Here it is: one last night of The Voice blind auditions, and only four spots – one per team – left in season four. Who will make the final cut?
First, we have to see some obvious Kia product placement, before Carson arrives at Witzend – which all Voice fans know as a venue frequented by several artists including season two’s very awesome Justin Hopkins of Team Cee Lo – to chat with our first artist of the night. Apparently, our host is a fan of Mark Lennon’s band. Mark steps onto the stage with The Beatles’ “Come Together,” which as we know the coaches performed as a group number in this season’s premiere. But much to Carson’s disappointment, Mark doesn’t make the cut. At least he gets a nice compliment: Adam thinks that he sounds nineteen, when he’s more than twice that age.
Next up is Jacqui Sandell, who has the support of her bandmates as she pursues a solo career, not unlike what brought season three winner Cassadee Pope to the show. Jacqui’s take on Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams” draws Blake and Usher. Usher keeps his pitch simple, saying that he’d like to improve a few things but is happy he turned around. Blake gets a little more specific, then points out that both he and Jacqui have tattoos – an argunent which backfires when Adam reminds him that Usher has his own body ink. That doesn’t stop Jacqui from choosing Team Blake, though, filling the last spot on his squad.
Usher: You may have won the battle, but you have not won the war. And you’re a horrible dancer.
Amber Carrington is the third artist to sing, and has a bit of a problem because she’s a country artist, but the country coach just completed his team. Amber’s version of Carrie Underwood’s “Good Girl” isn’t quite as sassy as Adriana Louise’s from last season, but it’s good. Adam decides to push his button for her, and goes unchallenged, so Amber defaults to being the last member of Team Adam. That makes three country artists on Team Adam this season…that’s going to be something to see!
Blake: I hated seeing him get her, but I’m definitely going to keep my eye on Amber.
That means it’s down to the two new coaches to round out their rosters. Dustin Hatzenbuhler is the next singer up, and his performance of Michael Buble’s “Haven’t Met You Yet” doesn’t win him a spot. To be fair, though, he picked a really hard act to follow in Buble, who has one of the best voices in the business.
Following Dustin is another former background singer, Luke Edgemon, whose version of the classic “I Can’t Make You Love Me” earns him button pushes from both Usher and Shakira. That means it’s up to Luke whose team he wants to complete, and after Shakira points out that she was the first one to turn for him and then tries to imitate Usher’s posture, he joins Team Shakira.
Luke: Now it’s time to pass out.
Next is Jessica Childress, who’s given up a career in public relations to pursue her interest in music. Jessica’s rendition of “Marry You” gets Usher to push his button for the last time – after both Adam and Shakira tell him that he should do so. Usher’s so excited about his last pick that he’s encouraging the crowd and going so far as to stand up before his chair turns. It’s the obvious right call, and everyone knows it.
Adam:I want to marry her.
With all four open spots filled after just five performances, NBC makes the odd move of giving us a “sneak peek” at the upcoming battles. It’s pretty obvious filler, somewhat like the “best of the blind auditions” from last year, and it just feels strange given how audiences are so used to the strict segmentation of the series. If it’s about filling time, it seems like a wiser move would’ve been to show some of the blind auditions that were montaged in earlier episodes, and then the organization of the show would also stay intact.
Yet this teaser does show us a few intriguing things about the next phase of the competition. For one, Usher is all business – not to say that Cee Lo didn’t take things seriously, but Usher is most definitely not fooling around, as evidenced by how he’s not afraid to take two of his team members to task. The audience also gets a brief glimpse of each of the four new mentors. The one to watch should be Joel Madden, the mentor for Team Shakira, because he’s also got coaching experience from The Voice Australia. He’s been through the entire process as a coach and that gives him some knowledge the other mentors won’t have.
The teams are set and it’s time to start the fight for season four – see you next Monday for battle rounds!
For more on The Voice and its artists, you can visit BFTV’s dedicated The Voice blog, Big Red Chairs.
(c)2013 Brittany Frederick/Big Red Chairs. Excerpts appear at Starpulse and Examiner with permission. All rights reserved. No reproduction permitted. Visit my official website and follow me on Twitter at @bigredchairs.
There’s a lot going on in tonight’s fifth volume of The Voice blind auditions! The coaches have just 16 spots left on their four teams, and Adam Levine is about to be honored with a new award that he can soon produce any time Blake “just happens” to find his CMAs or ACMs or whatever else he has. Not to be outdone, Blake’s officiating Kelly Clarkson’s wedding, even as Kelly is about to tour with Maroon 5. It never ends with these coaches!
Our Fantastic Four are still on the lookout for more great singers. The search begins with golf cart-driving Jeff Lewis, who comes armed with Usher’s “U Got It Bad.” Cue the obligatory shot of Usher being pleasantly surprised by this song choice. He deliberates for a good, long while before pushing his button, after which Blake and Shakira decide that might also be a good idea. Although Blake doesn’t give himself much of a chance.
Blake: Let me just get my little thing in here, because I’m screwed. I know I am.
He’s right, because Jeff signs up with Team Usher. Following him is 45-year-old Shawna P, who seems to be living that phrase “you’re only as old as you feel.” She name-drops for a little bit before performing the Black Crowes song “She Talks To Angels,’ which appears to startle Shakira for a second, but that doesn’t stop the Latin superstar from pushing her button. Adam contemplates a nap, but then joins her. Shawna hears them talk about how rock and roll they both are before joining Team Shakira. At least Adam and Shakira hug it out afterward.
We move to St. Louis to meet coffeehouse singer Caroline Glaser, who steps onto the Voice stage with Elton John’s “Tiny Dancer.” Adam recognizes the song immediately, as it’s one of his favorites. While he’s completely Zen with the music, Blake and Shakira hit their buttons for Caroline, making this a two-coach battle. Blake continues his habit of trying to convince contestants he has everything in common with them. Shakira whips out the word diaphanous. Caroline decides to sign up with Team Blake. Afterward, the coaches debate whether or not Blake plants people in the audience to yell his name.
Next up is Cameron, who tells us that he can do just about everything in the music business, before declaring that he’s going to sing “As Long As You Love Me” by Justin Bieber. We’ve already seen Vedo have success with a Bieber cover, so will Cameron be able to do the same? He seems a little more invested in his footwork; Adam makes a point of noting that he’s dancing. No one turns around for Cameron, with several of the coaches bringing up that his performance was more about his moves rather than his sound.
Usher: You have to put in the work to manage both. It’s about finding the balance, because it’s really based off of the voice first.
Following this is Michael Austin, who you probably don’t want to get on the bad side of, because he’s also a deputy sheriff. Speaking as someone who almost joined my local sheriff’s department before I got my first big writing gig, I wholeheartedly approve of this guy. Michael’s cover of “Someone Like You” draws Adam’s approval, followed by Shakira. Blake doesn’t buzz in because he thinks it’s pitchy, but Adam doesn’t care. In fact, he ribs Blake quite a bit for not chiming in. Although Shakira can yodel, Michael joins Team Adam, giving the Maroon 5 front man two country artists on his roster.
Coming up next is Sasha Allen, who’s sung backup for Christina Aguilera as well as Alicia Keys (wonder if she knows Jermaine Paul?). She wants to work with Shakira and Usher, calling Blake and Adam “the farthest from what I do.” She’s singing the Dixie Chicks’ “Not Ready To Make Nice,” and draws the attention of all four coaches. Adam immediately begins pleading his case, while saying some really nice things about The Voice, too:
Adam: This show changed my life. I was a cynic. It brought back the joy to music.
Then there’s Usher giving a Presidential-esque speech about fighting for the talent on his team.
Blake: I’m Usher, and I approve this message.
