The Blind Auditions wrap with contestants tackling songs from two Coaches before the Battle Rounds begin with an incredible duet of a Johnny Cash classic.
It was the end of the Blind Auditions and the beginning of the Blind Auditions on “The Voice,” and another shocker for us with a song Camila Cabello doesn’t know.
A lot of this is age and culture, so we do understand, but it’s still shocking that a song like Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues” is a complete mystery to anyone.
DWTS 5th Judge: Shangela Jabs Alfonso for Saying Her Name Wrong, Tyra Messes Up Landon Barker's Again
View StoryThat said, it wasn’t nearly as funny a moment as when Blake Shelton asked Camila if she knew a song that one of the auditioners was singing -- and it was her song. Oh, Blake!
We also discovered who the advisors are for this season’s Battle Rounds. With Camila going from advisor to John Legend in a previous season to Coach this season, maybe one of them could be a future Coach, too!
This time, John’s advisor is Jazmine Sullivan. Camila has Charlie Puth while Gwen Stefani is joined by Sean Paul. As for Blake, he's bringing in Jimmie Allen.
Before the Battles began, there were some incredible final Blind Auditions to get through, including one memorable contestant who managed to take his opportunity on the big stage to heavily flirt with Camila -- and she was definitely into it.
Fair warning, since I'm safe at home, I'm probably going to be a little harsher than my colleagues Blake Shelton, Camila Cabello, Gwen Stefani, and John Legend. And just for fun, I'm going to rank the performances from worst to first and then see how they do as the season progresses.
Chicago and Psalm Sing Dad Kanye West's Song 'True Love' About Custody Battle With Kim Kardashian
View StoryFILLER
“The Voice” Coaches
(“Havana,” Camila Cabello f. Young Thug) Boy, Gwen certainly seemed to be having a blast on this performance, and she really came through with a great complementary sound. John and Blake were solid, but mostly in supporting roles. It was Gwen who stepped up to share lead with Camila and we really saw some different sides to her voice as she tackled the unique cadence and delivery of the track. All in all, though, this was one of the more fun and successful Coach pieces as everyone worked well together to create a great sound.
THE BLIND AUDITIONS
Yelka
(“No Me Queda Más,” Selina - 20, San Diego, CA) There were a lot of vocal inconsistencies in Yelka’s performance, with a few missed notes and an overall amateurish quality. It was as if she was still ironing out what her voice could do. This sounded more like a rehearsal piece with a vocal coach than on one of TV’s biggest stage in front of these Coaches. It was under-polished and certainly not ready for the spotlight.
Results: No Chairs Turn
August James
(“Heart of Glass,” Blondie [as performed by Miley Cyrus] - 21, Chatsworth, CA) This wasn’t a great song choice as it’s so stylized August wasn’t really able to say anything about who she was as an artist. On top of that, it’s not a singer’s song, so she didn’t really showcase the best qualities of her voice. There were times it seemed a bit shrill and really nothing to sink your teeth into and give you a sense of who she is and, more importantly, what she’s capable of and her potential toward greatness.
Results: No Chairs Turn
Every Star Who Has Called Out Kanye West Over Since-Deleted 'Anti-Semitic' Tweet
View StorySteven McMorran
(“Never Enough,” “The Greatest Showman” - 40, Nashville, TN) Steven has had some ups and downs in the industry including record deals, and he’s written songs for the likes of Celine Dion, Jimmie Allen, Michael Bolton, and Tim McGraw. We could hear the nerves in his voice, especially in his vibrato, but the sheer power and range and potential in that voice was undeniable. He said he wanted coaching, and we could hear where he would benefit from that. Clearly, he’s got songwriting down, so growing as a vocalist and performer is what he needs now. We’re a little surprised only Camila turned, but she may just have a diamond in the rough with this one.
Results: Camila Turns [Team Camila]
Constance Howard
(“Peaches,” Justin Bieber f. Daniel Caesar & Giveon - 27, Katy, TX) Well, Constance certainly put her own twist on Justin’s “Peaches.” She bent the lyric and the melody without making it unrecognizable and had a lovely blend of an R&B sound mixed with some soul singing, pop and even a hint of gospel. It’s a powerful instrument she has with a lot of different weapons. We do think she maybe over-arranged this particular track at points, but we understand that as a blind audition, she didn’t want to leave any tricks or possible regrets in her bag. It was definitely a statement.
Results: Camila, John Turn [Team Camila]
Nia Skyfer
(“Bam Bam,” Camila Cabello f. Ed Sheeran - 26, Miami, FL) With a little coaxing from Camila, the only Coach with room left on his team finally tuned for Nia. Camila was right, too, in that Nia has that fire when she performs. That Latin flair that comes authentically to her really shined bright throughout her performance. It was a great presentation with a lot of energy and gave a true sense of who she is and what matters to her and her artistry. It was a confident vocal and a very fun performance that had us all dancing.
