The Voice Season 29 Knockouts Recap: [Spoiler] Wins All-Star Showdown

The April 6 installment of “The Voice” was basically a two-for-one episode, giving us the final three Knockouts of Season 29 before bringing back six previous winners and finalists for the show’s first-ever All-Star Showdown.

And these coaches were not messing around with the former team members they asked to compete in the showdown. Kelly Clarkson brought back Season 21 winners Girl Named Tom and Season 17 winner Jake Hoot, John Legend selected Season 16 winner Maelyn Jarmon and Season 27 finalist Renzo, and Adam Levine chose Season 1 winner Javier Colon and Season 9 winner Jordan Smith. It was an embarrassment of talent all around.

In keeping with the night’s throwback theme, former “Voice” coach CeeLo Green also returned to his swivel chair in the studio, where he decided the winners of each showdown. But did he make all of the right calls? That’s for us to argue about in the comments section.

Read on for a complete breakdown of this week’s results, including which three Season 29 contestants survived the final knockouts, as well as how each of the returning all-stars fared in the showdown. When you’re finished, drop a comment with your thoughts and vote for your favorite performances of the night. Do you agree with all of the coaches’ decisions?

This was a night of mostly mismatched knockouts, beginning with this face-off between country rock and pop/R&B. Clearly in his comfort zone, Jared Shoemaker was pure country in his performance of Travis Tritt’s “Modern Day Bonnie and Clyde,” with his long hair, black cowboy hat, and boots. But his look paled in comparison to his surprisingly sexy take on the song, which he performed like he’s been doing it his whole life. There was nothing particularly complicated about this laid-back journey of a performance, but sometimes less is more, especially when it allows for certain moments (that falsetto action at the end, for example) to really shine. This didn’t blow us away, but it was consistently strong throughout.

As for Jaali Boyd’s performance, can we first take a moment to appreciate the song choice? Fergie’s “Big Girls Don’t Cry” is often used as a punchline, but there was nothing funny about Boyd’s take on it. She began from a really thoughtful place before hitting us with a delicious run that even caught Kelly Clarkson by surprise. Vocally, we’d say she surpassed what Fergie brought to the original, putting her own vibe on it and effectively making it her own. And those final low notes? Chills!

Winner: Jared Shoemaker (TVLine’s grade: “A-“)Eliminated: Jaali Boyd (TVLine’s grade: “A-“)

And now for another polar-opposite pairing, beginning with Grace Humphries’ well-meaning performance of Paula Cole’s “I Don’t Want to Wait.” (“Dawson’s Creek” fans, make some noise!) It’s not that she did a bad job — there was a lovely, ethereal quality to her voice that fit the throwback tune nicely — but we didn’t feel that it was at the same level as the other Knockouts we’ve seen this season. Once we realized we were getting a slightly abridged version of the performance, we could see the writing on the wall.

Now for KJ Willis, who seduced the entire studio — plus the millions of viewers at home — with a strong rendition of Boyz II Men’s “I’ll Make Love to You.” He had us charmed from his opening notes, but like so many performers before him, he really came alive when he stepped away from the mic stand. We’d like to give special attention to the run on “your life” that led into the song’s soaring final section. We were all made love to tonight.

Winner: KJ Willis (TVLine’s grade: “A”)Eliminated: Grace Humphries (TVLine’s grade: “B”)

The final singers of this season’s knockouts “could not be more different,” Kelly Clarkson noted, though we’d argue they were the most evenly matched pairing of the night. Mikenley Brown kicked things off with Chappell Roan’s “Pink Pony Club,” and we have to wonder if Clarkson stands by this song choice. Interesting melodic changes, including swapping out several falsetto moments to show off her impressive belt, kept this from being a total wash, but it also wasn’t anything to write home about. There’s a reason this is such a popular karaoke song, and it kind of felt like that’s what we were watching tonight. It also didn’t feel like Brown’s story, making it difficult for her connect to the material.