Despite her earlier statement, Sasha decides to become a member of Team Adam. That ought to make her friend Amanda Brown, who was one of Team Adam’s finalists from Season 3, very happy. If you’re keeping score at home, Team Adam is loaded this season with four-chair artists – Sasha, Sarah Simmons, Midas Whale and Judith Hill, who remains the frontrunner for season four.
That’s a tough act to follow, but Matt Cermanski has to do it, with Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream” no less. Carson is surprised by the song choice, saying that it’s either going to be the greatest decision of Matt’s life or hurt him. Hey, if Kris Thomas can sing Whitney Houston… But Matt’s performance lacks the vocal ability of Kris’s, and he goes home empty-handed, while the coaches specifically call out his song choice as a contributing factor to his departure.
After NBC tries to compare The Voice to its new matchmaking series Ready for Love, leaving us scratching our heads, we get another montage. Jamila Thompson joins Team Usher, Amy Whitcomb becomes the newest member of Team Adam (after being a member of Delilah on NBC’s The Sing-Off), and Justin Rivers and Michelle Raitzin sign up with Team Blake. You’ll have to wait for the battle rounds to get to know them.
Mary Miranda (not to be confused with Janetza) arrives next and her version of Selena’s “Como La Flor” immediately wakes up everyone in the room. Since she’s singing in Spanish, we get to watch the camera hover over Shakira for half of Mary’s audition. Shakira does the right thing and hits her button, while Blake and Usher decide to go in together, which causes Shakira to curse.
Blake: She’s really good, but I don’t understand anything she’s saying. But then it dawned on me, nobody can understand anything I say, either.
Wisely, Mary picks Shakira. She’s followed by Memphis native Grace Askew, who blinds us all with her chrome guitar. That aside, her version of Nancy Sinatra’s “These Boots Are Made For Walkin’” perks up Blake almost right away, and he is not happy when Shakira decides to challenge him. Usher and Adam smartly decide to stay out of the fight, which proves to be a good idea as Blake starts clapping and yelling excitedly.
Adam: And you had a lot of coffee this morning.
After Blake professes his love, Grace picks him as her coach. Blake’s so excited about this that he’s even yelling on Twitter. After Grace is Cincinnati native Jane Smith, who crushes us all by telling us both of her parents were diagnosed with cancer. Although her father has passed on, her mother is in remission and present to cheer Jane on as she performs “You’ve Got The Love.” Unfortunately, with space at a premium, she doesn’t earn any button pushes, but the coaches encourage the 18-year-old artist to keep working and come back for another attempt.
There’s the next montage of similarly unlucky folks before one last audition. That’s Ryan Innes, who likes to play with the set decorations and whose version of “Gravity” gets all four coaches to want him on their teams. After hearing all the pitches, which include Blake comparing his turning around to one of those epic movie reunions where couples run toward each other and Adam offering to kick him in the stomach, Ryan signs on with Team Usher.
At the end of the evening, with the Adam Levine Expletive Counter still holding at 2, Team Adam has 11 members, Team Blake 11, Team Shakira 11 and Team Usher 11. That means there’s only room for four more artists as we go into tomorrow night. I’ll see you Tuesday to uncover who gets those chairs to spin for the last time!
For more on The Voice and its artists, you can visit BFTV’s dedicated The Voice blog, Big Red Chairs.
(c)2013 Brittany Frederick/Big Red Chairs. Excerpts appear at Starpulse and Examiner with permission. All rights reserved. No reproduction permitted. Visit my official website and follow me on Twitter at @bigredchairs.
The rosters are halfway full as we finish the second week of The Voice. Adam has 6 of his 12 artists, Blake 5 of 12, Shakira 7 of 12 and Usher 6 of 12. This has traditionally been the time when the coaches start to get more choosy, guarding their rosters so that they’re not out of the game when someone fantastic comes along. Is that shift going to happen tonight?
As our coaches arrive, with Blake toting one of his many pointy awards and Adam grasping his ever-present coffee (you’d need it too if you were doing two concert tours and a TV show in the same year), we meet Audrey Karrasch, a one-time model who calls herself “obsessed with music.” That makes her at least the second former model to appear on The Voice (see: Erin Martin). Audrey’s version of Jessie J’s “Price Tag” immediately turns Blake’s chair, and Blake is not happy when Usher decides to go in, too. When Adam starts to make a quip about Blake, Audrey cuts him off.
Audrey: You didn’t even turn around. Why do you care?
This dismissal wins her brownie points with Blake, but after very little discussion, Audrey abruptly announces that Usher is her coach. Adam asks Blake how it feels to have his ass handed to him.
Second to sing is Brandon Roush (not to be confused with Superman Returns actor Brandon Routh), who not only has a band but also teaches music to kids with autism. Brandon chooses The Beatles’ “With A Little Help From My Friends,” which Team Adam covered so very well in the first season. Shakira is the only coach to turn for Brandon, so he defaults to her team. Adam and Blake are surprised by Brandon’s appearance.
Adam: He looks like he’s in Megadeth. That’s awesome.
The third artist up is street musician Betsy Barta, who sings Adele’s “Set Fire To The Rain.” There really needs to be a moratorium on Adele songs on this show, unless Adele herself shows up. Her songs have been done quite a few times – Erin Willett and Kim Yarbrough both come to mind, and Betsy’s version isn’t comparable to either of theirs. Usher is the first coach of the season to utter the line about looking for something “very specific,” which means the coaches are getting more picky. At least Betsy gets a hug from Adam on the way out. Her failed audition leads into the montage of several other unlucky singers.
Can Patrick Dodd make a better impression? The dude with dreadlocks from Memphis sings, appropriately, Marc Cohn’s classic “Walking In Memphis,” and does a wonderful job of it. Half the people in the audience have probably never heard this song before, but it doesn’t matter. Shakira emphatically slams on her button, and Adam follows right behind her. The two of them compare themselves in front of their prospective artist.
Shakira: Never underestimate the five-foot-three Colombian woman. Adam: Never underestimate a six foot tall white boy from L.A.
Like many artists before him, Patrick decides to make this crucial decision by gut instinct, and signs up with Team Adam. We then briefly meet Trevor Davis, who joins Team Blake, and C. Perkins of Team Shakira. Agina Alvarez comes back after her unsuccessful audition in Season 3, sings a Shakira song, and ends up on Team Adam. Seriously, why can’t NBC just show all the performances by now?
Escaping the montage treatment is Orlando Dixon and his take on Ne-Yo’s “So Sick,” which prompts the camera to hover on Usher since he’s also an R&B artist. Just before Orlando finishes his last line, Usher decides to push his button, making Orlando an automatic member of Team Usher. This blows his mind, since he grew up listening to Usher, whom he refers to as his idol. Congratulations, Orlando!
There’s just one artist left tonight, and that’s Savannah Berry, who once sang with Sugarland. Savannah’s take on Taylor Swift’s “Safe and Sound” draws Adam, Shakira and Blake, in that order. But Savannah’s wearing cowboy boots, so you know what that means. She cites both Miranda Lambert and Adam as two of her musical influences, so take that as you will. Shakira thinks Adam and Blake might be almost deaf after three prior seasons. Blake name-drops like nobody’s business, before suggesting that he and Miranda might adopt Savannah, causing Adam to faceplant the front of his chair.
Adam: Blake, she doesn’t need parenting. She needs coaching.
But Savannah’s not listening. Like almost every other country artist, she joins Team Blake. Blake didn’t even have to pull out his latest pointy award.
The final totals are in, and they are Team Adam 8, Team Blake 7, Team Shakira 9 and Team Usher 8. The Adam Levine Expletive Counter stands firm at 2. See you next week for even more chair-turning action!
For more on The Voice and its artists, you can visit BFTV’s dedicated The Voice blog, Big Red Chairs.
