Recap and video after the JUMP...

This pairing was quite an obvious one, both of them are soul men so it was a matter of time before Tom would pair them up together. The main difference between them is that Jamie has quite an old-fashioned crooner style whilst I felt that LB delivered a fresh rendition of the Tom Jones hit he covered in the audition. I like this song choice for them both, it's certainly soulful and I can see why Tom picked it, I'm not sure that it's a particularly current song choice, it is pretty old-fashioned, nothing wrong with a bit of retro but I wouldn't exactly call it a classic song. However, they're doing a pretty good job on this, LB's vocals are more soulful and I find him more engaging but Jamie does a good job too and his style isn't a million miles away from Tom Jones himself. Jessie, Danny and Will all feel that LB was better but Tom says that Jamie is more of his type of artist, so he's taking Jamie through. None of the other coaches steal LB but they all say that they felt that he was better than Jamie in the battle, and are shocked at Tom's decision. LB takes it well and thanks the coaches for the opportunity. - VIDEO

I pick - LB

Tom picks - Jamie

Elise Evans v Cherelle Basquine - 'All About Tonight' by Pixie Lott

There's something rather amusing about Tom choosing a Pixie Lott song, I can just imagine him tapping his foot along to this song when it comes on the radio or belting out a bit of 'Mama Do'. Anyway, two quite similar artists here, both have soulful voices but aren't powerhouse belters and although I have initial reservations about the song choice they surprise me. It's not perfect, their vocals when they sing parts in unison end up sounding a little bit shouty but the actual performance is pretty strong and I love how they slow the tempo slightly and both show their soulful tones. I'm not sure which I prefer, I think Elise is probably the popular choice but Cherelle has a more soulful tone to her voice and I prefer her slightly higher voice to Cherelle, I also think she sings the high notes better, both of them do a really good job but Cherelle is probably more my type of singer. Jessie and Danny both appear to prefer Elise and are surprised that Tom picks Cherelle but no save for Elise. - VIDEO

I choose - Cherelle

Tom chooses - Cherelle

Emma Jade Garbutt v Mike Ward - 'Landslide' by Fleetwood Mac
Country artists Emma and Mike are an obvious pairing as they have very similar musical style. I really like how these two brought a different style to the blinds and although I'm not a big country fan it's refreshing to have country music represented on 'The Voice'. The song choice may seem obvious but it works very well and they do have natural chemistry on stage. I'm really impressed by how they have coped with the song choice, both Mike and Emma sound great and I'm not sure how to separate them, Mike has a less traditional country voice but Emma's country tone is very strong and makes her a real opposition for her, I'm really impressed by both artists. This was a really strong performance and both of them can be proud of their achievements. I'm not sure which I would pick, Mike has a more distinctive voice but Emma's country voice made her stand out on the song. I think I would side with Mike on the basis that I think he's slightly more unique. - VIDEO
I choose: Mike
Tom chooses: Mike

Diva v Joseph Apostol - 'Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me' by George Michael and Elton John
This is a bit of a nightmare pairing for me, I don't tend to like artists who I feel just shout their way through songs and there was quite a lot of that in both of these artists' respective first auditions. However, I'm confident that Tom as a coach can mentor them effectively so they are able to deliver an emotional rendition of this song without falling into the trap of shouting the song. It's a good song choice, they both have big voices and a ballad is the perfect way for them to show off their ranges, I have to say Diva have definitely improved from their blind audition as their harmonies are a lot stronger on this song than they were in their blind audition. I also really like their individual vocals. Joseph is a strong vocalist and a good singer too, the only thing I would say about him is that like Letitia, his lack of confidence lets him down slightly and for me during this song, at times he feels a little lost on stage. Both of them deliver great renditions, Tom however decides that Joseph was better and gets quite emotional after the performance. No steal for Diva. - VIDEO
I choose: Diva
Tom chooses: Joseph  

