Fresh Squeezed Tunes

*SPOILERS*

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BRYNN CARTELLI!!!

Team Kelly's Brynn Cartelli took home the Voice trophy last night. This is Kelly Clarkson's first win as a coach. Team Alicia's Britton Buchanan came in second. Blake's team members Kyla Jade and Spensha Baker came in third and fourth, respectively. All four of them were amazing this season. I can't wait to see what talent next season will bring!

I am currently on vacation and thus missed the top four's performances from last night. Therefore, I unfortunately can't break down the performances like I normally would. Instead, I'll offer my results prediction.

Before last night, I would've placed the final four as follows: 4th Britton Buchanan, 3rd Spensha Baker, 2nd Brynn Cartelli, 1st Kyla Jade. Kyla has been killing it on stage every week. She has shown that she is a powerhouse singer who has what it takes to step out of the background and bask in the limelight herself. Brynn has been a fan favorite since the very beginning, so I've placed her as a close second. Spensha is the final country artist and since Britton had to get to the top four via the instant save, I had her edging him out for 3rd place.

Eight turned into four in last night’s intense results show.  Three artists were automatically voted through, two artists were immediately sent home, and three artists had to sing in the Instant Save for the final spot in the finale.  It should come as no surprise that both Rayshun Lamarr and Jackie Foster were the bottom two since they ranked so much lower on the iTunes chart than the rest of the pack.  Kyla Jade, Brynn Cartelli, and Spensha Baker all made it through to the finale.  That left Pryor Baird, Kaleb Lee, and Britton Buchanan to battle it out in the Instant Save.

Pryor growled his way through “Soulshine”:

Kaleb gave his all with “Simple Man”:

Britton got emotional with “Dancing on My Own”:

All three gave solid performances, but Britton’s vulnerable, pleading notes gave him the edge he needed to snag the final spot in next week’s finale.

Here’s how the teams look heading into next week:

TEAM ADAM:

none

TEAM ALICIA:

Britton Buchanan

TEAM BLAKE:

Kyla Jade Spensha Baker

TEAM KELLY:

Brynn Cartelli

Last night’s semifinal saw the top 8 take to the stage twice.  Their solo performance was an inspirational song of their choice and each artist sang a duet with another artist in the top 8.  Only four can make it through to next week?  Did your favorite secure their spot?  Let’s break down last night’s performances below!

BRYNN CARTELLI- “What the World Needs Now is Love”

The Andra Day version of this song was perfect for Brynn.  She was poised and connected.  I really enjoyed the a cappella bit in the beginning and her head voice ad-libs.  She nailed the big note and had a little Kelly Clarkson soulful sound to her voice near the end.

JACKIE FOSTER- “Here I Go Again”

This started out like a slow ballad which I really enjoyed.  As she transitioned into the more rock part of the song, Jackie faltered a little.  She still had the power, but didn’t quite nail those high notes necessary to take it to the next level.

RAYSHUN LAMARR- “Imagine”

I felt this arrangement was a bit distracting.  I would’ve loved to have seen a more stripped back version from Rayshun.  He still gave it soul and I loved the pleading notes at the end.

SPENSHA BAKER- “My Church”

I loved the gospel beginning on this one.  Spensha added some really cool quick runs.  She did start a little early on the first verse, but she corrected herself and kept going like a pro.

KYLA JADE- “Let It Be”

Kyla took us to church!  She absolutely nailed this entire song.  This was more like a finale performance.  Incredible!

KALEB LEE- “It Is Well With My Soul”

This was a great song choice and he couldn’t have picked a better time to sing it.  The song allowed his vocals to be highlighted.  Kaleb put his whole heart into this one and sounded great.

PRYOR BAIRD- “Change the World”

I loved the bluesy feel.  Pryor brought his signature sound to this one, but gave us a little more dynamics with his added falsetto.

BRITTON BUCHANAN- “The Rising”

Britton felt in his element.  His delivery was moving and he sounded great as always.