(c)2013 Brittany Frederick/Big Red Chairs. Excerpts appear at Starpulse and Examiner with permission. All rights reserved. No reproduction permitted. Visit my official website and follow me on Twitter at @bigredchairs.
First to hit the stage are The Swon Brothers, who like any good siblings, rib each other constantly through their before-audition interviews. They perform “American Girl,” which incites a burst of air drumming (and a little singing along) from Adam, but it’s Shakira who is first to hit her button, followed shortly by Blake and then Usher. The duo’s being from Oklahoma immediately makes them Blake’s to lose, if he’d stop making up lame words. (Watch Adam facepalm.) The guys make the obvious choice and sign up with Shelton. Between The Swon Brothers, The Morgan Twins and Midas Whale, might this be the season we see a duo make some headway on The Voice?
Blake: When Shakira said ‘Let’s have some fun together,’ I thought I was screwed.
Next up is former gymnast turned singer Taylor Beckham, whose version of “I’m Going Down” draws Usher’s attention within the first minute. Shakira decides to come in as well, meaning that it’s a battle of the new coaches this time around. While we find out that Shakira is pretty flexible, Adam chimes in to say that he’s never seen Usher so excited. Indeed, Usher is sitting there with fingers crossed, on the edge of his big red chair like a kid hoping for the big present on Christmas.
Blake: Adam’s not helping you, Shakira. Shakira: No, he’s not. I’ll deal with him later.
Unsurprisingly, Taylor selects Usher as her coach, leaving Shakira to warn Adam that she’ll be watching him from now on. Sam Alves is the third singer to perform, and his version of “Feeling Good” isn’t as great as Dez Duron’s in Season 3, but it impresses Carson. Unfortunately, Carson doesn’t have a button to push. Sam goes home empty-handed, except for a farewell hug from Shakira, but repeats his belief that everything happens for a reason.
The next artist is Karina Iglesias, a vocal teacher determined to make her grandmother proud. Adam dares Blake to push his button before Karina even starts singing, but Karina’s version of Melissa Etheridge’s “I’m The Only One” instead has Blake yelling at Adam to “push your goddamn button.” Adam finally does at the last possible second, but unfortunately for him, so does Blake.
Adam: That was the most stressful thing I’ve ever gone through in my life.
Shakira also mentions stress as the reason why she didn’t push her button, and publicly wants to know what’s wrong with herself. Adam talks about how he thought Karina’s performance might make the light fixtures explode. As the discussion continues, we find out that Blake is the only person on the panel who doesn’tknow at least a little Spanish. This may be his downfall, because Karina joins Team Adam. At least Adam and Blake hug it out afterward…although Blake has a hard time letting go.
The next artist called is Garrett Gardner, a returning hopeful who didn’t make the cut in season 3, and is back to show that he’s learned from the criticism he received, which is entirely possible (see: Dez Duron, Daniel Rosa, etc). Garrett’s version of The White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army” isn’t as awesome as Jamar Rogers’ was, but just when it looks like Garrett is going home empty-handed again, Shakira steps in to take him for her team. Adam recognizes Garrett and is thrilled to see him back, telling him that his late father is looking down with pride. Adam Levine, The Voice morale officer.
Adam: You’re so much stronger than you were.
Garrett thanks Blake for his comments from the previous season and is glad to finally make a team. Then we get into the much-hated montage of successful auditions, where we meet J. Sun, who also joins Team Shakira, Duncan Kamakana of Team Adam, and Chelsea M, who punches her ticket to Team Usher. That’s three artists with a combined 39 seconds of screen time, and as of yet, their full blind auditions are also not available on The Voice‘s YouTube channel with the other successful performances. This montage happens every season, and it remains the most frustrating thing about the blind audition phase of competition.
Stepping to the microphone after the montage is Holly Tucker, who hopes to break out from the Baylor marching band with her version of “To Make You Feel My Love.” Holly might love country music, but she earns button pushes from Adam, Shakira and Usher almost immediately. Adam so wonders what Blake’s deal is that he stands on his chair to point at him, and this convinces Blake to jump in, too.
Adam: Those cowboy boots scare me, though. They only mean one thing – gotta fight Blake.
As if to prove Adam’s point, Blake breaks out his finger-pointing before Usher can even really start talking. While the guys play “look how similar we are,” Shakira suggests that she would be the adventurous choice. Adam then points out that he had to “prod” Blake to turn his chair around. That doesn’t seem to matter, though, because Holly picks Blake as her coach anyway. Afterward, Adam admits to Usher that country artists are “almost never” stolen from Blake. He’s just that good?
After another montage of failed auditions, meet Landon Medvec, who like many before him is hoping that he can get the break that will allow him to leave a “day job” and become a musician. His rendition of James Morrison’s “You Give Me Something” has Blake questioning his gender, and he’s not the only one. After the audition ends without any chairs turning, Usher admits that he also thought Landon was a girl.
Adam: I get it all the time, so don’t worry about it.
Michelle Chamuel proves that appearances can be deceiving with her fierce version of Katy Perry’s “I Kissed A Girl.” Adam wants her on his team almost immediately, and Shakira joins him less than a minute later, so they’ve got a front-row seat to Michelle singing like it’s the last song she’s ever going to perform. Usher crashes the party at the last second, making it a three-way contest to land Michelle, who calls all of them “amazing humans.” Blake is disappointed not to be included in that, which makes this happen:
Usher: He’s not a human. He’s an alien. Blake: He’s a sasquatch. Adam:That’s what it is! Usher: I was thinking more snuffleupagus.
Discussion about Shelton’s species (and a commercial for the Honda Civic Tour, and Carson Daly randomly plugging NBC’s new show Hannibal) aside, Michelle declares that “for some reason,” she’s going with Usher. That comes as a surprise to everyone other than her, but as long as she’s happy, that’s what matters.
Following Michelle is Julie Roberts, and if you think she looks familiar, you’re not wrong. Julie has a gold record under her belt and, as we see in her reel, once appeared on Jay Leno. However, after the failure of her second album, she lost her deal – and if that wasn’t bad enough, her family lost their house and she was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. Yeowch. Julie makes the ballsy decision to sing Blake’s hit song “God Gave Me You,” but it has much less energy to it than the original, and she fails to draw any interest. Blake recognizes her immediately, however, and profusely apologizes.
Blake: I’m still sick to my stomach over this.
While Julie decides to get a glass of wine, brightly-colored former child star Monique Abbadie arrives with Shakira’s “Loca,” and showing off the picture she took with Shakira at one of her concerts years earlier. Once Monique starts singing, Shakira immediately pulls her shocked face, while Blake slams his button despite his previously established language barrier. Shakira and Usher jump in simultaneously, while Adam appears to push his button just because everyone else has, throwing up his hands after he does it. Everyone starts making arguments, except for Blake, who sees the writing on the wall.
Blake: I’m not going to waste everybody’s time. She’s picking Shakira. Now shut up.
Everyone promptly literally votes for Monique to pick Shakira, though Adam offers her a bribe if she’ll be so crazy as to select Blake. Surprising absolutely no one on the entire planet, Monique joins up with her idol.
The final performance of the night belongs to firefighter, father and country singer Warren Stone, who sings “Colder Weather.” He gets Adam to turn around before he’s through two sentences. The camera hovers on Blake, but it’s Shakira who’s next to spin. Finally, as Warren nears the end of his 90 seconds, Blake decides to enter the fray. Adam and Shakira are determined to finally wrest a country artist away from Blake by any means necessary, and Adam finally succeeds, convincing Warren to join Team Adam. Celebration ensues.
Adam: I was also really happy to watch Blake suffer.
