‘The Voice: Battle of Champions’ Episode 5 Live Recap: Who Won the Battle Rounds?

Happy Monday to all who celebrate! And of course, the start of a brand new week marks the return of The Voice: Battle of Champions.

Last week saw plenty of twists and turns as the competition officially closed their Blind Auditions and headed into the first batch of Battle Rounds, with the field narrowing and the champion-level coaches—Kelly Clarkson, Adam Levine and John Legend—already seeing their 10-person teams begin to lose members.

Last week’s shocking eliminations and surprising steals

As noted above, Episode 4 marked the first week of Battle Rounds, pitting team members against each other to perform duets, as selected by their coaches. The coaches also had help this week, calling in some famous faces to act as their advisors. Clarkson had Jennifer Hudson, Levine partnered with Benji Madden and Legend had Muni Long. There were seven total performances with 14 team members taking to the stage, resulting in several eliminations and some surprising steals.

In fact, the episode began with one of the most shocking moments of the season so far, when Clarkson’s team saw Liv Ciara and Mikenley Brown open the show with a rendition of “Focus” by H.E.R. Both performers were exceptional, but Clarkson ultimately crowned Brown the winner. As a result, both Levine and Legend attempted to use their “Steals” to snag Ciara for their own squads; however, Clarkson surprised the audience by using her one and only “Super Steal” prize—which she earned one episode prior by winning the Triple Chair Turn competition—to save Ciara for her own team.

And that wasn’t the only “steal” of the evening, as another one closed the show! After a wonderful performance by Levine’s team members, Alexia Jayy and Moses G., Levine joked he wanted to “quit” the show, as it was such a hard choice between them. He ultimately crowned Jayy the winner; however, before Moses G. could even say his goodbyes, Legend swooped in with the “Steal,” claiming the singer for his own squad.

You can read our full live recap of last week’s episode here!

The teams as of this week

Given the various shifts in the teams after last week’s many eliminations and “Steals,” here’s an updated look at what the rosters were as we headed into tonight’s episode.

Team Kelly

Julia Golden
Abigayle Oakley
Jonah Mayor
Liv Ciara (Saved by Clarkson’s “Super Steal”)
Aaron LaVigne
J.W. Griffin (Winner of Battle Round against Blaire Elbert)
Tia Durant
Houston Kelly
Mikenley Brown (Winner of Battle Round against Liv Ciara)

Team Adam

Alexia Jayy (Winner of Battle Round against Moses G.)
Bay Simpson
Jeremy Keith
Jaali Boyd (Winner of Battle Round against Bijou Belle)
Aziz Guerra
Drew Russell
Jared Shoemaker

Team John

Lucas West (Winner of Battle Round against A.J. Robinson)
Kendra Remedios
Mike Steele
K.J. Willis
Ashley Marina
Grace Humphries (Winner of Battle Round against Adi Arora)
Natasha Blaine
Syd Millevoi
Moses G. (Saved by Legend’s “Steal”)

Battle Round Two

Drew Russell vs. Jared Shoemaker

To kick off the show, Levine paired Russell and Shoemaker together, assigning them one of his personal favorite songs, “Leather & Lace” by Stevie Nicks and Don Henley. Madden was still on hand to act as an advisor for Levine’s team and consistently enjoyed the duet between the two, applauding their “chemistry.” Russell and Shoemaker also shared several clips of their many practices throughout the week, further displaying how seriously they took their assignment.

After the performance ended, Clarkson and Legend applauded the pair, stating that they should explore the option of becoming a “duo,” given how well their voices complemented each other. Levine was also blown away by his team, making his choice a difficult one, but stated he knew the winner.

WINNER: Jared Shoemaker

Tia Durant vs. Houston Kelly

Next up were two members of Clarkson’s team, whom the coach matched due to their soulful voices. Like Madden, Hudson was still on hand to help the team with her advising, stepping in to give them pointers on the song while Clarkson was away. For their performance, Clarkson selected “Either way” by Chris Stapleton, which Hudson applauded as an excellent choice because of the theatrical vibes.

