The Voice Top 9 Results Shocker as Best Singer in Whole Competition Gets Rejected -- Twice!

Tonight is the night that America shapes the finale of “The Voice” with the big reveal of which artist from each team they want to see there, and which of the remaining contestants gets the final Wild Card.

For the four winners -- one from each team -- they got to take the night off, but that still left five contestants battling it out for America’s Insta-Save vote. Let’s just say that we were feeling pretty good with ou predictions and we did … not great.

There were definitely a few surprises, and one huge disappointment as the single best vocalist in the competition was rejected by America not just once, but twice. We get it that they’re all good and it gets harder to choose, but it’s not that hard.

With a little extra time, Season 17 winner Jake Hoot came back to join his former Coach on the stage to debut their new single with a stunningly beautiful performance. A little more unexpected, Aussie rapper Masked Wolf also hit the stage with a performance of his huge viral hit.

In the end, though, the night is about building the Top 5 that will compete in next week’s epic two-night finale. Your choices weren’t terrible, all things considered, but we’re still a little disappointed in you.

Fair warning, since I'm safe at home, I'm probably going to be a little harsher than my colleagues Kelly Clarkson, John Legend, Nick Jonas and Blake Shelton.

And just for fun, I'm going to rank the performances from worst to first for the Insta-Save to see who my favorites are, and then see how close you were to getting it right with your votes (i.e., agreeing with me).

(“I Would Have Loved You”) The fall 2019 winner from Team Kelly came back with his collaboration with his former Coach, and they sounded absolutely incredible. Jake’s voice is even more polished, like a consummate professional. He harmonized beautifully with Kelly, and of course she brought her big pipes to her own verses. We didn’t feel as emotionally connected to the track as we could have been, but there’s no denying their incredible vocals separately and together.

(“Astronaut in the Ocean”) We don’t get a lot of rappers on “The Voice,” but Masked Wolf has a little rhythmic rapping going on as he presented his 2019 single that took a couple of years before blowing up Billboard now after a re-release and as a result of some TikTok love. It was definitely a chill performance with a very confident vibe, some cool line delivery and sharp writing. Why do people reject rap artists so hard on these shows? There’s an artistry in using your voice that way, too. Do we need a rap version?

This week’s Insta-Save determination is pretty simple as the Coaches have no more power. Each team comes up one by one and the top vote-getter from that team advances. Everyone else battles it out later in the night for tonight’s Insta-Save vote.

So let’s take one last look at what our picks were, and then see how we did.

• Blake: Cam
• Nick: Dana
• John: Pia
• Kelly: Kenzie
• Wild Card: Corey

Team Kelly: Kelly’s team had a reall strong night, with Gihanna definitely redeeming herself from the week prior in her solo round. But her trio work was a disaster. Meanwhile, Corey and Kenzie both came out very strong throughout the night -- but this is Kenzie’s season to lose.

As expected, it was Kenzie Wheeler who rightfully earned his way into next week’s big finale. That sets Corey up to come in swinging as the Wild Card, so long as he continues to bring consistency to his performance tonight.

Team Legend: Last week, we’d have said Victor all the way, but Pia really came into her own with far more polished and commanding performances both in her solo performance, and her trio with Victor. He scored with voters last week, though, so this might be more of a challenge -- especially if she and Dana were canceling out each other’s votes.

But we had a feeling his gospel track might not have resonated quite as well with a wide enough audience, and we were absolutely wrong. Victor Solomon sailed into the finale, leaving Pia to battle it out with some tough competition.

Team Nick: This was the hardest one for us to predict, because Dana just slays week after week after week, and yet she didn’t pick up the love from voters last week. Out of nowhere, in some regards, Rachel nabbed that. Were it not for Nick’s Save, Dana would be gone.

This week, both did really great jobs with their performances. We ranked Rachel last because we didn’t think her as strong on the big chorus, but she had a beautifully tender ache in the verses, and that might have been enough.

Turns out it was, as Rachel Mac again advanced. Yes, she connects with younger audiences and has a lovely quality, but how does America keep denying Dana? The woman is a force of nature on the stage and easily one of the best vocalists ever on this show.

Team Blake: This one feels like a no-brainer heading into the results, as Cam continues to deliver top-notch performances that are at another level, and he pushed himself to even newer heights Monday night. Meanwhile, Jordan has always been consistent, until that disastrous trio performance that might have doomed his chances all by itself.

Making it 4-for-4 with contestants who won America’s vote last week doing so again, Cam Anthony once again felt the love in the votes. If Corey picks up the Wild Card again, then this entire week -- and the Coaches’ Saves -- will have basically been a waste of time. America has made up their minds!

The only difference from our predictions was that America continues to not support Dana, again sending Rachel along ahead of her. Now, though, Dana gets to fight for that Insta-Save vote. Could the similarity in confidence and vocal stylings between her and Pia hurt them both?

Our prediction was that Corey would come out victorious in this round, but Jordan and Gihanna could pull out a huge surprise. A lot of it will depend on song choices with those two, as they seem less consistent depending on what they’re performing.

(“everything i wanted,” Billie Eilish) A bold choice for someone with such a big voice, and Pia clearly struggled to rein herself in during the subtler parts. Unfortunately, when she did reach the point of letting loose, she went sharp more than once. We’re not sure if she’s ever sang the song before, but she came at it like someone still feeling their way around it and trying to be comfortable in it, and she just never quite got there.

(“Drift Away,” Dobie Gray) Jordan smartly slid back to his comfort zone with this rock classic (though we’re not sure why Fleetwood Mac was so, so, so bad on Monday -- his trio partners, perhaps?). It was a competent vocal that felt really comfortable on him, but it lacked any sense of urgency. This is about connecting with live voters, and we’re not sure that was enough to make it happen. It was cool, but not particularly compelling.

(“Caught Up in the Rapture,” Anita Baker) As always, Dana knows how to deliver a flawless vocal, but we’re not at all sure that this ‘80s R&B classic was doing her any favors in a vocal competition. She has owned this stage time and again with powerful and meaningful performances, but this wasn’t it. It was technically stunning, but also a little sleepy and sleepy fingers don’t vote.

(“Someone You Loved,” Lewis Capaldi) Gihanna found a compelling break in her voice, helping to sell the utter devastation of this song’s story. This was one of her most connected performances all season, showing just how much she’s grown in her artistry in such a short time. She’s a very powerful and interesting young artist just finding herself. She really is a remarkable young talent.

(“Iris,” Goo Goo Dolls) When Corey sang, “I don’t want to go home right now,” we felt it. His voice was broken and so vulnerable in the opening lines, and then the pain really took hold as he pushed into his falsetto at the chorus. We’d have liked him to match his volume a bit in and out of falsetto, but it was still an emotionally powerful performance. It was clear how badly he wants this and how connected he was.

We love Dana as much as the next guy -- and apparently way more than America does -- but this was definitely not her strongest moment. Our Wild Card pick, though, really pulled it out when he needed to, delivering a stellar and emotional performance.

What really surprised us was that Gihanna really showed up to give him a run for his money. She’s young and fresh and exciting as a vocalist in a way that’s unpredictable at times. She also felt connected to her song -- though not as much. We still give the slightest edge to Corey, but way to show up, Gihanna.

So did America agree with our prediction, which we’re definitely doubling down on after these Insta-Save performances? They absolutely did not! Instead, it was classic rock for the win as Jordan Matthew Young moves on and gives Blake Shelton the advantage with two finalists in next week’s finale.

Next week, “The Voice” Season 20 wraps up with a two-part finale, Monday and Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.