As Carson launches into his night-ending recap, the numbers stand at Team Adam 6/12, Team Blake 5/12, Team Shakira 7/12 and Team Usher 6/12. Plus, Adam starts the Adam Levine Expletive Counter with his first two swear words of the season. Will that number rise with the next set of blind auditions? Tune in tomorrow to find out.
For more on The Voice and its artists, you can visit BFTV’s dedicated The Voice blog, Big Red Chairs.
(c)2013 Brittany Frederick/Big Red Chairs. Excerpts appear at Starpulse and Examiner with permission. All rights reserved. No reproduction permitted. Visit my official website and follow me on Twitter at @bigredchairs.
After last night’s much-hyped premiere, it’s time to find more promising singers for Season 4 of The Voice. Who will earn a spot this time around?
The second round of blind auditions begins with another country singer, Tawnya Reynolds, who’s been playing for more than a decade in Nashville but is in need of a breakthrough to further her career. Tawnya brings out “Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys,” and both Adam and Shakira warm to her near instantly. Even if it’s not quite as great as when Mother of the Bride covered the song on TBS’s Wedding Band. Since she is a country artist, though, the camera is obligated to keep landing on Blake. Our resident country artist doesn’t push his button, but he gets Usher to.
Usher: I mentor one of yours, you mentor one of mine?
Of the available coaches, Shakira calls herself the most country and Blake’s successor, to which Adam retorts that he’s in Blake’s will. Shakira responds by whipping out an English-to-Country Dictionary. It works: despite Blake pulling out the Justin Bieber card for Usher, Tawnya joins Team Shakira.
Following Tawnya is Josiah Hawley, the son of a jazz pianist, who takes the risk of singing Maroon 5′s “Sunday Morning” in front of Adam Levine. Sometimes singing a coach’s song works (see: Devyn DeLoera), sometimes it doesn’t. Adam is thrilled at the song choice, so perhaps just to spite him, Blake pushes his button for Josiah first. Even after Usher goes in, Adam’s still deliberating whether or not he likes this version, and you really can’t blame him, considering he knows this song better than anyone. Finally, Adam decides he’s pleased, and turns his chair, giving Josiah three coaches to choose from.
Adam: So, you chose ‘Sunday Morning,’ which is my song. Anyone that loves and appreciates what we do, and comes out and does it for us, is bold.
Blake’s pitch is to compliment Josiah’s hair and try to imitate it. Usher, when he’s done snickering at that, offers a much better argument, which persuades Josiah to sign up with Team Usher. Usher gets further props for making a Flock of Seagulls reference on Twitter. Adam is understandably disappointed. You can rewatch Josiah’s audition at the end of this article.
The Idaho folk duo Midas Whale (say it out loud if you don’t get it) arrives next in truly goofy fashion. If these guys don’t make it as musicians, they’ve got a second career as comedians. Much to the surprise of everyone, including the pair themselves, their performance of Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues” draws all four coaches. Blake advises them that picking anyone other than him might ruin the rest of their lives. Shakira breaks out her Spanish. Usher tries to break out his Spanish, then resorts to the most common argument on The Voice, the “I was the first person to turn” line. Adam keeps things brief, just saying that he thinks they’re great. Midas Whale declares for Team Adam. It’ll be interesting to see how Adam coaches a duo, as they’ll be his first.
While there’s lots of celebrating backstage, it’s time for Abraham McDonald, who’s already kind of won at life because he won a karaoke contest on Oprah. His version of Beyonce’s “Best Thing I Never Had” marks the second time in two nights we’ve had a man singing a woman’s song, but nobody’s as shocked by Abraham as they were by Kris Thomas performing Whitney Houston. In fact, Abraham strikes out, with Usher calling it “a bit shaky,” but he takes the rejection in stride.
Cathia is the next artist to take the stage, deciding to sing in her native Spanish (hey, we saw Julio Cesar Castillo make it work last season, and Chris Mann sang opera before that!). Usher turns his chair for her, followed by Shakira and then Blake. Wisely, Cathia joins Team Shakira.
The final artist of the night is Sarah Simmons, who performs Joan Osborne’s “One of Us” and gets all four coaches to want her on their team. With Sarah signing onto Team Adam, Adam has so far snagged three four-chair-worthy artists, and Blake has the other one (the Morgan Twins).
At close of business, it’s Team Adam 3/12, Team Blake 3/12, Team Shakira 4/12, and Team Usher 3/12. For those of you who don’t like math, that means our coaches are at least 25% of the way to completing their rosters in the first week of auditions. Is that a good sign or a bad one? Only time (and whatever talent comes next) will tell…see you next Tuesday!
For more on The Voice and its artists, you can visit BFTV’s dedicated The Voice blog, Big Red Chairs.
(c)2013 Brittany Frederick/Big Red Chairs. Excerpts appear at Starpulse and Examiner with permission. All rights reserved. No reproduction permitted. Visit my official website and follow me on Twitter at @bigredchairs.
Welcome back to The Voice. It’s time for another round of singing and competitive banter, this time with some much-ballyhooed new folks along for the ride.
As is par for the course by now, we open Season 4 with a coaches’ performance. It’s The Beatles’ “Come Together,” featuring Blake Shelton and Usher on guitars and vocals, Shakira bringing her own voice, and Adam Levine drumming his heart out. Appropriate song choice is appropriate, and this foursome sounds pretty good together, too, as you’d expect them to. One of The Voice‘s few disappointments is that you cannot obtain the coach performances on iTunes, outside of duets with their team members. If you could, this would be climbing the charts like nobody’s business. (You can watch it again at the end of this recap.)
But this show isn’t about the coaches, it’s about the artists, so let’s find some, shall we? We need to find forty-eight new singers – twelve for each team (down from the sixteen of Season 3, back to the same quota from Season 2). First up are the Morgan Twins from New York, who say they “do everything together,” including dressing alike. Their rendition of Alicia Keys’ “Fallin’” immediately draws the attention of both Usher and Blake, while Adam and Shakira turn their chairs a little later on. “Is this really happening right now?” Blake asks. “This is a dream come true for most men.” The ladies have their choice of coaches, and despite saying in their pre-audition package that they’d be excited to work with Usher, they sign up with Team Blake, despite Blake’s slightly flawed argument.
Adam: Blake basically just said ‘I have a wife and you’re sisters, therefore we’re alike.’
The Maroon 5 front man wastes no time ribbing Blake about how his wife might take this development, showing that the epic Adam-Blake banter has not dulled one iota since we saw them last.
Next, the show travels to Austin, Texas to meet Jess Kellner, who’s balancing her musical aspirations with her hairdressing career. Jess talks about her difficult relationship with her mother, who is a recovering alcoholic, and the support she received from her stepmother. Jess’s performance of the classic “Can’t Help Falling In Love,” with a unique sound to her voice somewhat like Xenia Martinez from Season 1, almost immediately catches the ears of Shakira and Usher. Adam’s just excited to watch the new coaches fight each other, although Shakira interrupts him, much to Blake’s glee.
Blake: By the way, you’re losing. Adam: That’s true.
Jess decides to join Team Usher, which prompts a mock pout from a disappointed Shakira. After a brief skit (because it does come off as obviously scripted) with Usher, Shakira and Blake wanting to plot against Adam, it’s time to meet Mark Andrew, who’s lost two members of his band and is now dedicating his audition performance to them. He comes out with Bob Dylan’s “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door.” Adam turns for Mark fairly quickly, followed by Shakira. Adam pulls out the “I won one year” card, but Mark thinks his wife won’t forgive him if he doesn’t pick Shakira, so he becomes the first member of Team Shakira.