Alys Williams v Lareena Mitchell - 'Rambling Man' by Laura Marling
A really strong song choice by Tom, I love Laura Marling and it's nice to see a less over-used song being sung on 'The Voice'. Alys' first audition had all four coaches turning with her refreshing take on 'The Cave' by Mumford & Sons proving that second chances do work as Alys had unsuccessfully auditioned for the show the previous year. Lareena who is an Adele tribute artist also caught the attention of Tom when she performed 'Walking On Broken Glass' as her blind audition song. Despite this song being quite folky in style, both girls do a great job but Alys is concerned that Lareena's powerful vocals will block out her voice and asks Tom if her voice can be brightened a little bit. This is a perfectly reasonable request which I fear was edited to look bitchy and diva-ish but the sound engineer obliges anyway and it's time for the battle. Lareena has a lovely voice and she really does a great job on this song, she has really improved from her first audition but for me, Alys' tone is so gorgeous and her pronunciation so captivating that I'm enthralled by her rendition of the song. Will says that he thinks Lareena's voice is stronger so preferred her but Jessie thinks that despite Lareena having stronger vocals, Alys' tone had the edge. Tom sides with his fellow Welsh performer. - VIDEO
I choose: Alys
Tom chooses: Alys

Colin Chisholm v Ragsy - 'Starlight' by Muse 
Another interesting pairing, it's a battle of the Celts as Welsh rocker Ragsy faces off against Scot Colin who at 60 is one of the oldest acts in the competition. Colin's experience in the music industry gives him confidence when he is performing on stage but Ragsy is also a confident performer. I love the song choice, it's a great song and I'm delighted to see both of them taking the challenge head on and really trying their best to deliver a strong vocal performance. In rehearsals, there's little between them, Ragsy probably has a better tone but Colin for a man of 60 has a fantastic set of lungs on him, he really can sing. I'm very impressed by both of these guys, I honestly think that based on what we have heard so far, this will be an exciting battle. And it definitely doesn't disappoint, Colin and Ragsy probably have the best on-stage partnership of all the battles, they gel really well together on stage and although they have quite different voices, each of them contributes something different to the performance. A bit of dodgy dancing from both of them aside, this is a really good battle and definitely one of the most enjoyable ones as you can tell that both of them are really enjoying the performance, it comes through in their delivery. I'm really impressed by Colin and Ragsy, it's a pity the steals have already been used as both of them deserve to go through. I would probably side with Ragsy based on the strength of his falsetto towards the end but at the same time, Colin was probably stronger vocally on the whole. A tough decision for Tom. - VIDEO 
I choose: Ragsy
Tom chooses: Ragsy
    

Jordan Lee Davies vs Matt Henry - 'Do I Do' by Stevie Wonder

Matt was one of my favourites in the blind auditions, his fresh spin on 'Trouble' by Ray La Montagne was extremely unique and I thought that his soulful tone was perfect. Jordan on the other hand was okay but didn't really do anything for me in the blind auditions, his falsetto was impressive but at times his upper range wasn't particularly pleasant to listen to. This is an interesting battle and good song choice, I like this track and in the rehearsals, it seems like Jordan's vocal range is coming to his advantage as he is able to hit those big notes with ease. Matt is struggling a little more but when they get their first stage rehearsal, it seems like Matt has regained his confidence again as he's singing really well. In the actual battle, it's pretty close, Matt has a very soulful voice and he seems to be able to sing the lower range of the song better than Jordan, Jordan's higher range is probably more of an advantaged that way and he does have better stage presence, he moves around the stage a lot. That said, when Jordan goes into his falsetto, he does actually remind me of a hen, his high notes are reminiscent of a clucking noise. For me, Matt should win this easily, and yet again, the other coaches advise Will to pick Matt. However, Will goes over something about how Matt will be saved so he's taking Jordan through. That isn't a valid reason, why take Jordan through when he stands little chance of getting into the lives, and sacrifice one of his strongest team members? Thankfully, Will is right and Jessie and Tom do both try to steal Matt with Matt picking Jessie. - VIDEO