DUETS:

I enjoyed all four duets.  I thought each pair blended really well.  Without getting into too much detail, here is how I’d rank the duets from most favorite to least favorite:

1. Kyla and Spensha - “Rise Up/What’s Goin On” 2. Jackie and Rayshun- “Believer/Radioactive” 3. Britton and Brynn- “Four Five Seconds/You Can’t Always Get What You Want” 4. Kaleb and Pryor- “Hillbilly Bone/Hillybilly Deluxe”

Before this week’s performances, my top 4 was Britton, Brynn, Jackie, and Kyla.  After listening to this week’s performances and taking a look at the iTunes numbers, I’m afraid that one of those artists will not make it to next week’s finale.  All of the artists except for Rayshun and Jackie made it into the top 10 on the iTunes singles chart.  Jackie and Rayshun also scored the fewest amount of retweets on their duet performance (3.1k) with Kyla and Spensha getting the most at 6.4k.  I still feel that Britton, Brynn, and Kyla have done enough to make it through to next week.  While I would love to see Jackie join them, I’’m afraid her Voice journey will be coming to an end.  It is a bit of a toss up between Kaleb and Pryor  for who will snag that final spot, but I think it just might go to Pryor.  Although, if I can’t have Jackie, I’d love to see the final spot go to Spensha.

It was so hard to pick a bottom three this week and I know it will be near impossible to the top 8 down to four next week.  As hard as it was, the bottom three did end up being who I expected: Christiana Danielle, Jackie Verna, and Rayshun Lamarr.

Christiana sang “Unchain My Heart” for the instant save:

She hit some really nice low notes and carried her vocal power through the big notes.  Her vocals were truly on point here.

Jackie V. went with “I Told You So”:

Jackie brought her beautiful tone and country twang to this one.  She hit the big note and made the performance seem effortless.

Rayshun chose “Let’s Get it On”:

Rayshun has a knack for song choice.  He brought it on stage and I loved his high rasp.

This was a close one, but with a 21/35/44 split, Rayshun earned the final spot in the top 8.  Unfortunately, this meant Christiana and Jackie V. were sent home.

Here are the teams as they head into the semifinals next week:

TEAM ADAM:

Rayshun Lamarr

TEAM ALICIA:

Britton Buchanan Jackie Foster

TEAM BLAKE:

Kyla Jade Spensha Baker Pryor Baird

TEAM KELLY:

I’m a little (read: a lot) late on this post.  Sorry!  Last night, the top 10 took the stage.  Only eight can make it through to next week.  Who will be in the bottom?  Let’s break down last night’s performances below:

KYLA JADE- “This is Me”

I love this song and thought Kyla did a great job with it.  The performance was very emotional and vulnerable.  Every word she sang, I believed.

KALEB LEE- “Boondocks”

I felt this was a good song choice for Kaleb.  It fit well with his voice.  This was an overall solid performance; perhaps even his best so far.

JACKIE VERNA- “Love Triangle”

I loved the simplicity of this performance.  Jackie V.’s tone was beautiful on this.  I thought this was a good performance.

RAYSHUN LAMARR- “Grant Green”

As always, Rayshun had a strong stage presence.  I enjoyed this feel-good performance.  He had a strong vocal here.

SPENSHA BAKER- “Red”

I wasn’t entirely sold on the song choice, but Spensha did make it her own.  I loved her ad-libs.  Good job overall!

JACKIE FOSTER- “Gravity”

I was happy to see a softer side of Jackie F..  She was poised and captivating.  Jackie F. gave a beautiful vocal performance.

BRITTON BUCHANAN- “What’s Love Got to Do With It”

I really enjoyed his take on this classic.  He truly made it his own and delivered a solid vocal.

CHRISTIANA DANIELLE- “Ain’t No Sunshine”

I loved the smooth jazz sound.  The scat section was really fun.  She nailed her falsetto.

PRYOR BAIRD- “My Town”

This was a more country version of Pryor.  He sang a solid performance and made sure to use his usual grit.

BRYNN CARTELLI- “Fix You”

I thought this was a great vocal performance.  It was heartfelt and emotional.  I loved the slow build with the instrumental.

If I were to predict a bottom three, I’d say Christiana, Rayshun, and Jackie Verna just based on iTunes performances.  It’s a toss up, but I’d say the instant save would go to Rayshun.

But, that’s just this Voice superfan’s opinion.  What’s yours?

It seems as though each week this season will be a Sophie’s choice situation, as yet again two very incredible artists found themselves in the bottom two.  Last week, it was D.R. and Rayshun.  This week, Christiana Danielle and Sharane Calister found themselves having to sing for the Instant Save.

