‘The Voice’: India Carney Powers Through Jessie J’s “Big White Room”

Time flies when you’re having fun. lead singer Nate Ruess as a Knockout Round advisor! Why it seems like just yesterday that the Taylor Swift replacement began advising Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, Pharrell and Christina Aguilera’s teams on The Voice, and yet Monday was already his last day as the Season 8 consultant. Circle of life, man, circle of life.

The Knockout Round is quick, after all, because all anyone really wants is to take the voting power away from the gabbing coaches already. Like, we get it: these decisions are so tough. Your whining has been heard, and the rest of us will take over the decision making part next week to let you focus on being ratings bait in your red chairs.

The coaches just had to get through one more night of the hardest decision I’ve ever had to make on this show on Monday, and they all survived it. Here’s who survived with them to advance to the Live Playoffs.

Team Adam: Barry Minniefield vs. Tonya Boyd-Cannon

Former Hollywood chef Barry Minniefeld — the oldest contestant in the competition, at age 53 — makes a rallying cry for seniors before his Knockout. “You’re not over the hill at 50, so this is for the old people!” he declares, beginning to strategically woo the AARP crowd vote. In another strategic move, he selects a song that shows off his range: “What You Won’t Do For Love” by Barry Caldwell. Barry is on point throughout the whole song.

Barry’s competition, prison choir director Tonya Boyd-Cannon, sings Stevie Wonder’s “I Wish.” Though her vocals wow the coaches, she stands virtually still, despite the energetic tone of the song.

“You guys are crazy talented, and I was feeling every second of it,” says Christina.

“America needs to see 53-year-old black man giving it that kind of soul,” Pharrell tells Barry. “I want to continue seeing you sing too,” he tells Tonya. “You can’t hide the church that’s in there.”

“Barry, no one knew that you could hit those powerful, high notes full voice,” says Adam. “Tonya, nobody appreciates this more than you do.”

After some struggle, Adam advances Tonya. The coaches pay their respects as the oldest singer (formerly) in the competition walks offstage.

Team Blake: Brooke Adee vs. Kelsie May

In the déjà vu moment of the evening, two teenage girls face off against one another for Team Blake. Sixteen-year-old indie singer Brooke Adee tries her luck against 16- year-old country singer (Blake’s specialty) Kelsie May.

Brooke takes a break from the ballads to sing MGMT’s “Electric Feel.” She manages to make the song her own, and hits some huge notes never heard in the original. It’s fun, unique and a bit of a breakout for the young singer. Kelsie sings Taylor Swift’s “Tim McGraw” (because of course she does), a song that Nate Ruess had never heard of (because of course he hadn’t). Her nerves hit her on the performance, and her pitch jumps all over the place.

“Brooke, you have a great quality to your chest voice, It’s very strong,” says Christina. “Kelsie, there’s something very sweet and cool and pure.”

“Brooke is a catch. I love that you did that song on this show. It began to almost feel like a B-side to a Motown song. And Kelsie, your ambitions in the country world, I can see that too,” says Pharrell.

“Brooke, I couldn’t hear one thing in your performance that I thought was pitchy or weird,” says Blake, who adds. “Kelsie, there were a couple of little things in your singing, but when it comes to you being on stage, that’s where you excel.”

He struggles choosing between the two 16-year olds, but goes against genre and chooses Brooke. The teenage Kelsie cries, because of course she does.

Team Christina: Joe Tolo vs. India Carney

If the Knockout pairings are any indication, Team Christina is the one to watch this season. Both performers in the Knockout of India Carney and Joe Tolo could have crushed many of the other team’s top singers, but it’s just another Knockout for Christina.

Technically gifted Joe sings Joan Osborne’s “One of Us.” He hits every note perfectly and holds out some impressive belters. Though he takes the line “nobody call him on the phone / except for the pope maybe in Rome” just a touch too seriously, he’s too good to have his wide-eyed earnestness held against him.

Classically trained India sings Jessie J’s “Big White Room,” and it’s clear early that it can’t be topped. She is the perfect mix of talented and emotional, and she commands the stage with her theatrical performance.

“As great of a singer as I thought you were before, the type of theater that you put into that performance just now: you’re glowing,” Pharrell tells India.

“Joe, you did an amazing job of keeping up with this beast over here. She’s insane,” says Adam, adding, “India, you really put on a show.”