Results: John Turns [Team Legend]
Charlie Puth Shares His Experience with Ellen's Label After Greyson Chance's Bombshell Claims
View StoryJustin Aaron
(“Glory,” Common & John Legend - 34, Junction City, KS) This was a surprising one-chair turn because Justin has so much presence and power in his voice. His tone is so smooth and the way he effortlessly moved up and down his range was incredible. It’s very daunting to play a Coach’s song in front of (or behind) that person, which could be why John didn’t turn, but it’s shocking that the control and buttery texture of his voice didn’t get anyone else’s attention. Gwen got a good one here that could surprise a lot of people.
Results: Gwen Turns [Team Gwen]
Jaeden Luke
(“Make It with You,” Bread - 22, Bothell, WA) Gwen and Camila’s teams were full, but they were definitely vibing with Jaeden from their seats as he performed. We loved his chill vibe like he is straight out of the 1970s. There’s such a gentleness to his voice, it sounds like a warm embrace. He said this song fit who he is as an artist, and you could feel that his connection to it was so genuine. This is one of those artists that comes from left field and is so different from anything commercial today, but there’s still something undeniable about it.
Results: Blake, John Turn [Team Blake]
Rowan Grace
(“traitor,” Olivia Rodrigo - 16, Rapid City, SD) A perfect song choice for a young teen girl, Rowan also nails the layers of complexity in Olivia’s voice, as well as that believable sense of heartbreak. Olivia sings beyond her years vocally, but within her years tonally and with her message, so Rowan is definitely cut from the same cloth. It could be that she’s not clear who she is on her own, but different songs can reveal that. What is clear is that she has a very impressive tone, range and control. That was a commanding performance as if she was headlining her own show already.
Results: Camila, Gwen, John Turn [Team Gwen]
Jenna Dewan Reacts to Learning She Was a Part of JoJo Siwa's 'Gay Awakening' Story
View StoryKim Cruse
(“Best Part,” Daniel Caesar - 30, Woodville, TX) A classic jazz vocal, Kim was so creative in how she approached the song, adding runs and just all these interesting little moments. We loved that it was her staccato hold of a note that got the most attention from the Coaches until she had them all. But it was the maturity of her tone and the quality of her voice that had our attention. She didn’t have to show off a crazy range or falsettos or any vocal tricks at all. She could just deliver with such grace and style, her voice really felt like it was a beloved instrument she was riffing with.
Results: Four-Chair Turn [Team Legend]
THE BATTLES
Austin Montgomery vs. Tanner Fussell
(Team Blake - “Folsom Prison Blues,” Johnny Cash) These boys did not come to play, with incredible and unique vocals. Tanner’s Southern Rock style actually brought out some grit and growl from Austin, who has that more pure classic country tone to this point. But we also got some more pure vocals from Tanner. Their different sounds created stunning harmonies, too. We’d give the edge to Austin for a beautiful start, but then Tanner had a strong mid section. By the time they hit the crescendo toward the end, though, they were neck and neck and definitely giving Blake an impossible choice. We’d probably give the slightest edge to Austin because he surprised us more, and then really consider Saving or Stealing Tanner.
Results: [to be continued…]
19 Times Harry Styles Absolutely Shocked His Fans At Live Shows
View StoryCOACHES BANTER
- “Blake begs me to shut up in front of this crowd all the time.” --Camila
- “In this moment, I was thinking that.” --Blake
- “That last note she hit cracked one of my teeth.” --Blake (about Constance Howard)
- “Everything I learned about Battles I learned on Team Legend. And everything I learned I will now use against Team Legend.” --Camila
- “Gwen should steal you first, and if she can’t, I’ll save you, baby.” --Camila (to Jaeden Luke)
- “Thanks for saying baby. I might have been singing it for you, so--” --Jaeden
- “Oh my god, what is happening?” --Gwen
- “Jaeden, you’re making my whole day.” --Camila
- “He is swiping right right now.” --Blake
- “Gwen’s not kidding, we listen to Bread all the time. I’d rather listen to that stuff than--” --Blake (to Jaeden Luke)
- “Than me?” --Camila
- “No, I love you, and I need your help right now. I love your music so much! And thank god for Camila. Camila has single-handedly saved music as we know it.” --Blake
- “Forget Team Blake, let’s talk about flirting with Camila Cabello.” --Carson (to Jaeden)
- “You know this song?” --Blake (to Camila during Nia Skyfer’s Blind Audition)
- “It’s my song.” --Camila
- “That’s the first time somebody sang one of my songs in the Blinds so that was really, really cool. Such a great feeling. That was also the first time Blake has heard any of my songs.” --Camila (to Nia)
- “With great power comes great responsibility.” --Camila
- “Wow, that’s from the 'Gremlins,’ isn’t it?” --Blake
- “Have you ever tried out for something like this?” --Blake (to Jimmie)
- “I’ve tried out for ‘The Voice’ twice.” --Jimmie
- “What’d they tell you?’ --Blake
- “Unh-unh.” --Jimmie
“The Voice” continues Mondays and Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.