Sharane went first with “If I Were a Boy”:

Sharane has proven throughout the competition that she has the vocal chops to make it all the way to the end.  However, her voice sounded tired with this performance.  I don’t know if it was nerves or just straight up fatigue, but it wasn’t her best.  She still gave the song the emotion it needed and showed that she still wanted to be there.

Christiana went second with “A Thousand Years”:

Christiana applied her unique artistry to this very popular song, just as she has with all of her previous performances.  Unlike with “Umbrella”, the original melody was still recognizable with this performance.  Christiana was more poised and delivered a better performance pitch-wise than Sharane.

While I love both artists, out of the two Instant Save performances, I would’ve chosen Christiana.  And, the Voice fans agreed granting Christiana that final spot in the Top 10.

Here are the teams as they head into next week:

TEAM ADAM:

Rayshun Lamarr Jackie Verna

TEAM ALICIA:

Christiana Danielle Britton Buchanan Jackie Foster

TEAM BLAKE:

Spensha Baker Kyla Jade Pryor Baird

TEAM KELLY:

Last night, the top 11 sang songs picked by their superfans.  Let’s break down how everyone did below:

PRYOR BAIRD- “Night Moves”

It was cool seeing a softer side to Pryor.  While he did deliver a softer sound, he never lost his vocal power.  I love his rasp!  This was an easy listening performance; one that you could just throw on and it immediately puts you in a good mood.

SHARANE CALISTER- “Hero”

Sharane was given one of the hardest songs of the night, but she fared well.  She showed good restraint in the beginning of the song and worked her way up to some really great runs.  she stepped up to the diva song challenge, for sure!

KALEB LEE- “T-r-o-u-b-l-e”

I liked hearing Kaleb do a more fun, upbeat song.  There was a bit of an anunciation issue, but beyond that he did a good job!

JACKIE FOSTER- “Love Reign O’er Me”

Jackie showed great breath control with this performance.  She was relaxed and had fun with it.  There were a few pitchy moments, but she rocked the stage!  I really liked this arrangement as well.

JACKIE VERNA- “Strawberry Wine”

I felt that this was a great song choice for Jackie V.  I liked hearing her hit some of those lower notes while still giving us the higher pitched vibrato she’s known for.  This performance was the best she’s done so far, in my opinion.

KYLA JADE- “Sweet Sweet Baby (SInce You’ve Been Gone)”

This was an excellent song choice!  Kyla slayed this song as she has done with all of her performances so far.  Like Blake alluded to, Kyla really has come into her own on stage.  She had some big shoes to fill, but definitely did the song justice.

CHRISTIANA DANIELLE- “Umbrella”

This was a haunting arrangement.  The arrangement paired with the jazzy stylings of Christiana’s voice gave some intense Post-modern Jukebox vibes.  She gave a great vocal performance on this one!

BRYNN CARTELLI- “You and I”

I really enjoyed the arrangement on this one.  Brynn had fun with it.  Though she faltered on her pitch in a couple places, she gave a solid performance overall.

RAYSHUN LAMARR- “Try a Little Tenderness”

This was literally the perfect song choice for Rayshun.  I loved the instrumental in the opening.  This song allowed Rayshun to showcase his range and energy on stage.  Overall, a great performance!

BRITTON BUCHANAN- “Perfect”

Britton performed without his guitar this week (although it did just sit awkwardly on stage).  I thought his performance was very heartfelt and beautiful.  He sang with conviction; I believed every word he sang.

SPENSHA BAKER- “Better Man”

Spensha was poised on stage.  This performance was vulnerable and beautiful.  It was a nice way to close out the show.

Who do I think will be in the bottom this week?  It’s hard to say.  Statistically, if one has been in the bottom previously, they find themselves there again.  So, Rayshun could find himself back in the bottom despite having a solid performance.  As far as who joins him, I’d say maybe Christiana because of how much people are attached to the original song.  Neither one of them would be in my personal bottom two, but at least one in my own personal bottom for the week is popular with the voters, so I do not forsee them being anything but safe this week.

Last night’s bottom two reveal was not exactly a surprise, but certainly a disappointment.  D.R. King and Rayshun Lamarr found themselves having to sing for the Instant Save.  I expected D.R. to be in the bottom despite his undeniable talent, but I did not expect to see Rayshun, an equally talented individual, to join him.

