‘The Voice’ Semifinals Recap: Who Are the Top 4 Finalists?

The Top 9 artists hit the stage for The Voice Semifinals on the Monday, April 13, episode. John Legend, Kelly Clarkson, and Adam Levine each went into the Semifinals with three artists on their teams, all hoping for a spot in the finale.

After winning the in-season All-Star Competition, Clarkson earned the right to have two of her artists advance to the Finals, while Legend and Levine each had one singer make the Top 4. The finalists were chosen by an audience of superfans and former contestants, who voted on their favorites throughout the night.

This is the first season in The Voice’s history that the finalists and winner will be chosen by an in-studio audience, as opposed to viewers watching from home. Scroll down for a recap of the performances and to find out who’s moving on to the April 14 finale.

KJ Willis — Team Legend

Team Legend’s KJ Willis kicked off the night of the Semifinals performances. His coach selected a song that would help him “soar”: Stevie Wonder‘s “Higher Ground.”

“You’ve grown on me so much as the show has progressed,” Levine admitted. “What I loved was the major runs. I’ve never heard anyone approach it like that. Creatively speaking, I really loved all of that.”

Clarkson applauded KJ for starting the show in a big way. “That was so incredible,” she added. “You have that preacher-esque power to you that I love. You naturally have the gift of inspiration.”

KJ’s coach couldn’t have been more impressed by the performance. “You can just feel the spirit in you,” Legend gushed. “I feel like you’re growing in your own confidence and taking up space on stage, and America’s getting to see you blossom into the artist you’re supposed to be.”

Mikenely Brown — Team Kelly

Clarkson’s contestant Mikenley Brown hoped to show a softer side of herself with her performance of “I’m Not the Only One” by Sam Smith. Her coach urged her to go in and out of her head and chest voice throughout the song.

Legend and Levine both agreed that this was Mikenley’s “best performance” of the show so far. “I think you might’ve snuck up on people and showed them something they may not have expected,” Legend added. “So well done. I absolutely loved it.”

Meanwhile, Levine raved over Mikenley’s “superpower” ability to switch from her head voice to falsetto. Clarkson concluded, “The believability is a huge thing for me. A lot of people come out here and sing great songs, but I don’t buy it. I buy it from you.”

She also praised her artist for holding back on the runs to make them “more special” when they came out.

Jeremy Keith — Team Adam

Jeremy Keith hit the stage with a rendition of Babyface‘s “Whip Appeal” for his Semifinals performance.

Clarkson praised Jeremy for making it “look so easy,” noting that he has “so many gears, not only to your voice, but your energy.” She also made sure the audience knows “what [Jeremy is] doing is incredibly difficult.”

For Legend, this was his favorite performance from Jeremy so far. “It showed all the things you had in your toolbox. You were smooth, perfect, pristine in the beginning, but then growled and were passionate by the end. It was a well-rounded performance.”

Levine applauded Jeremy for accomplishing “exactly what you set out to do” with that Semifinals performance.

Syd Millevoi — Team Legend

Syd Millevoi returned to the stage next. For the Semifinals, she chose to sing Ariana Grande‘s “Into You,” hoping to take the coaches’ advice and connect to the audience on a more emotional level with her stripped-down rendition.

Levine raved over Syd’s range and applauded her for “making that effort to make [the performance] something that really spoke from the heart.” Clarkson told the hopeful that she’s a “huge fan” of hers, adding, “I think that you’re incredible and one of my favorites of the whole season. I cannot wait to see what you do regardless of what happens here.”

Finally, Syd’s coach confirmed that it was his “favorite performance” that she’s done so far. “I really did love how soulful you were,” he pointed out. “We talked about how the song was stripped down, but it’s not a sad song. It’s a song about seduction and asserting her power as a woman to make the move, and I loved how you embraced the energy of the song. This show celebrates the voice, and you have a magnificent instrument as a vocalist, and you really deployed it beautifully today.”

