'The Voice' : RaeLynn, Tony Lucca Win Their Battles

With the teams of 12 in place, coaches Christina Aguilera, Blake Shelton, Adam Levine and Cee Lo Green faced tough decisions Monday night as The Voice‘s battle rounds began.

But they had help: Kelly Clarkson and Shelton’s wife Miranda Lambert assisted Team Blake; Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds and Ne-Yo advised Team Cee Lo; Alanis Morissette and Robin Thicke helped Team Adam; and Jewel and Lionel Richie guided Team Christina.

Levine picked U2’s “Beautiful Day” for Chris Cauley and former Mouseketeer Tony Lucca. Both singers were strong in battle. Cee Lo said Lucca “articulated the song a lot clearer.” Blake said he’d choose Cauley because his pitch was spot on. But Levine opted for Lucca saying, “Tony, you blow me away.”

Country girls Adley Stump and RaeLynn of Team Blake then sang Tom Petty’s “Free Fallin’.” Christina and Cee Lo leaned toward Stump’s powerful voice, maturity and confidence. But Shelton was drawn to RaeLynn’s ability to tell a story, saying she made him really believe what she was singing.

For the next battle, Christina paired two very different styles: opera singer Chris Mann and the untrained Monique Benabou performed Céline Dion‘s “The Power of Love.” In rehearsals, Jewel told Benabou to use her emotions to connect to the song and to show off her grit and raw talent. But in the end, Mann advanced. “You came and in here and represented yourself in a different light,” Christina told him.

Cee Lo paired dynamic vocalists Cheesa and Angie Johnson together for “Total Eclipse of the Heart.” Both singers wanted to turn up the pitch of the song but Johnson pushed it up to a range she could hit comfortably, but that would be a struggle for Cheesa. However, Both dominated during the performance and both hit that note. Cee Lo ultimately picked Cheese, sending Angie home.

Shelton’s rockers, Brian Fuente and Jordis Unga, were asked to perform Morissette’s “Ironic,” but both struggled with the song. Aguilera said it was “shaky and pitchy throughout.” But Blake chose Jordis. “There is something about her that is time bomb-ish,” he said. “I have a lot to prove,” Unga said. “That was a train wreck.”

Jesse Campbell and Anthony Evans sang Alicia Keys‘s “If I Ain’t Got You” for the evening’s final fight. Labeled “the heavyweight battle” of the night by host Carson Daly, the performance left Aguilera fanning herself and pondering her toughest decision so far. But Aguilera stuck with the man she said she’d “fight for” and advanced Campbell to the live shows, which begin April 2.

Next week: more battles when The Voice returns Monday (8 p.m. ET) to NBC.