Devyn DeLoera – Christina clearly wants a team with some pop stars, and Devyn does fit the bill. Just based on vocals alone, she’s in a pretty good spot since she can take on some pretty big songs (including one sang by her own mentor). As for her weaknesses, she needs to get the stage presence up to that same level.

2. Adriana Louise – Unlike Devyn, Adriana already has the whole stage presence thing worked out. She’s got a fantastic voice, a perfect name for a pop star, and could benefit a great deal from Christina’s coaching. The only thing she needs a little bit more of is an edge, since right now her performances are a little to similar to a more upbeat version of Pia Toscano from “American Idol.”

1. De’borah – By far, De’borah is the standout of this team … even if she’s not strictly pop. The joy about her is that she really can sing anything, and there is such an infectious personality present here that makes her someone you want to be around. She’s not just someone who is inspirational because she has some sad story; she’s inspirational just because of the person she is. Don’t be surprised if she sings her way straight to the finale.

Who do you think is the standout of Christina’s team?

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