D.R. sang “Papa Was a Rolling Stone”:

He absolutely slayed the runs and poured his heart out on the stage.

Rayshun followed with an impassioned performance of “I Can’t Stand the Rain”:

He brought his A game to this one and made it an even match.

I had a hard time choosing a winner, but America went with Rayshun Lamarr with about two-thirds of the vote, thus sending D.R. King home.  It is such a shame to see D.R. go home so early.  I hope we don’t have any more heartbreaking bottom two battles this season, but I know that’s just wishful thinking.

Here are the teams as they head into next week:

TEAM ADAM:

Sharane Calister Jackie Verna Rayshun Lamarr

TEAM ALICIA:

Jackie Foster Christiana Danielle Britton Buchanan

TEAM BLAKE:

Spensha Baker Pryor Baird Kyla Jade

TEAM KELLY:

Last night, the top 12 took to the stage to sing songs they are connected to.  Every artist did well, but did they do well enough to make it through to next week?  Let’s break down the performances below!

TEAM ADAM:

RAYSHUN LAMARR- “When Love Takes Over”

I thought this was a great song choice.  He showcased good range and delivered a fun performance with great energy on stage.

SHARANE CALISTER- “In My Blood”

Sharane gave an incredibly strong performance vocally.  She hit those big notes toward the end.  She truly connected to the song and gave a believable performance.

JACKIE VERNA- “I’m With You”

Adam was spot on with this song choice being adaptable to Jackie V.’s country stylings.  I loved her take on it and she hit the big notes in the chorus.  I think she has a beautiful tone to her voice.

TEAM ALICIA:

JACKIE FOSTER- “Toxic”

I thought this was a really cool, interesting arrangement.  Jackie F. fills that pop-punk void in my heart.  I felt that she gave a pretty solid performance.

CHRISTIANA DANIELLE- “Say Something”

Every time Christiana  sings, she takes a cool song and gives it an even cooler twist.  She put her whole heart into this one and provided a really strong vocal performance.

BRITTON BUCHANAN- “Small Town”

I’m a fan of Britton’s rich tone.  I personally would’ve liked a different song choice, but that’s just me being picky.  He did a great job and delivered a solid performance.

TEAM BLAKE:

SPENSHA BAKER- “Down on My Knees”

This performance was so beautiful vocally.  Spensha is a true storyteller.  She poured it all out on stage with pleading lyrics.  Amazing job!

PRYOR BAIRD- “Pickin’ Wildflowers”

I’m a big fan of Pryor’s bluesy vibe.  He sang with the right amount of soulful grit and truly rocked the stage!

KYLA JADE- “One Night Only”

Kyla’s performance was captivating.  She always sings so beautifully.  Kyla is a powerhouse vocalist with a delicate vocal touch.  Her performance closed out the show.  Simply incredible!

TEAM KELLY:

KALEB LEE- “Amazed”

I dig Kaleb’s raspy soul-country vibe.  He held out the longer notes in this one really well.  I felt this was a good song choice for him.  I am happy he chose to forgo the guitar on this one, although he did look a little lost without it at times.

D.R. KING- “White Flag”

I absolutely loved the opening to this performance.  D.R.  showed off his incredible range and buttery ad-libs.  He dug deep and it paid off!

BRYNN CARTELLI- “Up To The Mountain”

Wow!  This was a gorgeously sung performance from beginning to end.  I love Brynn’s vibrato and her lower register.  She sang this song with such conviction, which is hard to do at only fifteen.  Amazing!

I’m writing this a little late, so I’m not sure where the artists stood on the iTunes chart at the end of voting.  If I had to make a blind guess as to who would be in the bottom two, I would say JACKIE VERNA and D.R. KING.  Like I said at the beginning, everyone did really well.  In my own personal rankings, (1-10 with 10 being Jennifer Hudson shoe throwing amazing) no artist was below a 7.  In fact, D.R. was in my top 5 of the night.  I put him and Jackie V. in the bottom because they both were coach saves last week and may not have as much traction with the voters as the others.  If this is the case, I believe that Jackie Verna will be going home.

