‘The Voice’ Top 5: Luke Wade Headed Home? If So, Blame It On Coach Pharrell [Opinion]
The Voice is nearing the climax of its season, as such, this is hardly the time of the season to be anything less than stellar.
Despite some amazing performances on Monday night’s live show, The Voice will mark the end of the road for three individuals on Tuesday.
While fans of this seventh season may think that certain Voice contestants are safe, they are no doubt due for at least one shocking elimination.
A glance at the early results for the iTunes song chart signals that one long-time front-runner may actually be in trouble this week: Luke Wade.
If Wade is truly doomed, then a good portion of the reason for his surprise departure is going to fall squarely on the shoulders of Voice coach, Pharrell Williams.
It must be said that there was not a more perfect song for Luke Wade than “Holding Back The Years.” It is in fact the very representation of the form of soulfulness that Wade best represents when he sings.
But the problem with a song like “Holding Back The Years” is that when you attempt to tweak it, you run the risk of losing the magic, passion, and yearning that come through so strongly courtesy of Simply Red.
When The Voice host Carson Daly let everyone know that Luke Wade would be performing this song, no doubt EVERYONE was anticipating a take on the original version of the song.
This song, in the hands of an artist like Wade, would have been flawless.
Unfortunately, what the Voice audience and voters were were offered was a distracted performance featuring an artist who was visibly shaken by the pressure to somehow help a series of pointless changes make perfect sense when really, they made absolutely NO sense.
Hey Pharrell, let’s play “point-at-your-fave-artists-in-the- #VoiceTop8.” (@lukewademusic @NicaShirey) pic.twitter.com/Y4L71qTNhf
— The Voice (@NBCTheVoice) December 1, 2014
Is there anyone out there not weeping for what could have been?
Tragically, studio versions of the song offered no reprieve. Something that, along with a lackluster performance, may strongly hinder iTunes sales.
It’s important to remember that iTunes singles matter; not just as votes, but as a CLEAR representation of the popularity of Voice contestants.
The farther down the chart a singer is, the more likely it is they will be leaving The Voice. As we’ve already seen.
The only possible hope for Luke Wade at this late stage of The Voice is if enough fans are alarmed enough by his (and Coach Pharrell’s) stumble to vote as if their lives depend on it.
And here is where fans of Luke Wade may experience something in the form of good news. The Voice, like many singing competitions before it, will often see popular singers stumble. Rather than their bad performance work against them, it might instead cause the singer’s supporters to work overtime to “rescue” him or her from elimination.
It can be said that Wade already benefited from this when a live performance on The Voice didn’t go as planned.
Still, that was at a time on the show where there were several less popular contestants who were far more vulnerable to a trip home.
This is crunch time and unfortunately for Luke Wade, the vast majority of his competition was outstanding, with a few competitors more than benefiting from perfect song choices.
It would be unfortunate if, what should have been THE moment of the season for Luke Wade in a good way, is instead viewed in retrospect in an entirely different fashion—As the beginning of the end.
What do YOU think: Did Luke Wade’s performance of “Holding Back The Years” on The Voice ultimately seal his fate? Do you think the unnecessary changes to the tune hindered his Voice performance?
[Image Credit: The Voice Official YouTube]
