The Voice: Blake Shelton lands three of four contestants set to compete in season 16 finale
The Voice revealed its final four singers on Tuesday, but there was one clear victor as Blake Shelton landed three of the four contestants set to compete in the finals.
The 42-year-old country star and six-time show champion performed his hit single God's Country to start the one-hour results episode on NBC.
Show host Carson Daly, 45, then revealed that Maelyn Jarmon, 26, of John Legend's team was the first to go through after her performance Monday of Stay by Rihanna.
Sitting pretty: Blake Shelton on Tuesday's episode of The Voice landed three of the four singers set to compete next week in the finals of the NBC show
Maelyn once again was the artist most streamed on iTunes after the show's end.
Blake's singer Dexter Roberts, 27, from Fayette, Alabama, was second to go through.
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'Dexter, you went from driving a rock truck in Alabama to being a semi-finalist on the Voice,' Carson pointed out. 'What would moving one step closer mean to you?'
'It's a dream come true,' the plainspoken country artist said.
Three finalists: Andrew Sevener, Gyth Rigdon and Dexter Roberts will represent Blake in the season 16 finale
Country star: Blake opened the show performing his hit single God's Country
Two-time The Voice champ Kelly Clarkson, 37, burned up the stage with Chances Are, a duet performed with her sole remaining contestant, Rod Stokes.
Earlier in the show, Stokes had urged up-and-coming musicians to be faithful to who they are, and praised the fact that artists are by nature so different.
'That's what makes music so great, is that not everyone loves the same thing,' Rod opined.
Teaming up: Kelly Clarkson performed a duet with her singer Rod Stokes
'If everyone sounded the same and acted the same way…' he shook his head.
R&B and soul artist Shawn Sounds, 33, came into the show with great momentum, having moved the crowd Monday with his take on Donny Hathaway's A Song For You.
Asked by Carson what lesson he'd like to pass on to his students at Lewis Middle School in Houston, the teacher grew thoughtful.
Great eight: Andrew, Kim Cherry, Gyth, Carter Lloyd Horne, Dexter, Rod, Maelyn Jarmon, and Shawn Sounds gathered on the stage with host Carson Daly
'[My coach, John Legend,] has always taught me to connect to my songs, so I think that it is very important that whatever you do in life, you connect to it, you give 100 percent to whatever it is that you do. Find your vision, find your purpose, find your passion, and just connect to it.'
Team Blake contestant Andrew Sevener, 22, from Alvarado, Texas, was also asked what he'd take away from doing the show.
'What I've learned about myself is that anybody can grow—that with hard work and persistence, anyone can get better on a daily basis,' Andrew said.
New coach: John Legend was praised by his singer Shawn who failed to make the finals
Securing the third spot was Gyth Rigdon, 25, from Singer, Louisiana, who also was one of Blake's artists.
Gyth praised the 'full circle moment' he was living, pointing out the first concert he ever attended was one by Blake.
'Being able to perform one of his songs in front of him and being able to be coached by him… I just took so much from it. I really appreciate it. I'm blessed,' Gyth said.
The judges: Adam Levine, John, Kelly and Blake watched as the results were announced
Midway through the show, Emily Ann Roberts, 20, who'd also been a finalist on Team Blake, in season nine, performed Someday Dream, which Carson called 'an awesome homecoming.'
Carson then revealed which three artists had been chosen by America to perform for the show's Instant Save and last finale slot: Shawn, Rod, and Andrew.
With the lowest number of votes, contestants Kim Cherry, 30, and Carter Lloyd Horne, 20, immediately ended their run on the show.
She's back: Emily Ann Roberts, 20, who was a finalist on Team Blake during season nine performed Someday Dream
Awesome homecoming: Carson called her performance an 'awesome homecoming'
Andrew was up first, performing Lynyrd Skynyrd's Simple Man.
Blake had mixed feelings about it.
'Part of me believes that's going to get you in the finale, but then the other half of me thinks, ''Damn it, I wish you would have saved that for the finale'',' Blake said.
Up first: Andrew performed first during the Instant Save for the fourth spot in the finale
He then made one last-ditch appeal to voters.
'Listen, Andrew is country to the core…he's an incredible vocalist, he's a great guy, he deserves to be in this finale,' Blake told viewers.
Rod went next and performed a rousing rendition of Brother by NeedtoBreathe.
Up next: Rod went next and performed a rousing rendition of Brother by NeedtoBreathe
His coach Kelly was unexpectedly choked up.
'I have been dying to sing with a voice like yours my whole life,' she explained through her tears, comparing his talent to that of icons Ray Charles and Michael McDonald.
'I hope you don't go home tonight, but I'm so glad we got to sing together, because it was so good,' said the American Idol winner.
Getting emotional: Kelly choked up while comparing Rod's talent to that of icons Ray Charles and Michael McDonald
After a beat, she started to laugh and said, 'Blake jinxed me. He said I was going to cry.'
Wrapping up the show was Shawn with the Bruno Mars song That's What I Like.
'O Shawn! America!' cried his coach, John, 40. 'You saw what he gave you tonight!'
Swan song: Wrapping up the show was Shawn with the Bruno Mars song That's What I Like
'I feel so fortunate to work with somebody who is as musically gifted as you are,' he added.
As Carson invited the nation to Tweet their picks for the Instant Save, he also asked contestants what final words they had for their coaches.
Andrew grew serious, addressing Blake.
Twitter voting: Andrew, Rod and Shawn waited as viewers voted on Twitter during the Instant Save
'It's been an honor,' he said. 'Every bit of wisdom that you've instilled in me…'
Kelly interrupted: 'He has wisdom?'
The crowd roared and Kelly later said: 'I was just kidding.'
Asked the same question by Carson, Rod turned to his tearful coach.
'I have just always wanted to sing with you,' he told Kelly. 'No matter what happens tonight, I've accomplished one of the greatest goals ever in my life.'
Greatest goal: Rod was thankful for the opportunity to sing with Kelly
Shawn thanked coach John for the opportunity to be on The Voice at all.
'It's a big deal for me to be standing here before you, and I just want to thank you for everything that you've imparted for me,' the soulful singer said.
As everyone waited for news, Blake offered Andrew a job playing at any of his 'three bars with a stage in them' at home, should his contestant fail to advance.
Job offer: Andrew after his performance was offered a job by Blake at any of his 'three bars with a stage in them'
He did not fail, however, and became the fourth finalist to move forward.
The Voice will return Monday on NBC with the first episode of its two-part finale.
The season 16 champion will be crowned Tuesday in a two-hour finale that will feature a performance by the Jonas Brothers singing their new song Cool as well as pop star Taylor Swift, 29, performing her new song Me! featuring Brendon Urie, 32, lead singer of Panic! At The Disco.
Chevel Shepherd, 16, won season 15 of The Voice last September with Kelly as her coach.
The finalte: The Voice will return Monday with Andrew, Gyth, Maelyn and Dexter competing to win season 16 of the NBC show