Last week marked the start of the Live shows for season 14 of The Voice.  It was a three night event that included real-time voting and cutthroat competition.  To be honest, like Adam Levine, I was not a fan of the format.  I’ve never been too keen on real-time voting because it leaves out those who cannot follow along at the exact time the show airs and may create a rushed voting environment.  But, what’s done is done and despite my reservations, many of the top 12  were on my list to go through.

Here are the teams going into tonight’s episode:

TEAM BLAKE:

KYLA JADE-

She made it through on the first night by getting the most votes on her team with a captivating rendition of “How Great Thou Art”

PRYOR BAIRD-

He received the most votes on his team for night two.  He gave a griitty, cool performance of “I Was Wrong” on night one and gave an interesting take on Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5″ on night two.

SPENSHA BAKER-

She was the coach’s pick.  She gave two solid performances with “I Still Believe in You” and “Smoke Break”.

FINAL THOUGHTS FOR TEAM BLAKE?  I agree 100% with these three moving on.  Kyla and Pryor were steps above the rest last week and Spensha just has something so special.  I was captivated by her (as well as Kyla and Pryor) from the blinds.

TEAM KELLY:

BRYNN CARTELLI-

She sang her way to the top on night one with a raw and emotional performance of “Unstoppable”.

KALEB LEE-

On Team Kelly’s second night (technically night three), he got the most votes for his team.  He sang “You Don’t Even Know Who I Am” and “Die a Happy Man”.

D.R. KING-

He was Kelly’s pick to round out her team.  He put his heart and soul into his performances of “Home” and “All on My Mind”.

FINAL THOUGHTS FOR TEAM KELLY?  I am sad to see that Tish Haynes Keys did not make through.  She was one of, if not the best last week for her team.  I personally would’ve picked her over Kaleb. I am, however, not at all surprised by how the team looks heading into tonight.  Brynn and Kaleb are both very popular with the voters and D.R, was a solid choice for that final spot.

TEAM ALICIA:

BRITTON BUCHANAN-

He made it through after night one with an incredible performance of “Some Kind of Wonderful”.

JACKIE FOSTER-

She got the votes on night two.  Night one she gave a solid performance of “Never Tear Us Apart” and on night two she absolutely slayed “Alone”.

CHRISTIANA DANIELLE-

Alicia picked her to round out the team.  Christiana performed a stellar rendition of “Hey Ya!” on night one and took on “Take Me to Church” night two.

FINAL THOUGHTS FOR TEAM ALICIA?  Watching Team Alicia perform and knowing that they all couldn’t make through hurt the most.  Alicia had and very well may still have the strongest team.  Every single one of them could’ve been picked to go on to the top 12.  You honestly couldn’t go wrong!

TEAM ADAM:

SHARANE CALISTER-

She earned that top spot after night one with a very powerful and emotional performance of “Never Enough”.

RAYSHUN LAMARR-

He received the most votes on Team Adam’s night two after leaving everything on stage with his performance of “I’m Going Down”.  He delivered a beautiful rendition of “Overjoyed” on night one.

JACKIE VERNA-

Adam picked Jackie V. to move on to the top 12.  She gave sweet rendition of “Tim McGraw” on night one and another beautiful performance with “Once” on night two.

FINAL THOUGHTS FOR TEAM ADAM?  Sharane and Rayshun were spot on with being voted through to the top 12.  I wouldn’t have minded seeing Drew Cole make it through because I love his musical style, but I had a feeling he wouldn’t get the votes.  Jackie V. is someone who I really enjoyed early on, but faltered a little this past week, in my opinion.  I would’ve preferred to see Mia Boostrom continue on, but I’m cool with Jackie V. filling that final spot.

I know I say this every season, but there really is an abundance of talent in Season 14.  I think it will be very hard to pick a clear winner as we get closer to the finale.  I have at least one favorite on each team and I can’t wait to hear all of the incredible performances that will be coming our way for the rest of the season.  I’m not quite sure how I feel about themed weeks (this isn’t American Idol), but I know this top 12 will deliver!

Let’s not pretend like I haven’t been listening to these songs every day since the day they’ve been released.  I know I don’t write about musicals on here, but this one has taken over my life and I haven’t even seen it yet, so I just had to share.