Next up is Janetza Miranda, who’s got dance moves and bird calls, but whose version of “Titanium” doesn’t turn any chairs. She sounds just a little too much like Sia, if Sia was belting every possible note. Janetza takes rejection really hard, and it doesn’t take her long to freak out, causing Adam to leave his chair, come up on stage, give her a hug and tell her everything is going to be okay. Blake calls the rendition “a little too dramatic” but encourages Janetza to come back for another attempt, and Usher reaffirms that “this isn’t the end for her.” It’s another heartwarming moment in Voice history, also reminding those of us playing at home why this show is unlike any other of its kind.
Carson reminds everyone that Adam is waiting for his first pick, and then we meet 16-year-old country singer Danielle Bradbery. Danielle’s rendition of Taylor Swift’s “Mean” earns button pushes from Usher, Blake and Adam, in that order. Blake is very unhappy with having competition, and equally shocked to find out that this is Danielle’s first major performance. Meanwhile, Shakira calls herself stupid for being the only one not to turn around.
Usher: I would feel stupid too if I were you.
Adam and Blake debate if Taylor Swift is really a country artist, only for Usher to drop the Justin Bieber bomb (if you didn’t know, he’s credited with discovering Bieber), which causes Adam to stop arguing with Blake and start laughing.
Adam: Are you bribing her with Justin Bieber tickets?!
Then we learn that Usher didn’t do so well in geography.
Usher: …Nashville is a state. Adam: It’s a city. Blake: (after Usher tries to keep talking) I’m still fascinated by Nashville being a state. Usher: …Tennessee. Blake: And he’s from there. Adam:(laughing) It’s one of the 60 states.
Once everyone calms down, it’s decision time for Danielle, who makes the right choice and signs up with Team Blake. Setting aside her genre, it’s a perfect pick given Blake’s talent for mentoring the younger artists (see: Xenia, RaeLynn). As Blake celebrates his victory by trying to dance, Usher isn’t afraid to make fun of himself a little bit more.
Let’s meet Vedo, who talks about how he’s glad to see Usher given that he’s singing Justin Bieber’s “Boyfriend,” but then turns serious when he reveals that his mother is dying of cancer. He almost passed on his audition to stay home and take care of her, but she insisted that he go for the opportunity, and in fact she’s in attendance to watch his performance. Vedo only gets one chair to turn, but it’s the right one. He joins Team Usher.
Particularly sharp Voice fans will already have seen this next blind audition, which was also leaked before tonight: it’s bar musician Christian Porter, looking to make that jump to the next level of his career, and doing an incredibly different arrangement of LMFAO’s “Sexy and I Know It.” This is not as novel as, say, Chris Cauley’s version of Bruno Mars’ “Grenade” from Season 2. It does, however, get Shakira to make a hilarious face just before she pushes her button. After the guys laugh at each other for awhile, Blake finally decides to join Shakira, and Usher gives in too, making Adam the lone holdout. The Grammy winner quips that he thought it was possible he was listening to something non-human.
Adam: I think I was just perplexed because it was so unique and different, and maybe I’m just not ready for it.
Christian elects to go for Team Blake, putting the defending champion ahead in the “number of artists collected” tally. After a completely needless break for the lovely Christina Milian to tell us things we already know, it’s time for our first montage of people who were not lucky enough to make the cut.
If you weren’t depressed by that montage, it’s followed by 15-year-old Leah Lewis, who credits her father as her major musical influence and wants to be successful so that he doesn’t have to work as he gets older. Her rendition of Carrie Underwood’s “Blown Away” doesn’t earn any turnarounds, though, and the coaches tell Leah that she just needs more time and practice, with Adam encouraging her to keep at it as she leaves. Leah needs a second afterward, but who can blame her? Thankfully, there’s a commercial break afterward so we can all take a moment to cheer up.
Kris Thomas arrives, explaining how he had “creative differences” with label executives that caused him to lose a record deal, and ended up in a bad state. He snapped to his senses after passing out at the wheel and nearly driving into someone’s house, and now he’s determined to earn a second chance. Kris proves that a guy can sing Whitney Houston’s “Saving All My Love For You.” Shakira is the only one to turn around for him, but everyone seems surprised that this is not a woman. While this is treated as a huge shocker, it’s worth noting this isn’t the first time one of the coaches has mistaken a male artist for a female one (see: Tim Mahoney), although it’s definitely impressive that a guy can pull off a selection by one of the biggest female singers of all time.
Next we meet James Irwin. He has another sad story, talking about how he and his wife lost twins before successfully giving birth to a son. Can we stop making people cry on camera? Anyway, James’ version of The Script’s “The Man Who Can’t Be Moved” doesn’t get anyone’s attention. Adam calls his performance “a little bit subdued” and Shakira suggests that he deserves to come back next season.
The final performer of the night is the one Voice fans met last week: Judith Hill, who worked briefly with Michael Jackson and performed at his memorial service. One hopes she won’t be constantly associated with him the way that Jermaine Paul was regularly referred to as Alicia Keys’ backup singer. All four chairs turn around for Judith’s version of “What A Girl Wants” (one wonders what Christina would have thought!). Adam climbs the furniture to give her a standing ovation, says she did the song as well as Christina, and makes an awesome declaration, saying that he’s “going to claw everyone’s face” to become her coach, and if that’s not enough…
Adam: I am going to light myself on fire to make sure.
This seems to work, because Judith becomes the first member of Team Adam Season 4. For his part, Blake is just disappointed that she doesn’t make Adam light himself on fire. Adam, for his part, declares that he can go home and faux-makes to leave before sitting back down.
With that, chapter one of season four is in the books. At the end of the night, it’s Team Adam 1/12, Team Blake 3/12, Team Shakira 2/12, and Team Usher 2/12, and the Adam Levine Expletive Counter sits at a surprising 0.
There are a lot of good things to say about this first look at Season 4. The new coaches mesh perfectly with the old ones, and their arrival has eliminated the moments of tension that were obvious in Season 2 and even a little in Season 3, as well as some of the things that could occasionally get distracting, like the flirtatious comments toward artists. That’s helped put the focus more completely on the competition. It also seems like the pacing of the show itself has slowed down, which is fantastic. Season 3 sometimes felt rushed, like the decision to go to two cycles a year disjointed the production, but this is more like the Voice of old.
If there’s any criticism to be had of this premiere episode, it’s in the editing. By now, it’s not really a secret that the pre-taped portions of the competition are not shown in the same order in which they were filmed. This is a fairly common practice in reality TV, so that’s not a big deal. But the editing in this case is particularly obvious, and made moreso by the voiceovers. It’s eyebrow-arching enough to arrange the episode so it looks like Adam Levine can’t land anyone for his team (which, by the way, also happened to Adam in season two), but to have Carson continually remind the audience of Adam’s apparent misfortune before every blind audition is just too much. There’s enough suspense in this show without having to manufacture more.
And while sneak peeks and previews have been around since forever, the decision to make the night’s best audition the one you choose to reveal early is a bit of a head-scratcher. It certainly built hype for the season, but it also seemed to take the air out of the end of the episode.
Having said that, this is a tantalizing first look at what could be a very strong season for The Voice. Although the enjoyment is dampened somewhat by the fact that eagle-eyed Voice fans already saw the best audition of the night when NBC released it last week, there’s still enough here to make you curious about what comes afterward. It’s important to remember that the talent level of each season isn’t so much judged by the artists’ blind auditions, but by how they develop over the course of the competition. Most of the best Voice artists didn’t start out as our favorites; they became great. We won’t likely know how strong season four is for a few weeks yet…but this is a solid start.
The Voice continues tomorrow night at 8 PM ET/PT on NBC.
For more on The Voice and its artists, you can visit BFTV’s dedicated The Voice blog, Big Red Chairs.
