Entertainment

Which 'Voice' Coach Stole Hannah?

by Jessica Molinari

Blake Shelton knows what he's doing when it comes to The Voice — and he proved it tonight. Caitlin Caporale and Hannah Kirby, two of Team Pharrell's all-star members, battled it out in the Knockout Rounds and gave their coach a tough choice. Caporale showed her vulnerable side by singing a ballad, while Kirby let her spirit loose with an upbeat pop/rock song. Kirby rocked it out on the stage but it was Caporale who took the win because Pharrell saw more opportunities to grow her talent. But thankfully Kirby impressed the coaches with her crazy talent and even crazier dance moves and earned a steal. And not just a regular steal — a steal BACK by her former coach Blake Shelton!

This was a genius move by Coach Blake, and one we've seen before. Shelton gave up Craig Wayne Boyd in the Season 7 Battle Rounds, only to steal him back (re-steal?) in the Knockout Rounds. This move definitely worked out for the coach — Boyd went on to win the whole season. Shelton gave up Kirby in exchange for Sarah Potenza in last week's Battle Rounds — a move that he clearly regretted. And Kirby was definitely worth the steal back — she's talented, powerful, and truly original. Though the coaches joke that she looks like a character in Beetlejuice dance scene whenever she hits the stage, Kirby's presence is unlike anyone else's on this show. She loses herself in the music and completely lets go, which makes her performances truly compelling to watch. She was the only singer tonight to really captivate me for the whole song and have me actually scream "YES!" when she was done — which happens more than you'd think, to be honest.

It's possible Shelton sees exactly what he saw in Kirby that he saw in Boyd. Though he was the underdog through almost the entire competition, Boyd came out as the winner because he had his own style. Kirby definitely is one-of-a-kind in this competition. If Shelton nurtures her originality instead of crushing it, then she can quite possibly make it to the end of this game. Kirby will be Team Blake's secret weapon this season — and she's going to be amazing to watch.

Image: Tyler Golden/NBC