“The Voice” Contestant Duron Breezes Into the Top 12

Dez Duron is feelin’ America’s love on NBC’s The Voice

Dez Duron

Following his impressive rendition of Hunter Hayes‘ No. 1 country song “Wanted” in the second installment of the show’s Playoff Rounds on Wednesday night, the 22-year-old Latino heartthrob was declared safe after receiving enough votes from the public to advance to the Top 12.

Duron and Sylvia Yacoub got the most public votes on Christina Aguilera’s team.

And when it came down to picking who else to send on to the Top 12, Aguilera had to choose between Latina singer Adriana Louise, Devyn Deloera and De’borah.

“Don’t let anyone or anyone’s opinion define who you are,” said Aguilera before revealing deciding to keep Adriana Louise.

Meanwhile, Team Adam member Bryan Keith Hernandez advanced to the next round after being one of the top two vote-getters, while  Melanie Martinez had to rely on her mentor to advance to the Top 12.

“No one is better than the other, I don’t believe that,” said Adam Levine before choosing Martinez over fellow Latina Joselyn Rivera and Loren Allred.

But Diego Val wouldn’t be so lucky… Cee-Lo Green opted to send Cody Belew on to the next round and send home Val and Mackenzie Berg.

And it was the end of the road for mariachi singer Julio Cesar Castillo. The member of Blake Shelton‘s was among the three at the bottom of the pack, but Blake Shelton decided to send Michaela Page forward instead of Castillo and Liz Davis.

Rivera “Kills It” During Her First Live “The Voice” Performance

In her quest to advance to the next round on The Voice, Joselyn Rivera has Lovato nothing on the stage…

During the first night of live shows on NBC’s singing competition on Monday, the 17-year-old Latina pop sensation performed Demi Lovato’s “Give Your Heart a Break” during the “Live Playoffs.”

Joselyn Rivera

“I love this song because it give you a chance to show your range,” said Rivera in her pre-performance clip.

Looking like a pop star in her one-shoulder hot pink dress, black ankle boots and red streaks in her hair, the member of Team Adam impressed the coaches with her rendition.

“You always deliver when you get on stage; you’re one of the people we can all count on to be great,” said Voice coach Blake Shelton. “You look good on a big stage like this; you look like a star!”

Christina Aguilera, Rivera’s former coach before Adam Levine stepped in to “steal” her away, complimented her former protégé on her performance.

“You were working the stage,” said Aguilera. “Your smile lights up the whole room!”

And Levine was nothing short of pleased with Rivera’s performance.

“I can’t tell you how proud I am sitting here and knowing what we talked about. And all the things we discussed you did [them] so incredibly well,” declared Levine. “You did an incredible job, I am so proud. You killed it!”

But Rivera will have to wait until Thursday to find out if she’s earned enough votes from the public to stay in the competition. And if she doesn’t, she’ll have to see if Levine will pick her to move forward from the remaining three members of his team.

Rivera Advances to the Live Shows on “The Voice”

It looks like Joselyn Rivera won’t be heading back to Miami anytime soon…

During Monday night’s episode of The Voice, the 17-year-old pop diva faced off against another Latina singer, Kayla Nevarez, in what proved to be a heated Knockout Round clash.

Joselyn Rivera vs. Kayla Nevarez

In the brand new addition to NBC’s singing competition, the coaches –Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, Christina Aguilera and Cee Lo Green – pit two of their team members against each other. The artists sing songs that they chose themselves, while their opponent watches on from the corner.

The former Team Christina member, who advanced after Adam Levine used one of his steals to keep her alive in the competition in the previous round, picked Beyonce’s “Love On Top” as her song to show her “high range and personality,” while the 17-year-old Nevarez chose V.V. Brown’s “Shark in the Water” for it’s “vibey” sound.

Following their inspired performances, Shelton believed Nevarez played it safe while Rivera took more risks with the song, including some ambitious runs.

Aguilera, Rivera’s former coach, seemed to have the biggest kudos for her former protégé.

“’Love On Top’ is a challenging glass of difficulty to swallow,” declared Aguilera. “It’s unbelievable… the range in that song, and you were hitting it.”

Green added that Rivera “did it with such grace and such confidence.”

In the end, it was up to Levine to decide which Latweena singing sensation to advance…

“I can’t think of a more ambitious song to choose,” Levine told Rivera. “You didn’t have to choose this song, so that says a lot to me. And you’re 17! So it’s just crazy. It’s a testament to your ability.”

And with that declaration, Levine chose Rivera to advance to the next round on The Voice.

“I’m super excited to move on to the live shows,” exclaimed Rivera. “And I’m just so grateful for this opportunity and to keep going. It’s just an honor to be here.

Rivera is “Steal” Alive on NBC’s “The Voice”

She may not have won the battle, but Joselyn Rivera can still win the war…

During Monday night’s episode of NBC‘s The Voice,  the 17-year-old Latina singer from Miami faced off against fellow contestant Sylvia Yacoub.

Joselyn Rivera vs. Sylvia Yacoub

Rivera and Yacoub, members of Team Christina, went head-to-head during their Battle Round bout by performing Beyonce’s “The Best Thing I Never Had.”

Following their hard-fought sign-off, Voice coach Cee Lo Green complimented Rivera on being “this little thing with a big voice.”

“You sounded so wonderful opening up this song,” said Green. “It’s like I’d never heard you. And, you really impressed me.”

Voice coach Adam Levine described Rivera’s performance as “amazing,” while coach Blake Shelton said Rivera’s smile “melted me.”

When it came down to picking a winner though, a torn Christina Aguilera picked Yacoub over Rivera, saying it was the Egyptian singer’s “fire” that ultimately swayed her vote.

But Rivera’s Voice journey was not over. Levine and Shelton both pressed the “steal” button, which allows the coaches to snatch up contestant who lose in the battle rounds.

After hearing both men plead their cases, Rivera ultimately picked Levine to serve as her coach moving forward.