(c)2013 Brittany Frederick/Big Red Chairs. Excerpts appear at Starpulse and Examiner with permission. All rights reserved. No reproduction permitted. Visit my official website and follow me on Twitter at @bigredchairs.
I want to preface this editorial by saying that I love The Voice. I’m one of the show’s five biggest fans, and that’s not going to change anytime soon. Yet there have been some choices as far as the editing of the episodes that I haven’t agreed with. The decision not to show the battlesbetween Celica Westbrook/Lisa Scinta and Charlie Rey/Rudy Parris in their entirety during last night’s installment made me feel like I ought to address this issue and all of its ramifications.
Since the beginning, The Voice hasn’t shown parts of the competition due to time constraints. Up until Season 3, this meant that several successful blind auditions were cut down, including but not limited to Team Adam’s Casey Desmond in Season 1, Team Adam’s Nathan Parrett and Team Christina’s Ashley de la Rosa in Season 2, and Team Christina’s Lisa Scinta in Season 3. This has always struck me as unfair to both the artists and the fans. The artists’ auditions are good enough for a superstar coach to turn around, but not to show in full on TV? And how are the fans supposed to care about a singer that they barely get to meet?
Taking that philosophy into battle rounds compounds that mistake. Take, for example, the match between Celica and Lisa (pictured above). What if Lisa had won that battle? If she were able to reach the live rounds, she’d be depending on America’s vote to survive in the competition – but America would hardly know her, since they barely got to see her in either the blind audition or battle rounds. That’s what happened to Ashley de la Rosa last year – the public didn’t get to really know her until battles, and it took Christina saving her in live shows for us to see how talented she really was. By then, it was too late: she was eliminated the next time around anyway.
As it is, having been eliminated from the competition, Lisa’s post-Voice future isn’t helped by the total lack of exposure she received on the show. She got maybe two minutes of airtime. Her fans are disappointed that they didn’t get to see more of her, and how many new ones could she make with such a limited appearance, unless viewers actively sought out her download on iTunes or audition clip online (which many people don’t do)? Making it on the show at all is a great thing, but the show can do so much more for an artist just by showing their performances in full.
And then, of course, we get into how it must feel for a singer to accomplish something as awesome as making it on The Voice, only to find out that somebody’s determined their performance is only worth maybe thirty seconds. I don’t even want to know what that is like for the artists and their loved ones. If I was able to step on that stage and get Adam Levine to turn his chair, it’d be the biggest moment of my life, hands down. If I heard that was going to be reduced to a blip, I’d be crushed. These folks work and rehearse and worry for days over their auditions and battles – isn’t it the least we can do to show the results of all that effort?
There’s a certain bittersweet irony in that the show keeps getting bigger and bigger (so big, in fact, that many of us were raising the issue of the blind auditions being too long), and yet there’s still somehow not enough airtime to show the entire competition. I’m not unsympathetic to the demands of production – it must be a difficult balancing act to get rehearsal footage, the battle, and coach critiques/decisions edited down into one segment that’s less than twenty minutes – but knowing what’s riding on the finished product, the show owes it to the artists and their fans to try and do better.
I’d love to hear from the fans on this one. What do you think of the editing decisions on The Voice? If you want to see changes, what would you suggest? When you were watching the blind auditions, did you look up the artists that we didn’t see in full on the show? Or download their iTunes songs? Tell me how this affected you – and what your thoughts are.
We’re a quarter of the way through Season 3! Monday night was the final evening of blind auditions on The Voice, with each of the coaches looking for two more singers to fill out their sixteen-member teams.
With things winding down, things are really being edited to be as dramatic as possible. We have Adam’s “you’re the best singer we’ve ever had” soundbite in the opening package, when we know that he really said Gracia Harrison was the best country singer the show has ever seen. Then there’s Cee Lo saying he believes that the winner will come from Team Red Zone – if he’d said anything else, I’d be concerned. The show does have to hold people’s attention for two whole hours, but even so, the filler segments seem particularly obvious in this last installment.
Nathalie Hernandez is first up, with her version of Taylor Swift’s “White Horse,” and both Blake and Christina jump for her almost instantly. Blake gets upset when Adam pushes his button later. The battle for Nathalie is surprisingly muted, and she joins Team Christina while Blake looks pained.
Rod Michael follows her with his take on “Please Don’t Go,” which immediately makes me think of when Lindsey Pavao did the same song last season. The ladies in the audience fawn over the cute guy, but the coaches aren’t interested. “It’s The Voice, not The Abs,” Adam comments afterward, which sums the whole thing up.
Caitlin Michele goes with Florence and the Machine’s “Cosmic Love,” which is an interesting choice. Blake hits his button for her. Adam decides to compete with him. Blake calls him something he cannot say on television. Adam tries to give Caitlin some constructive criticism. Blake interrupts him. Adam playfully snaps at him to shut up. Then hell freezes over: Christina encourages Caitlin to choose Adam. “Did she just take your side?” Blake asks Adam, bewildered. Deciding she doesn’t want to be on “the normal side,’ Caitlin joins Team Adam, while Blake wants to know why Christina’s helping Adam. “You don’t even know who Florence and the Machine was,” she retorts.
Next up is Nicole Johnson (not the Nicole Johnson who was one-half of Elenowen in season one) with Kelly Clarkson’s “Mr. Know It All.” Cee Lo is the first to turn his chair for her, followed by Blake, while Adam looks like he’s really frustrated to have to hold himself back. Nicole considers herself “a country girl,” and decides that she’ll go with Blake while “Honey Bee” plays in the background. (And, to be fair, Cee Lo didn’t know who sung that song.)
Kameron Corvet takes a swing at Seal’s “Crazy,” but strikes out. Christina loves his song choice, but “was waiting for it to kind of build somewhere else.” The consensus is that while it was a solid rendition, the coaches wanted to hear him, not just him doing a good version of someone else’s tune. “What I brought did interest them, but to get the button press, you have to overwhelm them,” Cameron says backstage.
The next artist is another background singer; one wonders how many people Jermaine Paul‘s success may have inspired, because this is the second background vocalist we’ve seen this season and third performer with a connection to an established artist. Her name is Chevonne, she’s got a ring on her hand that qualifies as a lethal weapon, and she brings us “Brass in Pocket.” Blake yells at Cee Lo to push his button – so both of them do at almost the last second. Chevonne goes with Team Cee Lo, and because she’s sung backup for Lady Gaga, someone feels the need to play “The Edge of Glory” as she meets her new coach.
Kayla Nevarez is up next with “American Boy,” and Adam likes what he hears before she’s through with the first verse. Christina pushes her button a few moments later, followed by Cee Lo, so then the camera just stares at Blake to see if he’s going to make it a clean sweep. (He doesn’t.) Christina starts pitching Kayla right away, and Cee Lo gives up when Kayla reveals she listened to Christina growing up. This does not deter Adam, who talks about his “psychotic competitive drive.” Anyone who saw him on The Haney Project knows what he means by that. (If you don’t, watch this Golf Channel clip.) Kayla shocks Christina when she goes to Team Adam, completing Adam’s roster and cuing the ‘here’s Adam’s team’ montage.
Celica Westbrook performs “A Thousand Years,” and gets Christina’s attention pretty quickly, followed by Cee Lo and Blake. Since Adam literally can’t turn his chair as his team is full, he gets to start the resulting discussion. “I don’t know what’s more fun. Fighting with you guys or watching you guys fight,” he comments as the other three fight for Celica’s attention. The audience seems to be on Blake’s side, but she joins Team Christina, which is all the more appropriate considering that she’s friends with Christina’s Season 2 finalist Chris Mann. This completes Team Christina, so it’s down to Blake and Cee Lo.
