DeSz (Team Kelly), "Don't Let Go (Love)"

I love that DeSz has been doing lesser-covered '90s slow jams by the likes of Toni Braxton and Tevin Campbell this season, and this similarly nostalgic En Vogue power ballad was a gauntlet-throwing, go-for-broke tour de force. DeSz did not come to play this week — she came to win! The diva, whom John has nicknamed "The Assassin," oozed confidence, spat fire, and commanded the stage from start to finish, and she assassinated her competition. Her positively stunned coach declared this possibly the best Team Kelly performance of all time and said, "There's no way you aren't making the finale!" I hope Kelly is right, because DeSz deserves that spot — but this is a highly competitive top nine, so we will see.

Bailey Rae (Team Legend), "Georgia on My Mind"

Bailey, who is only 18, has aged herself throughout the season with her ho-hum song choices. While past Voice contestants like Grace Askew or Mary Sarah have successfully branded themselves as old-timey, vintage-country crooners, Bailey has suffered from an identity crisis, failing to fully to commit to that aesthetic and therefore just seeming middle-of-the-road. I don't think having John as her coach — instead of country specialist like Blake, or even Kelly — helped matters much. Bailey does have talent, but she needed more time to find her true voice, and she probably should've waited a couple more years before trying out for this show.

Ian Flanigan (Team Blake), "Angel"

How interesting it was that both of Blake's country-adjacent contestants went with such unexpected songs tonight. I would not have picked Sarah McLachlan's sad-stray-dogs tearjerker for the gruff and husky (no pun intended) Ian, but as he connected to its lyrics about addiction, which he has battled in the past, he cut right to the heart of the song. The stripped-down arrangement allowed his pure pain and emotion to ooze through, proving that sometimes, a Voice performance doesn't have to be all about vocal acrobatics and theatrics. This was lovely. I could see Ian winning this whole thing with a whisper, not a scream, if Carter falters next week.

Tamara Jade (Team Legend), "Let It Be"

Doing any Beatles song is always a tall order on any singing competition, let alone a version inspired by Aretha Franklin's famous cover. But Tamara was up for the challenge, tapping into the song's gospel fire and doing both the Beatles and Aretha proud. She didn't even need that churchy backing choir; if anything, it only stole focus from her own stupendous vocal. I do fear, however, that this season's two other power-singing soul stars, DeSz and John Holiday, might steal focus, split the vote, and edge out Tamara.. But if Tamara has a chance to sing for the Instant Save on Tuesday, I think she'll run away with it — just as long as she doesn't have to sing against DeSz.