Next up, Jonah Mayor’s long hair was perfectly on-theme for his performance of Phil Collins’ “You’ll Be In My Heart,” the Academy Award-winning song from Disney’s “Tarzan.” A loin cloth probably would have been a step too far, but hey, you’ve got to earn your spot somehow! As far as the vocals, this felt like a fairly standard performance, save for a few stand-out moments. He really exploded towards the end of the song, riding the wave of high notes with grace and poise. Clarkson appreciated the “passion” and “commitment” he brought to his performance, likening him to a male Celine Dion.

Winner: Mikenley Brown (TVLine’s grade: “B+”)Eliminated: Jonah Mayor (TVLine’s grade: “A-“)

Even though we felt that Mayor’s performance tonight was stronger than Mikinley’s, this one came down to laurels, and Clarkson felt that Brown still has the potential to grow into a winning artist.

Let the All-Star Showdown begin! Kelly Clarkson was the first to throw her hat into the ring, selecting Girl Named Tom to perform against someone from Team Legend, which ended up being Renzo.

In case you needed a reminder of why Girl Named Tom won Season 21, the trio’s performance of Kansas’ “Dust in the Wind” certainly did the trick. It was beautiful from the jump, courtesy of some otherworldly vocals from Bekah Grace Liechty. And that was before she was joined by her brothers on some truly gorgeous harmonies. There was so much power behind their voices, even in a somewhat hushed song like this, it was impossible not to be moved. Together, their voices are pure perfection, each providing a unique sound yet moving together as one being. This was a delight of a performance.

And while he may not have won his season (third place isn’t too shabby!), Renzo took to his performance of Aerosmith’s “Dream On” like a champion. Legend wanted to come out “guns blazing” in this showdown, and Renzo was certainly the singer to make that happen. Renzo took a cool approach to this iconic anthem, dosing it with a lethal combination of R&B flavor and rock ‘n’ roll energy. And we’re pretty sure his final scream took us out of our bodies for a split second.

Winner: Girl Named Tom (TVLine’s grade: “A+”)Loser: Renzo (TVLine’s grade: “A+”)

After losing to Kelly Clarkson in the first match, John Legend eyed victory with his second performance, sending Season 16 winner Maelyn Jarmon into the ring against Season 9 winner Jordan Smith — and Sting’s “Fields of Gold” was just the song to get him there. Jarmon’s voice was nothing short of angelic as she reimagined this as a Sarah McLachlan-esque song, only so much better. The light also hit Jarmon at the perfect moment during the performance, making it feel like she was enveloping everyone in her immaculate glow. Strong and heartbreaking at the same time, her voice took us on a journey that we never wanted to end.

That said, we can’t understate how blown away we were by Smith’s take on Sia’s “Chandelier,” which he peppered with some really fun runs right off the bat. And that was only the first of several jaw-dropping vocal tricks he employed throughout. His work on “my tears as they drYyYyYy” reached “how dare you?” status, and we loved that he opted to belt in many places where falsetto is traditionally used.

Winner: Maelyn Jarmon (TVLine’s grade: “A”)Loser: Jordan Smith (TVLine’s grade: “A”)

The final match of the All-Star Showdown came down to Season 1 winner Javier Colon (the OG!) of Team Adam and Season 17 winner Jake Hoot of Team Kelly.

Colon began by reminding us all how he won the show’s first season, delivering a cool, intimate take on Cyndi Lauper’s “Time After Time.” It’s a song we’ve heard countless times before, but not always with this much emotion. There was a simple-yet-effective feel to Colon’s time on stage, as he used his artistry to bring the song to another level. And speaking of new levels, that run on “second hand unwiiiind” was something for which our ears were very grateful.

Next up, country king Jake Hoot put his natural storytelling abilities to good use on The Eagles’ “Desperado,” taking advantage of all the right opportunities to really let loose. We relished the way he growled through the song’s more intense moments, while each of his soaring high notes impressed us more than the last.

Winner: Jake Hoot (TVLine’s grade: “A”)Loser: Javier Colon (TVLine’s grade: “A”)

At the end of the All-Star Showdown, Kelly Clarkson was left with two wins to Adam Levine and Jake Legend’s one, making her the first-ever winner. This means she’ll get an extra finalist on her team, so it’s entirely possible that her fifth “Voice” win is now in sight.