“You start going to notes that I didn’t even know you could reach,” Christina tells Joe. “India, talk about passion in delivering a song. You engaged the whole room.”

Poor Joe might be talented, but no one stood a chance against India in that Knockout. India moves on to the Live Playoffs.

Team Pharrell: Jacob Rummell vs. Lowell Oakley

If you like forced theatrics with awkward results, you’re going to love this next Knockout, where jazzy crooner Lowell Oakley goes against indie pop singer Jacob Rummell for Team Pharrell. Lowell sings “My Girl” by The Temptations, and really goes out of his way to show Pharrell he can take chances. Sadly, “taking chances” for Lowell means kicking off his song with an awkward giggle, and throwing in some uncomfortable chatting to the audience to go with it. Nope. His voice is fine, but it’s hard not to cringe at this performance.

Team Blake steal Jacob goes a bit easier on his performance of “Life Of The Party” by Shawn Mendes. He smiles through a few voice cracks, and is completely passable, but never quite has a breakout moment. Pharrell’s choice, therefore, is between awkward and average.

“Jacob, you have a great voice. There’s still skillsets that we’re not seeing, even,” says Adam. “Lowell, you definitely got the right approach, but the role you’re playing kind of overshadowed the vocal here.”

“I was down with your party,” Christina tells Jacob. To Lowell, she is not so kind, “There was something a little pre-calculated about it. That laugh caught me off-guard,” she tells him.

“I felt like you sang so clearly, and your tone is a beautiful tone, but I’m always looking to see whether you’ll go to a lower octave or show more colors,” Pharrell tells Jacob. “Lowell, I feel like your rehearsal was definitely better than your performance today. I felt like that giggle was more of an uncomfortable thing.”

Despite the giggle, Pharrell advances Lowell.

Team Christina: Rob Taylor vs. Treeva Gibson

It’s another tough call for Christina in her team’s final Knockout. Glass-shattering vocalist Rob Taylor prepares to impress again with his unbelievable falsetto with Al Green’s “Love And Happiness.” It feels as though there are times where he throws in a run to cover weaker moments, but it works.

Seventeen-year-old Treeva Gibson is equally impressive with her performance of Adele’s “Chasing Pavements.” The beginning verses drag a bit, but when she gets to the run of high notes, she soars to the end.

“For you to have such a great falsetto that matches the power of your regular voice, that’s one of the coolest things,” says Adam.

“The way you started that song, you could have stopped singing at that point after all that cool stuff you did at the beginning and still had me,” Blake tells Rob. “Treeva, you sound like you’re 17, but you still have that range.”

“I know one of the biggest challenges was to bring you out of your shell, visually. I saw you take a leap out there and do it,” Christina tells Treeva. “I think you took that song and really did make it your own,” she tells Rob.

Christina rounds out her team by advancing Rob to the Live Playoffs.

Team Adam: Josh Davis vs. Lexi Dávila

It’s the last Knockout of the round, and – spoiler alert – everyone is about to win. Yes, unless Carson Daly introduces some last minute rule twist (stranger things have happened) both Josh Davis and Lexi Dávila are about to advance, one with a win, and one with Christina’s final steal. Josh, an acquisition from Team Blake in the Battle Round, sings Amos Lee’s “In The Arms Of A Woman.” He dedicates the song to his wife, and does a beautiful job in the performance. Teenager pop singer Lexi sings Ellie Goulding’s “Anything Can Happen.” She jumps into her falsetto maybe a bit too early, but her last note has Pharrell out of his chair.

“Lexi, you were the big shocker. As much as I hate it, I have to commend Adam for coaching you so well,” says Christina.

“That was a masterful performance,” Pharrell tells Josh.

“Your biggest battle was against your nerves, and you met that challenge,” Adam tells Lexi, but ultimately favors Josh.

Josh wins the Knockout, but Lexi also advances to the Live Playoffs — this time on Team Christina.

It’s on to the Top 20 next week, which now have to impress the at-home viewers when the Live Playoffs premiere on Monday. It’s looking like the talent in Christina’s group has hear team as an early favorite, especially against Adam’s self-proclaimed “underdogs.”

Who are you looking forward to voting through — or voting off — during the Live Playoffs? Let us know below!