After several weeks and a nail-biting semifinal episode, The Voice crowned its first-ever Battle of Champions winner on Tuesday, April 14, as part of a special two-night finale.
The special season of the popular competition series pitted three championship-level coaches against each other to see who would come out on top, and tonight, fans finally got their answer. So, after all was said and done, was it four-time winner Kelly Clarkson, three-time winner Adam Levine or Season 16 winner John Legend who took home the top prize? Stay tuned to find out!
Who was eliminated during the semifinals?
Airing in the show’s typical spot on Monday, April 13, the top nine took to the stage to battle it out for their spot in the finale. Every contestant showcased something new, highlighting their unique sound via their song choices and working closely with their corresponding coaches to perfect their picks.
Still, the playing field was forced to narrow down to four singers for the finale, with both Levine and Legend getting one spot apiece and Clarkson earning two after she won the previous All-Star Showdown Round, resulting in an advantage. Also, the coaches didn’t vote in the semifinal. Instead, the choice was left up to the studio audience in attendance, which the show noted to be made up of “The Voice alumni and superfans.”
By the end of the episode, Team Levine said goodbye to Jeremy Keith and Jared Shoemaker, Team Legend lost Syd Millevoi and KJ Willis and Team Kelly parted ways with JW Griffin.
You can read our full live recap of last night’s episode here!
Who are the top four contestants?
As noted above, Team Clarkson secured two spots in the four-person finale. During the semifinals, Mikenley Brown wowed the coaches with her soulful rendition of “I’m Not the Only One” by Sam Smith, and Liv Ciara surprised everyone with her unexpected take on “What a Feeling (Flashdance)” by Irene Cara.
Meanwhile, Team Levine’s Alexia Jayy blew everyone away with her version of Aretha Franklin’s “I Never Loved a Man (the Way I Love You),” and Lucas West of Team Legend stood out thanks to his decision to play “Maybe I’m Amazed” by Paul McCartney live.
What’re the rules for the finale?
All four aforementioned finalists were tasked with performing multiple songs across the two-hour finale. The winner was then decided by the studio audience present during filming, allowing the votes to be counted and the winner to be crowned by the end of the episode.
FINALIST PERFORMANCES: ROUND 1Alexia Jayy
Jayy started the show with a bang for Team Adam. She selected “Lady Maralade” by Patti Labelle for her first number, lending her powerful voice to the classic tune for a fun, high-energy opening performance. In behind-the-scenes footage, Levine said that Jayy would eventually be “a household name.”
Clarkson literally screamed with excitement as soon as the performance finished, while Legend said that Jayy carried herself like she was “supposed to be on the Grammys.” Levine applauded Jayy’s commitment to covering such difficult songs throughout the season, calling her singing “effortless.”
Mikenley Brown
Ariana Grande’s “Almost Is Never Enough” was the song of choice for Brown of Team Kelly, who slowed things down after Jayy’s performance with her ballad. The contestant revealed that she chose the song for the finale because it’s her grandmother’s favorite. In behind-the-scenes footage, Clarkson said Brown’s voice was “intricate,” and added that she loved the spin Brown always put on well-known songs.
Following the performance, Legend said that Brown was “blossoming into a wonderful artist,” while Levine said he was officially a “fan” of hers. Clarkson was impressed by the contestant’s riffs, reiterating that Brown was truly “special.”
Lucas West
West went third, representing Team Legend with “Cold As Ice” by Foreigner. In behind-the-scenes footage, both the contestant and Legend noted that they chose the rock tune because they wanted to show the audience that West was a true performer, whether her was playing live on the piano or rocking out with only a microphone.
Levine loved the performance, but noted that he “missed” the live piano, as he felt it separated West from the crowd. Clarkson disagreed, saying that she enjoyed seeing the singer stepping out from behind the keys. Legend loved the performance overall, believing that his team member sounded “great” and noting that they clearly came to “win.”
Liv Ciara
Ciara of Team Clarkson completed the first round of performances, taking to the stage with her rendition of “The Greatest” by Billie Eilish. Ciara said she picked the song because she wanted to show the coaches that, despite being only 16, she could “dig down deep” and sing an emotional ballad. Clarkson also confirmed that she cried during rehearsals after hearing her sing.
Legend loved how “raw and honest” Ciara sounded, and Levine joked that she was already far ahead of where he was at 16. Meanwhile, Clarkson was once again moved to tears listening to the singer’s voice.
FINALIST PERFORMANCES: ROUND 2Mikenley Brown
Brown kicked off the second round of performances for the top four, returning to the stage to sing “Man I Need” by Olivia Dean. Clarkson noted that it was sometimes risky to sing a more contemporary song, but felt Brown’s voice was so unique that it would stand out on its own either way.
Legend said Brown could sound “cool” singing anything, while Levine called her style “super specific,” confirming that was “a great thing.” Clarkson agreed with her fellow coaches, saying that Brown “killed it.”
Lucas West
West decided to cover a song by his own coach, selecting “Ordinary People” by Legend for his second finale performance. Legend said he was “notoriously harder” on artists who decided to cover his songs, but felt “honored” that West chose to do so and gave him a few notes on how to set himself apart.
Levine loved that West performed the song on the piano without a backing band. Meanwhile, Clarkson was blown away that West sang such different tunes back-to-back, feeling it showed off his range. Legend was moved by the performance, noting that he “felt something” during the cover.
Liv Ciara
Christina Aguilera’s “What a Girl Wants” was Ciara’s second song of choice. Clarkson praised the decision, saying that Ciara’s taste in music was what “set her apart”; however, the coach also noted that she needed to “change things up” because, if the song was too similar to the original, it might draw comparisons.
Legend and Levine both kept things simple, saying that Ciara was “amazing.” Clarkson echoed their sentiments, calling her a “pop star” who was “ready to go.”
Alexia Jayy
After kicking off the show, Jayy also slowed things down to close the show. In behind-the-scenes footage, Levine shared his love for Jayy’s talent and how humble she remained throughout the entire process. She then took her place under the spotlight for the last time, belting out her rendition of Adele’s “One and Only.”
Jayy brought the audience and coaches to their feet with her final finale performance. She also brought Clarkson to tears. The coach called her a “vessel” for the song, and Legend was also emotional, saying Jayy was a “blessing.” Levine was barely holding it together, but told Jayy she made the world feel more “communal,” and thanked her for the experience of hearing her sing.
FINALIST PERFORMANCES: COACH DUETS
After all of the individual finale performances wrapped, the studio audience was prompted to vote for their favorite singer. In the interim, the finalists performed one last time, each joined on stage for a duet with their corresponding coach.
Liv Ciara and Kelly Clarkson: “Stay” by RihannaAlexia Jayy and Adam Levine: “Sunday Morning” by Maroon 5Lucas West and John Legend: “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” by Elton JohnMikenley Brown and Kelly Clarkson: “What Was I Made For?” by Billie EilishWho won The Voice: Battle of Champions?
As the duets finished and the votes were counted, the top four finalists reunited onstage to learn the order they placed in and who ultimately won the season.
In fourth place was Mikenley Brown.
In third place was Lucas West.
In second place was Liv Ciara.
And the winner of The Voice: Battle of Champions was Alexia Jayy!
And with that, Season 29 of The Voice has officially wrapped!
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