I choose - Matt

Will chooses - Jordan

Matt chooses - Jessie

Cleo Higgins v Nu-Tarna - 'Finally' by CeCe Peniston  

This seems like one of the most obvious battle results ever, Cleo got all four coaches turning in her blind audition with her incredible rendition of 'Love On Top'. On the other hand, Nu-Tarna somehow managed to get Will to turn with their performance of 'Part Of Me' but didn't really impress too many due to the fact that quite simply put, most of it was out of tune. Already there's no love lost between one of the members of the duo and Cleo when they ask Will if they can harmonize over Cleo's parts? The faux-attitude of Nu-Tarna, or well one of Nu-Tarna is quite irritating and Cleo has the patience of a saint not to feel ready to punch her for real. Thankfully, Cleo seems to be able to deal with them feeling quite confident about the battle. Usually I don't like contestants being overly confident but it's quite ironic that one of these girls is being really mouthy even though they're not a particularly good singer, Elesha, the one with blue hair seems quite nice and has a much better voice than her friend but Cleo is going to sweep them off the stage. Cleo kicks the performance off well with her solo part, Nu-Tarna actually sound quite good harmonizing but once they get into the chorus, they just start shouting over Cleo, obviously trying to prompt her into turning it into a screaming contest. Thankfully, Cleo does her own thing and sounds a lot stronger on the song. Jessie criticizes them for turning it into a shouting competition, aiming her criticism particularly at the girl duo, whilst Will says that Cleo started off and wasn't trying to shout but the girls tried to get her to shout over them by shouting over her parts. He takes Cleo through, and unsurprisingly, Nu-Tarna aren't stolen. I might sound like I'm being very critical of Nu-Tarna here, they definitely improved greatly from their audition but I think their decision to shout over Cleo during the performance put me off them slightly, they seem like nice girls and the battle wasn't half as bad as Jessie made it out to be, particularly as her second battle (Katie v Sarah) was much more of a shouting competition. - VIDEO

I choose - Cleo

Will chooses - Cleo

Leanne Jarvis v Carla & Barbara - 'Hero' by Mariah Carey

Is Will being serious with this song choice? It's like he went to a karaoke bar, went for the most performed, usually out of tune song on the list and decided to hand it to these two acts. The annoying thing is if Will put more thought into the song choice, this has the potential to be one of the battles of the series. Leanne's blind audition was incredible, one of the best and her huge voice really blew me away, Carla & Barbara were just astounding, I'm sure I wasn't the only one shocked to hear them singing opera. I can see why they've been paired as Leanne's huge voice is probably the most similar to the operatic tones of these pair but not on this song, the fact that Carla is struggling and Leanne has to take one of her notes should tell a very poignant story. Simply put, this song does no favours for either of them, it makes Leanne sound like any other diva and it just doesn't sound right sung in opera. A disappointing song choice which is executed quite well by both, Leanne especially blows me away with her phenomenal range, and I hope she makes it through as I think she would be easier to work with on the basis that her voice isn't as restrictive as opera is. No surprises with the pick, no steal for the opera ladies. - VIDEO

I choose - Leanne

Will choses - Leanne

CJ Edwards v Leah Mc Fall - 'The Way You Make Me Feel' by Michael Jackson

I'm not loving the song choices Will is giving his artists, for some reason they're all karaoke classics from 20 years ago and this song isn't much better. That said, it's clear in rehearsals that there is a natural chemistry between CJ and Leah and their performance has energy and spark from the first time they sing together. Thankfully, that energy is recreated on stage and I must say that I'm extremely impressed by their rendition of the song, it's one of the strongest of the Battle Rounds so far. CJ has great stage presence, he glides around the stage and is a very captivating performer but it's Leah's voice that stands out in this battle, it sounds even better than before, there's a huskiness behind it which is rather gorgeous and sensual and I must say that if there was ever anyone whose voice defines the term smooth as melted butter hers is that voice, it's amazing. I can see bits of Samantha Jade in her voice and her vocal inflections remind me a little bit of Kylie Minogue. CJ's falsetto is brilliant as well, you would honestly think that these two are going out, there's amazing chemistry between them on this song. One of the strongest battles and I believe that whoever goes through, the other one should be saved. Will says that both of them were 'dope' but classes Leah as 'mega dope', deciding to put her through on that basis. Surprisingly, with Danny the only coach able to steal CJ, he opts not to do so. It's a shame but I have a feeling Leah is going to go a long way in the competition. - VIDEO