Jessica Cayne is next to sing, but doesn’t get anyone to turn around for her. She’s got a lot of energy – she’s literally bouncing on the stage at one point – but her vocals just aren’t what the coaches are looking for. After her is Rudy Parris, who reminds me a little bit of a younger Meat Loaf, but comes out with a country take on The Police’s “Every Breath You Take.” The only question is if it’s good enough to get Blake to hit his button, and after some deliberation, he does. Cee Lo decides to jump in too, so Rudy has his pick of the two remaining coaches. He goes with Blake, rounding out Team Blake.
So who’s going to snag the final spot? Cody Belew arrives, talking about how he believes he was an elderly black man in a past life, and how he thinks he could win the whole show with Cee Lo as his coach – so they’re at least a match personality-wise. But will his rendition of “Hard to Handle” be enough to get Cee Lo to push his button? Cee Lo waits until literally the last second to turn around, and a very shocked Cody, who has to be bleeped multiple times (“You curse more than I do,” Adam quips) has the distinction of being the last artist picked on Season 3 of The Voice.
Tuesday’s installment is another recap show, entitled “Best of the Blind Auditions.” Why this and why now? Season 3 had eight episodes of blind auditions taped, or four weeks of shows. When NBC decided to add another night to The Voice‘s premiere week to put it opposite the X Factor debut, that meant that the blind audition phase would only cover three and a half weeks. It would be disjointed for blind auditions to end on Monday and battle rounds to start Tuesday, so NBC needed an hour of programming to make up the difference.
It takes time to put together a show, though, and the premiere week decision likely came too late for the network to put together something like a “What You Haven’t Heard” for Season 2. Tracking down Season 2′s finalists, shooting new interviews and footage, and editing it all is a tall order. It would have been much more efficient for the producers to re-use the Season 3 audition footage already right in front of them, get Carson to record some new introductions and voiceovers, then add in a few clips from the already-filmed Season 3 battle rounds to keep the viewers interested.
What’s disappointing is that the two-minute “preview” is the same teaser that was shown as the credits rolled on Monday’s episode, so the only real highlight of Tuesday night is Adam doing impressions of everyone. Not that those aren’t awesome, but still. If you missed tonight’s episode, you’d be forgiven.
Recap episode or no, this is still a big day for fans of the show: coach Blake’s Christmas album dropped today, and Team Adam’s Nicolle Galyon released her EP this week, which contains appearances by fellow Season 2 teammates Tony Lucca and Mathai. Check the EP out on iTunes and stay tuned for my review of Blake’s Christmas CD. Yep, Christmas in October.
Next week: we go to battle! Whose side are you on?
As we head toward the end of blind auditions, Tuesday proved to be a big day for The Voice. Against stiff competition, The Voicehad less overall viewers than ABC’s Dancing With The Stars (11.93 to 14.58), but won the coveted 18-49 demographic – and an expected renewal for seasons four and five from NBC. (This isn’t really news given that the announcement of coach changes referenced both seasons four and five. But it’s nice to hear formally.) So what’s the show going to do on such a busy night? Continue filling out the teams, of course!
With very few spots left – two on Team Adam, three on Teams Christina and Cee Lo, and four on Team Blake – we’re again into that phase where the coaches are at their most critical, and the standard for the artists is raised even higher as a result.
No pressure for Sylvia Yacoub, who’s singing for both herself and her mother, who wasn’t able to pursue her own musical aspirations in their native Egypt. Sylvia sings “Only Girl In The World,” which you know from Season 1 when Raquel Castro and Julia Eason took it on in battles, and gets three chairs to turn: Christina, Blake and Cee Lo. What follows is the most lackluster battle between coaches in the history of this show. Christina makes the most vague pitch ever (“I’m a singer, you’re a singer,” is her opening salvo). Adam shushes the crowd expecting Cee Lo to make a huge argument of his own, but is left dumbfounded when all Cee Lo says is “I want you to be on my team.” Laughter ensues. After that, Sylvia goes for Team Christina.
The next singer up is I.J. Quinn, who admits that he sounds like a girl (bringing back memories of Tim Mahoney from season one). Carson thinks I.J.’s version of “Virtual Insanity” is right up Adam’s alley, but neither Adam nor any of the other coaches turn for the kid. Adam pauses before he speaks, perhaps remembering what he said to Tim, before he admits that once again, he thought the guy behind the mic was a woman. “I was born with a high voice, I sing with a high voice, I feel you,” he consoles I.J. before the young man heads off, leaving Blake and Cee Lo to also say they thought he was a girl.
Now it’s time for another “Carson sneaks up on somebody” surprise, as he visits Charlie Rey (no relation to Season 1′s Kelsey Rey) to hand him his invite. Charlie goes with the Michael Buble track “Home,” which makes Blake smile a little because he also covered it to great success – and Blake likes what he hears enough to push his button. Adam decides he wants to jump in as well, making Blake stand up and curse in his direction while Adam just waves genially at him. Blake jokes that he’s glad Charlie didn’t decide to cover his version of the song, and wants a hug, while Adam quips that it’s obvious he’s a better coach. Blake gets his hug as Charlie joins Team Blake, and I’m going to pretend that I didn’t hear Blake take a dig at Team Adam afterward, because he’s too tall for me to slap upside the head.
Amanda Brown loves both gospel and Radiohead, and has sung backup for Adele. She brings us her take on “Valerie,” and just as it looks like she might be out of luck, Cee Lo hits his button for her and so she defaults to Team Cee Lo. Everyone agrees that her last ten seconds were her best, and that if she had started as well as she finished, there might have been a bigger fight for her. It doesn’t really matter, though, because she’s in the competition.
Following Amanda is 55-year-old Yolanda Barber, who marvels at the fact that she’s in the same competition with people young enough to be her children. But we all know age doesn’t matter on The Voice; it’s about talent. Yolanda performs one of my favorite songs, Brenda Russell’s “Get Here,” and while it’s not quite as good as the original, it’s still pretty good. I am baffled that no one turns around for her. “You guys figure out why you guys are dumb and I’ll figure out why I am,” Adam suggests to the panel, who all seem to concur that she’s a victim of the aforementioned “we’re being extra choosy because we’re down to our last spots” problem. It particularly breaks Adam and Christina’s hearts that they have to watch her go, but Yolanda is at peace, saying “Everything has its time.”
Our last artist is Cassadee Pope, who formed a band, toured with Fall Out Boy, and is now ready to go solo. As seems to be the case whenever a known singer is mentioned in connection with a hopeful on this show, we have a little video message from Pete Wentz to Cassadee before she takes the stage. She goes on to sing Natalie Imbruglia’s “Torn,” and gets Adam, Christina and Blake to turn near-simultaneously, in that order. Cee Lo decides to join the party a few moments later, giving Cassadee her pick of coaches. Cee Lo compliments her legs before anyone can even say anything about her performance. Adam and Christina bicker over who was first (for the record, playback shows that it was Adam). Blake finally gets his moment to say that he believes with 200% of his heart that Cassadee is a superstar. Despite his faulty math, Cassadee joins Team Blake, and it’s so not a coincidence that Fall Out Boy’s “Sugar, We’re Going Down” starts playing as she meets her new coach.
If you’re thinking that means there are still some open spots, you’re right: we have one more night for everyone to find two more singers. It’s night eight of blind auditions on Monday.
Next week: once the rosters are full, the teams go to battle, “The Steal” is in effect, and you might have a guest blogger as I do something potentially embarrassing, life-changing, or both. You don’t want to miss it (except for maybe that last part)! Who’s your early favorite team to win it all?
We’re into our third week of Season 3 blind auditions on The Voice, and I’m inclined to say that three weeks is too much. We’re averaging one audition per each segment of the show, which seems to be stretching as far as we can go. Despite the pacing, there are some pretty talented folks – and one old friend – in Monday’s batch of hopefuls.
