‘The Voice': Team Blake’s Jim Ranger Takes on Jus Jon [Watch]
Monday night on The Voice saw a continuation of the season's Knockout rounds, which have coaches Blake Shelton, Kelly Clarkson, John Legend, and Gwen Stefani pair up their artists to square against each other on songs of their own choosing.
This evening started off on Shelton's foot with Jim Ranger pitting against Jus Jon. Ranger decided to go a traditionally country route with Tim McGraw's "Humble & Kind," which he delivered with a lot of pomp, if a slightly somber and preachy feel. (Preacher's son Legend, most tellingly, proclaimed the rendition "beautiful!")
Most interestingly, Jus Jon went a totally different route to contrast with Ranger, choosing pop star Bruno Mars' much more upbeat jam "Finesse," which he danced and pranced about the stage convincingly. When he sang "Fellows, grab your lady if your lady's fine," Legend jokingly gestured to Shelton, whose fine lady Stefani sat just feet away.
"You perform with charisma and charm," Legend told Jus Jon. He had good words for Ranger, too: "Jim...your voice has this well-worn, rugged quality to it."
Stefani, admitting that she isn't a dancer, admired Jus Jon's seamless mix of groovin' and croonin'. "I love your vibe, I can't believe you're not signed," she enthused. But she also said, "Jim...I just feel you could win the show. Blake, how do you compare the two?"
Fair enough question. Clarkson made a comment about song selection, inquiring about Ranger's choice of the McGraw song, which had Ranger unexpectedly choke up on air, causing all the coaches to be visibly taken aback.
"I have two knucklehead boys," Ranger said. "And they're awesome. This is one of those songs that we sit around and listen to. With my dad," he said. "I want people to be nice humans."
Shelton returned things to a more practical level, saying that Jon's performance reminded him of when he "first got MTV," stating that he was having a problem separating himself from being a coach vs. being a fan. However, in the end, he went with Ranger, which was likely the more reasonable choice for his team.
The Voice airs every Monday and Tuesday on NBC beginning at 8PM ET.
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