I choose - Leah

Will chooses - Leah

Liam Tamne v John Pritchard - 'Easy Lover' by Philip Bailey & Phil Collins
This is a really strange pairing and an even stranger song choice, Liam's first audition was insanely good as he wowed the coaches with his incredible upper range on a rendition of Kate Bush/Maxwell song 'This Woman's Work'. John kind of underwhelmed me with his solid but not outstanding performance in the blinds, singing 'Wicked Game'. Liam's huge range seemed like an obvious match for Jordan in Team Will whilst I expected John to be paired with someone like Emily because they both have relatively husky vocals. So to see these two being paired together is confusing and I'm not convinced that this song is the right choice as it feels like the key is too high for them, Liam is almost having to squeal some of the notes in order for it to work in any way for them and it just seems like a really odd song for these two to be singing. The battle is quite sloppy, neither of them stand out although I pin the blame moreso on the song choice as they can only work with what they're given and this song wasn't particularly geared towards either of them. Will mustn't have worked with them on their harmonies as they awkwardly sing over each other and even the solo parts of the song sound flat. This was a very weak battle but for me, Liam's potential is greater than John's so it seems obvious that Liam should make it through. However, Mr. Contrary Will makes the strange decision to take John through to the shock of his fellow three coaches who have already used their steals so cannot steal Liam. Liam is sent home and cries as he thanks the coaches for the opportunity, Jessie storms off stage, upset that Will has thrown away one of his best acts. - VIDEO
I choose: Liam
Will chooses: John 

Emily Worton v Moni Tivony - 'Little Talks' by Of Monsters and Men 
Love this song so I hope that these two do it justice, it was done superbly on 'The Voice Of Ireland' by David Merryman and Sinead O'Brien, Emily has a really quirky folksy style but I'm intrigued to hear Moni's natural voice as he did a very soundalike rendition of a Bob Marley song in his first audition. Already it's clear that Emily is very comfortable on this song as she has been allowed to play her guitar, Moni isn't quite as sure but he still feels confident and decides he will make up for the fact that he doesn't play any instruments by really performing the song. This is a really strong performance by Emily, I like Moni's voice but I fear that he will go overboard and end up shouting the song. And during the performance, I think that is what happens, Emily stands with her guitar and just oozes folksy charm with her sublime tone, it's a beautiful rendition of the song. Moni is a performer but like Alex, he gets distracted from his voice and ends up shouting over Emily various times throughout the song. For me, Emily is far better because she managed to captivate me as a viewer more by standing still than Moni did by running around, for me he got a bit too excited and ended up just shouting the song loudly. Emily is one of my favourites from Team Will. And he chooses Moni, another strange decision by Will. - VIDEO 
I choose: Emily
Will chooses: Moni   

Alice Barlow vs Andrea Begley - 'People Help The People' by Birdy

Alice and Andrea is a very interesting pairing, Andrea's soft, soothing voice won her a massive fan in Danny in her blind audition and he was touched to hear about her visual impairments. Former Hollyoaks actress Alice wasn't quite as standout in her audition, her cover of 'Call Me Maybe' by Carly Rae Jepsen wasn't...great but she still did enough to get Danny to turn. The song seems more geared towards Andrea and even Andrea herself comments that she thinks she may have the advantage considering the fact that the song is very focused on emotion and she was able to deliver that in abundance in her first audition. Alice feels like the song has been chosen more for Andrea than her and is struggling with her nerves about the battle. When it comes to the battle round itself, both sound quite good, it's actually a rather strong performance but for me, surprisingly it's Alice who stands out from the crowd, I liked Andrea in her blind audition but her vocals aren't as strong and though she has emotion, Alice really steps it up in the performance. However, it seems quite obvious who will win this battle as Andrea was one of the favourites to begin with and I expect her to be a favourite for making live shows. No save for Alice sadly. - VIDEO

I choose - Alice

Danny chooses - Andrea 

Conor Scott v Smith & Jones - 'Some Nights' by Fun.