Catching up from last week (since I was away at some concerts), Team Adam has 11 members so far, Team Blake has 7, Team Cee Lo has 10, and Team Christina has 11. And, in case you missed it last night, The Voice went home empty-handed at the Emmys, losing Outstanding Reality Series to The Amazing Race, but that’s okay, we still love it anyway.
The night begins with Michelle Brooks-Thompson, who knows what it’s like to have a dream and lose it, as her husband was released by the NFL’s St. Louis Rams. She brings a version of “Proud Mary” that’s not quite as awesome as when Erin Willett performed it last season. Regardless, it’s pretty darn good, and Michelle will not be going back to her bank job, as both Adam and Cee Lo hit their buttons for her, and Christina is a last-second turnaround. Adam calls himself impressed by “things I can’t do,” which one would imagine is a pretty short list, but singing Tina Turner is probably on it. Cee Lo is typically smooth. Christina spends more time explaining why she took so long rather than pitching what she can do for Michelle, who ultimately chooses to join Team Adam.
Following Michelle is Diego Val, who overcame a degenerative disease as a child, and now he’s singing to kids in hospitals, supporting them through their hardships. “It’s funny how sometimes when there’s tragedy in your life, that’s your entry point into music,” says Carson. Word. Diego’s version of Neon Trees’ “Animal” is definitely different from the original, and that’s before he throws some Spanish in there that makes Adam get Confused Eyebrow. Cee Lo finally pushes his button for Diego, and so by default Diego is the newest member of Team Red Zone.
Once we get past the giant Animal Practice bug on the screen, we meet Lauren Brooke, who’s pursued her dreams in the face of both dyslexia and the loss of a beloved uncle four years earlier. Lauren’s version of Carrie Underwood’s “Cowboy Casanova” doesn’t catch on with the coaches, but she takes the disappointment well – better than her parents seem to.
Suzanna Choffel is next up with her version of Stevie Nicks’ “Landslide,” which we already know from Season 1 is one of Adam’s favorite songs by one of his favorite singers – so it’s a testament to Suzanna that it doesn’t take Adam long at all to push his button for her. Unfortunately, she ends up going with the other person who turned for her – his buddy Blake. That’s a definite steal for Team Blake for sure, as Suzanna is an early standout in the competition. Blake grabs Michaela Paige and Ryan Jirovec, too, but we don’t get to meet them, as their auditions are chopped down.
Does the next artist look familiar to you? He should – that’s Dez Duron, who tried out for the show last season and, while he didn’t make a team, has been a part of the Voice family ever since – although NBC ruined the surprise by mentioning it in the commercial bumper earlier in the episode. In case you weren’t watching last season, though, Dez is a talented guy who’s also been super-supportive of everyone who did make it; there’s no one more deserving of a second chance than him. This time, his take on “Sara Smile” gets Blake, Christina, and Cee Lo’s attention. “I’m pretty sure that all three of them want to date you, so that’s cool,” Adam quips, while we wonder why he didn’t push. Much like with Daniel Rosa, everyone remembers Dez from his previous appearance and they welcome him back heartily. Dez joins Team Christina. Congratulations, Dez!
I truly love this concept of artists being able to get second chances on The Voice. It goes back to the heart of this show, which is in making people better. The coaches have always given constructive criticism, and it’s fantastic that not only have there been artists who have taken that to heart and worked to improve themselves, but then the producers are willing to recognize that effort by giving them another shot at the audition process. It’s more proof that The Voice is about the development of artists, not just the production of a TV show.
Following Dez is Cee Lo fan VJ (yep, we’re just calling him by initials), who’s got the guts to sing “Forget You” for his blind audition, the second time an artist has done so (the first being Red Zone member Nakia from Season 1). Unfortunately, the choice of camera angles means we don’t get to see the coaches’ reactions when they recognize what song he’s chosen. VJ doesn’t make a team, as the coaches are looking for a little more attitude in his performance, but he does get Cee Lo to come up on stage and sing with him, which is a pretty awesome consolation prize. The one thing I want more than anything else in this world is to get Adam Levine to sing with me, so I can only imagine how VJ felt in that “once in a lifetime” moment, and I’m thrilled he got to share that with his idol. That’s something that will last well beyond Season 3.
Alexis Marceaux tackles “Go Your Own Way,” and it’s missing something that Jordis Unga and Tony Lucca brought to the track in the Season 2 finale. She’s able to turn Cee Lo’s chair, though. Time for more chopped auditions: Adam picks up Sam James, Christina gets Laura Vivas, and Blake takes Lelia Broussard, whom Gabe Dixon gushed over when I interviewed him earlier this year.
Next up is Brandon Mahone, whose take on The Temptations’ “I Wish It Would Rain” prompts the camera to go right to Cee Lo, but it’s actually Adam who pushes his button for the 17-year-old first, although Cee Lo follows a few moments later, and then Christina jumps in. Cee Lo takes a moment to remind the youthful audience of who The Temptations are before Adam commends Brandon for doing their song justice. It’s a tough call for Brandon, but he joins Team Adam.
The following artist looks a wee bit like Season 2′s Justin Hopkins, but that’s actually Indianapolis native Jeffrey James, who comes armed with the Elvis song “A Little Less Conversation.” His performance gets the crowd going, but shockingly, it doesn’t attract the interest of any of the coaches, with Adam and Blake agreeing that Jeffrey hit his strongest note at the end of the song, too late for them to act on it. Adam takes the time to tell Jeffrey he’s awesome on his way out the door – and that leads into the montage of people who similarly don’t make the cut. (Also known as two minutes where we all feel depressed.)
Jordan Pruitt used to work for Disney, and went on tour with Miley Cyrus, but she walked away in the interest of doing “more mature” music. Jordan’s rendition of Katy Perry’s “The One That Got Away” draws only Christina’s attention, but that’s okay because Jordan grew up listening to Christina – who is a solid fit for her, if only because we know Christina started her own career with Disney and has had no problem parlaying that into adulthood success.
Closing out this round of auditions is 42-year-old Terisa Griffin, who has a “big personality” that reminds me a touch of one of my good friends, Season 2′s Kim Yarbrough. NBC’s editing makes it look like that personality is attitude, but that’s not the case, as Terisa talks about learning and getting better at her craft. Terisa’s take on Adele’s “Someone Like You” is pretty great, though I’m not sure it surpasses Angel Taylor’s version from her audition last season. Regardless, Terisa has a great sound and plenty of power, and the coaches start yelling at each other to do something before both Christina and Blake push their buttons for her. “Let me tell you what happened,” Blake tells Terisa, trying to take credit for Christina’s decision to push, before he adds, “And then I’m like, screw Christina!”
After Blake admits that he thinks Terisa and Christina might be a “match made in heaven,” Adam quips that Blake and Terisa might be a “match made in hell.” If that wasn’t enough funny for you, Blake has the line of the entire night: “Punch me in the face and get it over with.” Instead, he gets a hug – and he gets Terisa. Hugs all around!
At the end of the night, Team Adam has only 2 spots to fill, Team Blake has 4, Team Cee Lo has 3 and Team Christina has 3. Who will make a team next? And how will The Voice fare ratings-wise against both Monday Night Football and Dancing with the Stars: All-Stars? Tune back in tomorrow for the final round of blind auditions!
Here it is: one last night of The Voice blind auditions, and only four spots – one per team – left in season four. Who will make the final cut?
I want to preface this editorial by saying that I love The Voice. I’m one of the show’s five biggest fans, and that’s not going to change anytime soon. Yet there have been some choices as far as the editing of the episodes that I haven’t agreed with. The decision 
