‘The Voice’ season 24 episode 24 recap: The Top 5 perform in ‘Live Finale, Part 1’ [Updating Live Blog]

Tonight on “The Voice,” the top five artists perform a ballad and an uptempo song in front of coaches Niall Horan, John Legend, Reba McEntire and Gwen Stefani. Viewers will have the chance to vote for their favorite artist overnight and the winner will be crowned live on Tuesday, December 19 on NBC.

The four-time Emmy Award-winning musical competition series returns with the strongest vocalists from across the country invited to compete in the show’s newest season, which premiered September 25 on NBC. The show’s innovative format features five stages of competition: Blind Auditions, Battle Rounds, Knockouts, Playoffs and Live Performance Shows. 

SEE Everything to know about ‘The Voice’ Season 24: Premiere date, coaches

Below, read our minute-by-minute “The Voice” recap of Season 24, Episode 24 to find out what happened Monday, December 18 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT. Then be sure to sound off in the comments section about your favorite artists on NBC’s long-running reality TV show, which coach you’re rooting for and who you think will ultimately join “The Voice” winners list for this 24th season. Carson Daly hosts the Emmy-winning program.

Keep refreshing/reloading this “The Voice” live blog for the most recent updates.

8:00 p.m. – “Previously on ‘The Voice’!” In episode 23, Lila Forde (Team Legend), Huntley (Team Niall), Ruby Leigh (Team Reba) and Mara Justine (Team Niall) were voted into the finale. Then, Team Reba’s Jacquie Roar roared through the instant save, claiming the fifth and final slot — eliminating Nini Iris (Team Niall), Bias (Team Gwen), Jordan Rainer (Team Reba) and Mac Royals (Team Legend). But enough about last week, it’s time to see who rises to the top in tonight’s “Live Finale, Part 1”!

8:04 p.m. – For tonight’s performances, Carson said that each finalist will perform twice: one ballad and one uptempo song. The showcase started with Jacquie’s uptempo track, “More Than a Feeling.” Gwen told Jacquie she’s happy that she’s still in the competition because she’s gotten “better and better and better.” Jacquie’s coach Reba thinks she “went big” with that opening performance, suggesting that she’s giving it all for finale night.

8:11 p.m. – Lila started her night with a different vibe from what she’s done before, taking on the midtempo “The Weight.” Gwen noted that Lila has “so much confidence” and “it’s easy for you.” She was hinting that Lila has something beyond what is presented on the show and that she’s rooting for her. John added that Lila adds “authenticity and musicality” and that she looks comfortable on stage because she’s where she’s supposed to be.

8:22 p.m. – The first ballad of the night came from Mara with “Turning Tables.” John called the performance “so striking and so beautiful” because she showed a different side to her voice with the subtle rasp. Niall reiterated that she’s shown so much growth in the competition and called tonight’s performance “a big ‘Voice’ moment.”

8:35 p.m. – The night continued with Huntley’s rendition of “Another Love.” Gwen told him he loved seeing him get so emotional with the song, but her favorite thing about him is how “effortless” he is as a performer. Niall thought he “killed it” and appreciates that he so consistently shows a different side of himself as an artist every week because that’s not easy to do.

8:46 p.m. – In a pause from the finale performances, season 22 winner Bryce Leatherwood stopped by to perform his latest single “The Finger.”

8:54 p.m. – For her uptempo song, Ruby chose the popular song “Suspicious Minds.” John called Ruby “so remarkable” because of the “heft, maturity and power” that is present in her voice. Reba echoed John’s sentiment and added that she was impressive in this performance.

9:06 p.m. – Jacquie made her return to the stage with the classic ballad “Nights in White Satin.” Gwen was left speechless by Jacquie’s vocal performance, saying that it “was great and then got better and better.” She was impressed by her breath control through the difficult song. Reba got emotional after hearing her dedications from her kids prior to the song and then thinks that Jacquie gave a wonderful performance to follow the package.

9:17 p.m. – The second performance from Lila was “Across the Universe.” Niall commented that Lila is always herself, which is one of the hardest things to do in music. He also said that she’s one of his favorite singer songwriters in the world currently and she’s “special.” John called the performance “heavenly, cinematic and transcendent.” He thought it was “exactly” what she needed to do for her final performance of the season.

9:30 p.m. – For her last show in the finale, Mara decided to sing the big rock song “Piece of My Heart.” Following a roaring standing ovation for Mara, Reba called her a “powerhouse” because she’s so talented with a slight “mischievousness” to her smile and confidence. She thought her ballad was great, but this uptempo song was fantastic. Niall agreed that Mara took it “out of the stratosphere” with the performance and called it the perfect cap to her season.

9:41 p.m. – Ruby closed her season out with the ballad “Desperado.” Gwen thought it was a really sweet moment seeing her family in the audience watching her perform that song so well and said that she “channels so well the intention of the song.” Reba called it “great song selection” and says that Ruby knows what she can do and she does it well.

9:51 p.m. – The last performance of the night was Huntley’s uptempo song choice “Higher.” Gwen thought the “nuances” of Huntley’s voice are incredible and hard for anyone at home to fully understand. John added that he performs like he’s already used to singing in arenas because he’s “such a pro.” Niall said he blew the roof off and that it was a “euphoric” performance.

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