The pairing of the two acoustic singers, or rather the two acoustic acts. Conor was one of the standouts for me in the blind auditions with his awesome tone and the brilliant arrangement he did of Ellie Goulding's 'Starry Eyed'. Meanwhile, I also quite liked Smith & Jones who, despite the slightly cringeworthy affection for each other had great voices and strong harmonies. Danny has paired these two together because both Conor and Harry play acoustic guitar and both acts are quite folksy, with a smidgeon of indie pop by nature. They clearly get on really well even if Conor does say that he hopes they break up so he gets through...anything could happen? (Bad Ellie Goulding pun alert). Anyway, this song choice is excellent, fair play to Danny he actually got them to work on their harmonies rather than taking the Will approach and sitting back as they shout over each other. All of them have their moments to shine in the song but for me, Conor's tone is incredible, I would buy an album of that voice tomorrow, he has the exact type of voice that I enjoy listening to, a huskiness but also something quirky on the side, he's also very likeable, he just seems like the type of lad you would have a great day's craic with (Warning, use of Northern Irish vernacular). Anyway, Smith & Jones are great but Conor is outstanding, Danny choosing him is no surprise. The coaches all loved the performance but sadly Will didn't steal Smith & Jones. - VIDEO

I choose - Conor

Danny chooses - Conor

Mitchel Emms v Ricardo Afonso - 'Are You Gonna Be My Girl?' by Jet
Ricardo and Mitchel are the rockers of the series, Ricardo is slightly more theatrical than rock but he has a very high falsetto and has a bit of an edge to his voice. Mitchel impressed Danny in his first audition with his confident rock performance. Putting them together makes sense though I'm not sure that either have shown that they have a big chance of winning so far, neither have really stood out to me so far. Anyway, they're quite good at this song, they both have confidence as performers though I think Ricardo is a better singer but a weaker performer as he seems too theatrical for the song whereas Mitchel has less stage presence when he's singing but gets into the song better than his opponent. I really enjoyed this battle actually, it was a solid vocal battle with each of them pulling off some killer high notes, the coaches all agree that it was a strong battle but I think Mitchel has a better chance of succeeding in the recording industry as for me, Ricardo is a little bit too theatrical, he's fantastic as a singer but I feel like the musical theatre scene which he is already involved in is more his thing. - VIDEO 
I choose: Mitchel
Danny chooses: Mitchel 

Abi Sampa v Laura Oakes - 'Heaven' by Emeli Sandé
It's the battle of the girls, Laura's powerful vocals saw her through her blind audition after she chose Florence and The Machines track 'Spectrum' to showcase her talent. However, the favourite for this battle is Abi whose first audition was a divine fusion of Oasis track 'Stop Crying Your Heart Out' and Raga as she allowed her Eastern musical traditions to come through on the track. Danny is very excited about this battle because he has been keen to try and experiment with modern pop music to try and fuse Raga into it somehow and he seems to have achieved just that as Abi practices fusing Eastern music into this Emeli Sandé track. It's a really strong rehearsal and the actual performance is even better, Laura has a great voice and her powerful range allows her to really belt out some of those high notes. Whilst Abi's range isn't just as wide, she has a far more interesting voice and her unique tone makes her stand out on the battle. Laura did a great job but in terms of who I believe has more potential, I honestly think that Abi could potentially be a big success in the charts as there is no one in the mainstream British music scene doing what she is doing and whilst Laura is great, she's really not much different to many current female artists. - VIDEO
I choose: Abi
Danny chooses: Abi

Sean Rumsey v Paul Carden - 'I'm A Man' by The Spencer Davis Group
Another unexpected pairing, these two were quite forgettable unfortunately and I had sort of forgotten about them when thinking of all the possible pairings, for me whilst they both have good voices, they're both quite forgettable. Danny gives them this rock classic and tells them not to hold back, encouraging them to really perform on stage, Paul's gritty voice is nice but not outstanding but for me, it still sounds far better on this song than Sean's voice which for me is a little too mellow for the song. I think Sean has a typical boyband voice, nothing outstanding whereas Paul sounds like the front man of an indie-rock band. However, after some truly unforgettable battles, this one isn't quite as good, neither of them go horrendously out of tune but it's not a particularly engaging battle, they don't really perform well together in a battle environment and for me it just feels like two people singing the same song, it doesn't feel like a full-on battle. Realistically, it's unlikely that either of these two will win, unless they make a huge improvement in knockouts but I think that Sean's voice, as impressive as his falsetto is doesn't sound right for this song so I would be inclined to go with Paul. - VIDEO
I choose: Paul
Danny chooses: Sean  

