'The Voice' Season 3 so far

I have really been enjoying season 3 of “The Voice,” but I have had some major problems with the judge’s choices during the battle and knockout rounds.

Too many of the match-ups resulted in some of the top talent on the show being eliminated and mediocre singers getting through. The judges would pair up two powerhouse vocalists, and someone amazing would be sent home. Then, they would pit two of the weakest singers remaining against each other, and I wished there was an option to send both home in favor of someone much better. This infuriated me last season, and I think there’s been even more mistakes made this time around. Michelle Brooks Thompson, Nicole Nelson, and Terisa Griffin should be in the top 20. I can’t wait to see the unworthy opponents get swiftly cut after the first live shows.

What I did like about the knockout rounds was that the contestants got to choose their own songs – and when it was obvious that the choice was a bad one, they rightfully suffered the consequences. Avery, who was excellent, decided to choose “Yeah 3x” by Chris Brown (points lost from the get-go, because Brown is the absolute worst) so that he could show off his dance moves. It’s called “The Voice,” man. It was painful to listen to and allowed Cody Belew to shine with his rendition of “Jolene,” a great song choice. Spunky Lady Gaga back-up singer Chevonne also didn’t do herself any favors with “Dancing by Myself.” Why do the participants on TV singing competitions keep making the fatal mistake of failing to choose a song that showcases their voices? There are three things that you need to keep progressing, as has been proven time and time again: the ability to sing, the right song choices and likability. If someone is slightly lacking in the first category, a powerful combination of the latter two can secure a win.

Now that we’ll down to the top 20, I’m wondering if there are enough spectacular singers to make the live shows as impressive as they were last year. Some of the performances were just jaw-dropping – especially when Juliet Simms knocked it out of the park with “Roxanne” and “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World.” I look forward to her solo album.

There are only a few stand-outs so far. As the live shows start Monday, the singers I’m looking forward to watching are Michaela Paige, Trevin Hunte, Amanda Brown, Cody Belew and Melanie Martinez.

I wasn’t sold on Melanie at first, but hers was one of the only two battles that stuck with me (Trevin vs. Amanda was the other one – definitely the best, most necessary use of the new “steal” option). In her audition, I rolled my eyes and ruled her out as another hipster, coffeehouse singer with two different hair colors; the color-blocked bangs, hair bows and puff-sleeved, peter pan-collared dresses make her look like the Mad Hatter’s modern daughter. Then her battle duet of “Lights” with Caitlin Michele so haunting and beautiful, I had to hear it again; after I started searching YouTube, I discovered how much I really enjoyed the sound of her voice. It’s definitely not the most powerful one in the competition but it’s unique, and her offbeat style makes her memorable. I could see her having a career ahead of her after this for those reasons.

Some of the other members of the top 20 aren’t memorable enough and they need change that if they want to stick around.

The live shows start Monday at 8 p.m. on NBC.