Jared Shoemaker — Team Adam

Jared Shoemaker revealed that “Soulshine” by the Allman Brothers Band is the song he’s wanted to sing throughout the entire competition so far. In the Semifinals, he finally got his chance.

Both Clarkson and Legend agreed that Jared showed a different side of himself in the performance, with Clarkson noting, “That’s so important in a show like this.”

Levine called his one-chair turn singer a star, adding, “You have this beautiful voice, and it’s not the voice you’re necessarily expecting. You bridge between rock and roll and country. There’s a hybrid going on. I also love how you are who you are, very unabashedly and very consistently. I think there’s so much promise in you for a wonderful career.”

Liv Ciara — Team Kelly

Liv Ciara headed to the Semifinals after having no Blind Audition chairs turned in Season 28. For her Top 9 performance, she sang Irene Cara‘s “Flashdance…What a Feeling,” but created her own unique arrangement of the track. Clarkson was brought to tears in rehearsals.

The audience went absolutely wild after Liv sang. “That was a superstar performance,” Legend agreed, while Levine told Liv that she would be named the winner of The Voice if the decision was being made in that moment.

“I thought I had a good chance of winning this year and the chances are still there, but they’re not as good as they were before I saw you do what you just did,” the Maroon 5 singer admitted.

Clarkson made sure to let the other coaches and audience know that Liv arranged the entire performance herself. “If you win the show or don’t win the show, I’m just so excited to be a tiny, minuscule of participant [in that],” she raved.

Alexia Jayy — Team Adam

Powerhouse singer Alexia Jayy took on Aretha Franklin‘s “I Never Loved a Man” for the Semifinals.

Clarkson pointed out that singing an Aretha Franklin song was a tall order, but gushed, “I don’t like anyone singing [that song] and you can sing it every damn day. You are so gifted. I loved the whole thing. Everything going on is so cool and rock and roll and bold.”

Legend raved over how much “creative energy and positive energy” Alexia exudes. “You’re elegant and cool at the same time,” he pointed out. “You’re an artist’s artist. I absolutely love you.”

Levine mentioned how proud he is to be Alexia’s coach. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to tell you because you’re the best singer ever,” he said. “I feel like a superfan right now. I don’t feel like a coach.”

JW Griffin — Team Kelly

JW Griffin took on Willie Nelson for the Semifinals, singing “Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground.” Clarkson called it a “smart” song choice for her country semifinalist.

Legend called the performance “lovely” and praised JW for putting heart and intimacy into his set. “It really gave us a chance to appreciate the texture of your voice,” he added. “It was so enjoyable to listen to.”

Levine reiterated to JW that he can’t wait for him to make a full record one day and applauded the subtlety in his voice that actually has “a lot to it” when you peel back the layers.

“I think you did an incredible job, and I cannot wait to work with you after this, as well,” Clarkson concluded.

Lucas West — Team Legend

The final performance of the night was from Team Legend artist Lucas West. The guys worked on song choice together and ultimately selected Paul McCartney‘s “Maybe I’m Amazed.”

Levine made sure to point out that singing that Paul McCartney song “requires everything from a person singing it,” and applauded Lucas for his “captivating” voice. “You’re a real musician, and that adds another dynamic to you that is super compelling,” he confirmed.

Clarkson told Lucas that he’s the only artist left in the competition whom she’d want to see in a stadium. “You would just crush in that environment,” she shared. “You have so much power to your voice.” She also agreed with Levine that Lucas is a “great artist overall,” in addition to being a talented singer.

Finally, Legend praised his contestant for being “the whole package,” adding, “You come out here, and you really deliver electric, energetic, beautiful, soulful performances.”

Who made the Top 4?

At the end of the night, Carson Daly revealed which four artists are moving onto the Finals based on the audience’s vote. The four finalists are: Alexia Jayy (Team Adam), Lucas West (Team Legend), Liv Ciara (Team Kelly), and Mikenley Brown (Team Kelly).

The Voice, Season 29 Finale, Tuesday, April 14, 9/8c, NBC