Nadeem Leigh v Karl Michael - 'Red' by Daniel Merriweather
There's a hint of sad irony that these two are paired together as they have grown close friends throughout the process and both have went through a lot, with Nadeem telling us in his blind audition of his struggle with addiction and Karl revealing his plight when he was dropped from his record label. As emotional performers, it's fitting that a song like 'Red' has been chosen for them and they certainly do it justice, they both have very unique tones and they do a great job of this song. Their emotional delivery is very strong and they really do blow me away, I'm not sure how Danny will pick between them as they're both brilliant but I think personally, I prefer Karl's tone, that said Nadeem has a great voice too and I could see why Danny picked Nadeem if he were to go with him. A big dilemma for Danny but he decides to go with Karl, Karl is delighted but sad that his mate Nadeem is heading home, both of them can be proud as that was easily one of the best battles of the series. - VIDEO

Sarah Cassidy v Katie Benbow - 'E.T.' by Katy Perry

Sarah and Katie again is a very interesting pairing, Katie had quite a quirky first audition, her voice was very marmite and she delivered a unique interpretation of 'Feeling Good'. In contrast, Sarah's voice powered with her huge range allowing her the chance to wow the coaches. Jessie seems to have decided to give these two the chance to show their versatility as it will take each of them out of their comfort zones in some ways. The rehearsals show that both of them are willing to take risks as they attempt to harmonize on the song but I'm not sure what happens during the actual battle as it ends up sounding like a massive mess. The arrangement is really strange, they change some of the notes and it sounds disjointed and out of time. Sarah's voice sounds like it's one key too high for the entire song, Katie's tone sounds incredible during the song and her little vibrato elements of the song are very impressive. I really feel like Sarah had the upper hand with this song but for some reason it didn't work out and ended up coming across like she was screeching most of the song. For me, Katie did better but again I predict it'll be Sarah who goes through. And so she does, no save for Katie. - VIDEO

I choose - Katie

Jessie chooses - Sarah 

Ash Morgan v Adam Barron - 'I Won't Let You Go' by James Morrisson 

Another strange pairing but I'm intrigued by this one because I can kind of see where Jessie got the inspiration for these two, they both have different voices in every way apart from one, both have a slightly husky tone to their voice. Ash seems a little less confident than Adam, Adam isn't what I would call overconfident in any way but he has a lot more self-confidence than Ash who still doesn't seem to believe that he's good enough. Thankfully, they both seem very friendly and they clearly get on well so it's no surprise that their actual battle ends up being a triumph, they work really well together, they have a natural charisma on stage and the battle is believable. It's a very good pick, clearly Ash does a fantastic job  as we knew he would do regardless of the song but Adam also wows me, has a fantastic voice and a really nice tone and although his blind audition didn't wow me, this performance most definitely has blown me away. I don't know how Jessie will choose. Tom and Will steal Adam when Jessie chooses Ash. - VIDEO

I choose - Adam

Jessie chooses - Ash

Adam chooses - Tom 

Danny County v De'Vide - 'Best I Ever Had' by Drake

I was really intrigued by Danny's quirky tone in the blind auditions and his take on Sugababes' hit 'About You Know' was one of the early standout performances. De'Vide also impressed me with their first audition although not to the extent that they became favourites of mine. I'm looking forward to seeing what Jessie decides to do with this pairing as with the right song, they could be great. The singing/rapping duo are struggling slightly in rehearsals to the extent that Jessie worries that she made a mistake in turning for them, Danny seems to be getting on better but when it comes to the first studio rehearsal, he seems a little intimidated by the whole thing, having only ever performed a few times to other people whilst De'Vide are coming on better now. In the performance, they do a good job, I'd be lying if I said it was a great job, neither act are amazing, but they're both good. The problem is I think Danny has a great voice but this song does nothing for him, on the other hand I think the singer in De'Vide is the best of the three, I much prefer him in this battle to Danny but the rapper kind of dilutes his talent slightly. The thing that puts me off Danny is his stage mannerisms, they're off-putting and I'll put it down to lack of stage experience but his odd bobbing mannerisms are genuinely uncomfortable to watch. Based on the fact that it's De'Vide or Danny, I think Danny is the obvious choice but honestly, the singer from De'Vide should re-audition next year as a soloist as he's good. No steal for De'Vide - VIDEO

