Entertainment

Rob & Jeremy Battled Like Animals on 'The Voice'

by Jessica Molinari

The Voice contestants have been battling it out like animals — and Rob Taylor and Jeremy Gaynor are no exception. Coach Christina Aguilera challenged the two soulful singers with a modern hit by none other than fellow coach Adam Levine with Maroon 5. The contestants gave "Animals" an unexpected gospel twist — and it was pretty amazing. They tore up the stage and really made it a battle. But, as we know, only one can win. Taylor surprisingly edged out Gaynor with his incredible range and was named the winner, proving that Aguilera can make a good choice.

Going into the battle, I was pretty convinced Gaynor would be named the winner. His Blind Audition earned a four chair turn, and his background as the lead singer of the West Point band has given him plenty of experience. Gaynor's performance against Taylor was really strong — he showed the power of his deep voice and tore up the stage with strong moves and tons of emotion. But he couldn't compete with Taylor's incredible range, which is what ultimately sent him packing. If more coaches had their saves left, there's no doubt Gaynor would've been scooped up immediately. But, unfortunately, Pharrell was the only coach with a steal remaining, and he just didn't think Gaynor "came out of the jungle" enough to use it.

Aguilera made the right decision in choosing Taylor. Aside from his crazy amazing range — seriously, did you hear that run before the chorus?? — he has a soulful voice and stage presence for days. Taylor's voice still has plenty of room to grow, whereas Gaynor's had pretty much hit it's limit. Coach Christina can do a lot with Taylor and that definitely played into her decision. It was sad seeing Gaynor go — especially for my mom who had him pegged as the winner — but his kind words to Taylor after hearing the news prove to me that he'll be just fine.

Image: Tyler Golden/NBC