The two received a standing ovation from the coaches and the audience, with Levine and Legend blown away by their vocals. Clarkson joked that she needed help from the other coaches choosing, but they were perfectly split. While she was physically shaking as she chose, Clarkson came to a final decision.

WINNER: Houston Kelly

Aziz Guerra vs. Jeremy Keith

Levine called this his “hardest pairing,” given how different the two singers were, but believed the song choice would bring them together. They were assigned “My Cherie Amour” by Stevie Wonder, based on Guerra’s previous performance, where he sang entirely in Spanish. Keith also tackled parts of the song in Spanish, allowing the two’s tones to mix.

The coaches loved their performance, with Legend joking that he “wanted to have a word” with Levine for taking Keith for his team. Clarkson called it an “equal playing field,” noting that they were both great. Levine also loved both, but said he was choosing who he thought was ready “now.”

WINNER: Jeremy Keith

Kendra Remedios vs. Natasha Blaine

“Walk on By” by Diane Warwick was the song of choice by Legend for Remedios and Blaine, who he noted couldn’t be more different. Legend still had Long on hand to help with advising, and the two loved the smokiness and Remedios’s tone, as well as the tone of Blaine’s. Legend ended up recomposing part of the tune to fit their voices, landing on a “simpler” arrangement.

The coaches all loved Legend’s unique song choice, as well as the “subtleness” in the two’s performances. While Legend looked for opinions from the other coaches, his mind was still quickly made up.

WINNER: Natasha Blaine

Aaron LaVigne vs. Jonah Mayor

Clarkson chose “The First Time” by Damiano David for the duo. Hudson specifically noted that the coach picked the tune because it’s “new” and would thus be more difficult for the two to tackle, hoping to give them a challenge.

Levine applauded the performance, but felt like the two didn’t have their breathing “under control.” Legend seconded Levine’s feelings, noting that he felt like Mayor’s voice potentially had a lot to explore in the competition. Clarkson complimented both singers, but said she selected who she felt might stand out more “in the end.”

WINNER: Jonah Mayor

Ashley Marina vs. Syd Millevoi

Legend paired the two singers together specifically because he felt like they could give “big pop diva performances,” given their past auditions. He assigned them “Love Takes Time” by Mariah Carey, which they called a “doozy” of a song. Both Legend and Long loved their passion, supporting the pair through the difficult tune.

The coaches applauded the young singers’ performances, given how intense the song was, but also felt like both had time to grow into their voices. Ultimately, Legend knew who he wanted to take to the Knockout round, saying they “belonged in the finale” of the show.

WINNER: Syd Millevoi

Abigayle Oakley vs. Julia Golden

Clarkson chose “Rhiannon” by Fleetwood Mac for the two, given their shared folk-country sound. Hudson also noted that, due to the natural “yodel” in both of the singers’ voices, they meshed well, even though they came from different genres.

Levine applauded the falsetto in Oakley’s voice, while Legend loved her “round tone.” However, Legend also loved the energy Golden gave to the classic tune. Clarkson said the performance proved why they were both there, but also noted that she preferred their audition performances, taking a moment before announcing her winner.

WINNER: Abigayle Oakley

K.J. Willis vs. Mike Steele

The very last pairing of the battle rounds, Legend put Willis and Steele together due to their similar R&B vibes. He assigned them “Let Me Love You” by Mario, which Legend also called “one of the great R&B songs” of the last few decades. Both Legend and Long loved their vocals together, adding that the winner would be chosen based on “charisma” and saying they felt like someone was definitely going to “get stolen.”

Legend was correct in his assessment, and the performance blew both Clarkson and Levine away. Clarkson compared watching the performance to watching a tennis match, seeing the two expertly go back and forth. Levine seconded Clarkson’s notes, saying Willis was a “big surprise” while Steele’s vocals created a “memorable” moment.

WINNER: K.J. Willis

STEAL: Levine made Legend’s prediction a reality by using his only “Steal” to add Steele to his own team. He stated he was excited to add him, as he brings something to his team he doesn’t currently have.

When is the next episode?

The next episode of The Voice—and the start of the Knockout Rounds—airs on NBC on Monday, March 30, at 9 p.m. ET, and we’ll be right back here to recap everything live for you!