Here are just a few music happenings that you may want to check out:

1. Jessie Litwin on The Poet’s Lounge Podcast with Manni Festo

Last Monday, singer/songwriter Jessie Litwin was on an episode of The Poet’s Lounge called Lovey Dovey Stuff and World Travelling with Jessie Litwin.  In it, she discusses the inspiration behind her Stripped EP, her current music endeavors, and shares two brand new songs.  If you are a fan of Jessie Litwin (which, I mean, if you’re not already, what are you doing?), or just a fan of folk-pop/singer-songwriter music in general, I highly recommend giving this episode a listen.

2.  New Single from Sam Creighton

For those of you who do not know, Sam Creighton and Jessie Litwin are both members of the all-femaie a cappella group, Musae.  They were also both part of The Nor’Easters.  It looks like Sam is also pursuing solo music with the release of her new single, “Adore”.  “Adore” is an excellent pop number that is sure to have you singing and grooving along.  Sam has an incredible range and a voice that was seemingly made for pop music.  She has already shown us she has what it takes with her solos on two Ariana Grande songs: “Honeymoon Avenue” and “Into You”.  You can check out her new single here.

3.  Rozzi is BACK!

I was right around 10/11 years old when I first fell in love with Degrassi.  I used to watch Degrassi: The Next Generation with my older sister.  Eventually, she moved on from the show, but I have not missed a single episode or tv movie since (I even went back and watched Degrassi Junior High and Degrassi High).  I suppose at 26, Degrassi should be considered my “guilty pleasure”, but I don’t feel that I, or anyone for that matter, should feel ashamed for watching/listening to the shows, movies, music, etc. that they enjoy.  Besides, following the show into its later years has led me to Fresh Squeezed Tunes’ latest and 2018′s first Artist to Watch: MUAZANA.

Ana Golja played Zoe Rivas, one of the most dynamic characters on Degrassi.  She is a very talented actress AND a very talented singer/songwriter as displayed in her debut EP, Epilogue.

Epilogue was released as four chapters each containing two songs.  It is also released under Golja’s legal name, Muazana (which is a beautiful name btw, but I digress).  Each chapter takes the listener on a journey of love, regret, growth, and self-discovery.  It is a well-written EP with incredibly relatable lyrics.  Whether you are looking for a break up song; a reminder that we’re all human; an I am woman, hear me roar type of track; or a dream-chasing anthem, Muazana’s got you covered.

Epilogue evokes the perfect blend of soul, pop, and r&b.  Golja’s deep, sultry vocals give the songs life.  The jazzy intricacies to her voice are just a bonus (albeit perhaps what I love the most).

I’ve listened to this EP front to back and back again several times.  Every single song is absolutely incredible and worthy of hitting that replay button until it breaks.  However, a few of my favorites are “Glory Days” for its ability to make you want to immediately jump into whatever you’ve been too afraid to pursue; “People” for its chill, humbling vibe; and “Sorry It’s Not You” for its somber piano/strings combo and heartbreakingly relatable lyrics.  Bonus Fave: 3:26-3:33 of “Goodbye”.

I implore you, Degrassi fan or not, to give Muazana’s Epilogue a listen.  If you are a fan of honest, pure heart and soul music...music that makes you feel something, I promise you won’t regret checking out this EP.

Like what you hear?  You can find more Muazana (Ana Golja) here:

www.facebook.com/AnaGolja www.twitter.com/TheAnaGolja www.instagram.com/theanagolja Spotify and iTunes

For as long as I can remember, I have woken up with a song stuck in my head.  So, as a sort of New Year’s Resolution, I decided to compile them all into playlists throughout the year of 2017.  While I did have November’s ready, I never made the post for it.  I kept putting it off saying that I’d get to it later and well, now we’re at the start of 2018.  Without further ado, here is the playlist for November:

As always, some days saw multiple songs while some songs saw multiple days.  Unfortunately, Addison Agen and Karli Webster’s incredible rendition of “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” as well as Yasko’s catchy “Don’t Wanna Go” were not on Spotify, thus could not be added to the playlist above.

December’s playlist included quite a few Christmas songs (no surprise) mixed in with some pop hits, paramore, and songs from musicals.  Felicia Ricci’s “Darryl is a Boy” is not on Spotify and therefore could not be included on the playlist.

And Happy Holidays!! No matter what you celebrate, I hope you all have had and continue to have a safe and wonderful holiday season.