I choose - Danny

Jessie chooses - Danny 

Lovelle Hill v Nate James - 'No Air' by Jordin Sparks feat. Chris Brown

Two urban artists being paired together is no surprise, I really like Lovelle's blind audition and Nate was good too, though my expectations for him considering the fact that I was familiar with him prior to 'The Voice' were slightly higher than what he delivered. In rehearsals, Lovelle is able to grasp the emotion of the song a lot more easily than Nate who sings like a statue. I like his tone but he sings the track with no feelings and even going into the studio rehearsals, it isn't much better. However, when Jessie decides to get them to sing back to back, the chemistry is a bit better. Both of them don't deliver a perfect vocal, each of them has one or two pitching problems but nothing major, probably Nate's off-key moments are less noticeable than Lovelle's but I much prefer her tone and again, it comes down to the song and who performed it better and Nate didn't deliver much emotion, for me Lovelle has far more potential, Nate has years of experience and the fact that he delivers a song like 'No Air' without an ounce of emotion suggests to me that he would be harder to work with. Lovelle wins this for me, and for Jessie too despite the other coaches' protests. Danny and Will don't steal him. - VIDEO

I choose - Lovelle

Jessie chooses - Lovelle

Alex Buchanan v Letitia Grant-Brown - 'Family Affair' by Mary J. Blige
Loving this song choice, they're taking on one of my favourite tracks by probably my favourite R & B artist ever, Mary J is superb so they have high standards to live up to. Letitia, I'm confident can live up to those as her first audition was really strong and she has a great soul voice, Alex on the other hand really underwhelmed me when his rendition of 'Don't Wake Me Up' descended into a pitchy, screechy mess as he focused on entertaining the crowd and let his vocals go really badly downhill. Anyway, in rehearsals the duo appear to have totally opposite problems, Letitia's lack of experience on stage means that whilst her vocals are great, she lacks confidence and she's struggling to perform. On the other hand, Alex is focusing far too much on his stage performance and not enough on his vocals and you can hear some seriously out of tune notes even in rehearsals, when it comes to studio rehearsals, Jessie is worried that they're putting too much into it and it's quite messy. As they finally perform in front of the other coaches, Letitia is still holding back a bit but her vocals are sharp, she gets all the notes and her tone is superb, on the other hand Alex is totally out of tune. Yes he can perform but he's shouting over Letitia and messily performing his tricks and runs to the extent that he's not quite finishing them and they end up sounding out of tune. The coaches all believe that Alex is a better performer but criticize him for his pitchy vocals and think that Letitia sang much better. Jessie says that she had already told him to calm down a bit and to focus on his singing rather than performing and as a result, she chooses to take Letitia down. Most surprisingly of all, despite giving one of the worst vocal performances so far in the Battle Rounds, Danny and Will both steal Alex. What? Danny says that there is something there whilst Will promises to see how they get through Knockout Rounds, but it's the Irish coach that gets Alex on side. Unexpected steal there, I'm not sure that it was the right decision considering Alex's vocals. - VIDEO
I choose: Letitia
Jessie chooses: Letitia
Alex chooses: Danny

Trevor Francis vs Lemuel Knights - 'Soul Man' by Sam & Dave
It's quite an interesting pairing this as although both are soul artists, Lem has a slightly less conventional style and his vocal tricks and runs are like those of a male Jessie whereas Trevor is the traditional soul artist. Already in rehearsals it's abundantly clear that this is going to be one of the strongest battles yet as not only are both sounding great on the song but their confidence is refreshing too, Jessie tells them to really go for it with their attitude and performance during the song and Trevor in particular really impresses her, moving around like a real 'soul man'. The performance is fantastic, they bounce off each other as performer really well and this battle has edge and confidence, they ooze soul and their voices are really strong tonight. Jessie has played a blinder with this and I'll be very surprised if she doesn't have to agonize over this decision as both of them have wow moments during the song. Okay, the performance over and it's down to business, will soul man Trevor or Jessie superfan Lem get through? She decides to put Trevor through on the basis of his confidence and ease on stage during the performance but to the surprise of approximately nobody, Will snaps up Lem making him the last act to be stolen. All the coaches have used their Steal now and all three of the guys stole from Team Jessie, probably because of how strong her team was. - VIDEO
I choose: Trevor
Jessie chooses: Trevor
Lem chooses: Will  

So the