NBC’s ‘The Voice’ review: Michelle Chamuel, Danielle Bradbery, Swon Brothers face off

“The Voice” showdown has arrived, America! So do we have a clear winner going into the results show tomorrow? We think so, at least for no other reason than that the winner has remained pretty clear ever since the beginning of the live shows. That’s the problem with the way in which voting is currently tabulated on this show, since iTunes votes play such a big role in it.

In case you didn’t figure it out, we’re talking about Danielle Bradbery. Do we still think that Michelle Chamuel has a shot? She’s a personal favorite, so we hope so … but she’s going to need every single person in her army out there voting a million miles an hour.

We’ve arranged all of our quick-takes by artist, and of course we want to hear who you think will win. That’s what the poll below is for!

The Swon Brothers

“I Can’t Tell You Why” – First of all, can we just celebrate getting an opportunity to actually hear the Swons do something that was not country? Hearing them cover the Eagles was probably a little too high-pitched for them, but they pulled it off. Probably their biggest strength does come with singing with conviction and a pure love of music, which is why we think that even if they don’t win this competition (and they won’t), we still imagine that they are going to perform at all sorts of gigs around the country.

“Danny’s Song” – There is no question that this was one of the Swons’ better performances of the season, but how can you say that they turned the corner with a performance last week? This was a smart iTunes move given that these boys were in the top ten with this, and this really is a track that most people in the audience do know.

“Celebrity” with Blake – Just to give you a sense of timing, this performance actually came before two of Danielle’s final two numbers. Does anyone else see something weird about this? It also feels for whatever reason like the producers of the show don’t have any interest in the duo winning.

Michelle Chamuel

“I Knew You Were Trouble” – Smart move by Usher to pick the song that sold the most for Michelle on iTunes. Dude knows what he needs to win this competition! It’s ironic that she sang a pop-country song, but clearly rocked out with this more than either Danielle or the Swons did in their first number.

“Why” – We admit that for the first minute or so of this song, we thought that this was a big mistake for Michelle. Most people don’t know this song! But by the end, that all changed, everyone teared up, and it was a heck of a powerful performance. We still don’t know if it will sell, but it was something wonderful to watch. Plus, this is where we noticed Shakira’s fun ways to support every member of the final three.

“One” with Usher – Ever since we heard that Michelle was singing this, we were curious to see how she’d handle it. It’s such a cool song, and one that’s different than the everything else that was performed here. The only criticism we have is that the band was a little loud, but the vocal pairing here worked extremely well.

Danielle Bradbery

“Timber I’m Falling in Love” with Blake – Okay, did you laugh at the giant lit-up sign with “BS” on the front of it? Maybe we’re too immature for this show sometimes. This song was a great classic country performance; it’s not going to win Danielle any non-country fans, but we doubt that she really needs them. On a separate note, Blake is at least three times her size!

“Maybe It Was Memphis” – One of Danielle’s top-selling songs of the season is a simple country ballad that appeals perfectly to the Midwest. This song really is a perfect way to sum up her experience on the show this season: Strong, consistent, and catered to the target demographic. This has almost changed the way in which competition shows are handled, where taking risks is not always needed to win the title.

“Born To Fly” – This was probably the perfect way for Danielle to prep for a likely victory. It’s an uptempo, familiar country song that suited her age perfectly. While you can criticize her lack of stage presence, there’s little debate that her voice, while softer than some other singers this season, is pretty impeccable when it comes to its tone.

If you want to check out where we ranked the contestants going into this episode, you can do so here.

Photo: NBC