Jack Austin Saved, Full List

Monday was a busy night for “The Voice,” which wrapped its Season 28 Battles and kicked off the Knockouts round all in the span of a two-hour broadcast. And yes, the coaches even got costume changes.

And leave it to “The Voice” to save the best for last. Monday’s episode featured what we’re officially dubbing the best Battle of the season between Dek of Harts and Jack Austin. The three-on-one musical melee was simply stunning, reestablishing both parties as ones to watch in the competition. We also had big feelings about the outcome, though we’re ultimately satisfied with the results.

Segueing into the Knockouts, host Carson Daly introduced a new “Voice” first: the Mic-Drop Button, which will enable each coach to nominate one of their Knockout winners for a performance slot at the Rose Bowl’s annual Rose Parade. (Saves and Steals are out the window now, but this’ll do!)

Read on for a complete breakdown of the results from Monday’s final Battles and first Knockouts, then vote for your favorite singer and drop a comment with your thoughts. Would you also have rioted if Michael Bublé didn’t save the “loser” of Niall Horan’s last Battle? And did you disagree with any of the coaches’ decisions?

With all respect to those involved in the decision making process, can we please retire this song from all music competition shows? It’s not even an exaggeration to say there’s an infinite number of songs one could choose to perform — so why does it always go back to Teddy Swims?! OK, rant over. Jerrell gave this one his best shot, bringing a pitch-perfect R&B voice and solid falsetto to the party, but Ralph’s win was a foregone conclusion from his first growl. Ralph turned up the intensity and emotions to 11 for this one, owning the song’s most climactic moments.

WINNER: Ralph Edwards (A)
ELIMINATED: Jerrell Melton (B+)

These two took very different approaches to this Crowded House classic, but when their voices came together, it was pure magic. We could have bathed in those glorious harmonies at the top of the song all day. Individually, Mr. Mustache brought a gentler vibe, sprinkling some tasty runs throughout a fairly even-keeled performance — not to mention a falsetto and voice break that Reba simply couldn’t resist. Shan’s deeper, more sultry take resulted in a rendition reminiscent of Miley Cyrus’ backyard session (if you know, you know). We have to say, we would have given this win to Shan, but Reba’s heart told her otherwise.

WINNER: Peyton Kyle (B+)
ELIMINATED: Shan Scott (A-)

Teo and Elias’ battle was this week’s blink-and-you-missed-it performance, and we’re not sure why. Their voices blended beautifully on this Lady Gaga/Bruno Mars ballad, delivering some really gorgeous harmonies. From the little we did see, however, Teo clearly took the ball and ran with it, stealing the spotlight on multiple occasions with some emotional belting.

WINNER: Teo Ramdel (A-)
ELIMINATED: Elias Gomez (B+)

A three-on-one battle could have been a total disaster, but not with these four actual angels at the mic. From its harmonious beginning to its raucous conclusion, this performance was pure joy. Obviously Dek of Harts had the advantage, both in numbers and possibilities, but we’ll be darned if Jack didn’t totally hold his own against the polished country trio. At times, he felt like its missing fourth member. Armed with boundless energy and a dreamy vibrato, Jack’s charisma was infectious, and he went all-out this time. The attitude? The little dance? We were really pulling for him to win against all odds, and although it wasn’t how we expected, we eventually got our wish. That was the best Battle of the season, no question.

WINNER: Dek of Harts (A+)
STOLEN BY BUBLE: Jack Austin (A+)

Aubrey set the tone for the Knockouts with a strong, grounded, emotional take on this Martina McBride ballad, with Aubrey’s big vocals perfectly matching the song’s uplifting, empowering vibe. We should also note that Aubrey’s performance brought Reba to tears, and while that does happen roughly once per episode, it’s still a feat that should come with a medal. A small one, at least.

Leyton, on the other hand, took a slightly more youthful approach to this Knockout, showing off her belting prowess on an upbeat Maren Morris jam. It was a perfectly solid performance, but Aubrey owned her song, and it was simply too difficult an act to follow.

WINNER: Aubrey Nicole (A)
ELIMINATED: Leyton Robinson (A-)

“Y’all ready?” Kenny asked before treating the audience to his silky-smooth falsetto. (We, in fact, were not!) He incorporated some moves into his performance to add a little spice, and even though they verged on hokey at times, Kenny’s solid vocals were always there to even the odds. And that falsetto howl (falsettowl?) was pretty fantastic.

Following his stunning turn earlier in the night, Ralph returned to the stage with another impressive performance. It started a little shaky, but once Ralph connected with the song, he was locked in with full emotion and soaring rock vocals, incorporating a bit of his natural rasp without going over the top. This also showed a more sensitive side to him as a performer, and a little versatility never hurt anybody.

WINNER: Ralph Edwards (A)
ELIMINATED: Kenny Iko (A-)

From those gorgeous low notes at the beginning to the song’s emotional climax, we were fully locked in to Sadie’s impressive take on this Sam Smith ballad. Exhibiting impressive control over her instrument, Sadie allowed her performance to grow organically, making the bigger moments all the more rewarding.

As for Ava, if you want immediate access to TVLine’s collective heart, just pick a musical theater classic. She nailed all of the parts of the song that “Grease” fans would expect, even if she did seem a bit nervous throughout. (Were we imagining that? We don’t think so.) We also wish she had ended on the traditional high note, but we have no major complaints otherwise.

WINNER: Sadie Dahl (A-)
ELIMINATED: Ava Nat (A-)