Pharrell Williams, Adam Levine, Christina Aguilera and Blake Shelton return to “The Voice” Monday to find the best-undiscovered talent in America. (Photo property of NBC & United Artists Media Group)
By: Jacob Elyachar, jakes-take.com
Welcome back, Xtina!
The Queen of The Voice is back at her swivel chair alongside fellow original coaches Adam Levine and Blake Shelton and fan-favorite coach Pharrell Williams as the NBC singing competition turns 10-years-old. Tonight marked the first night of Blind Auditions. Who rose to the occasion and earned a spot on a team? Read on to find out…
As the audience screamed, “We Love You, Christina!” 23-year-old Paxton Ingram danced with Britney Spears and Jennifer Lopez, but decided to switch from dancer to singer. He chose Robyn’s “Dancing On My Own.” This strategy has paid off for several reality TV alums such as last season’s winner Jordan Smith and Britain’s Got Talent Golden Buzzer act Calum Scott. His velvety vocals caught the attention of Blake, Adam and his dream coach: Pharrell! After Adam tried desperately to snag Paxton, he chose to go with Blake.
While Blake moonwalked his wait to meet the Ingrams, 21-year-old Caity Peters declared herself to be the black sheep of the family. Instead of being a doctor or a lawyer, she decided to follow her passion to become a music teacher but decided to become a full-time singer. Her superb take of Labrinth’s “Jealous” became the first four coach chair turn of the season! While Xtina tried to connect with Caity using soul music, Pharrell’s conviction and belief in her as an artist made her the first member of Team Pharrell.
Like Paxton, 28-year-old Nick Hagelin is a dancer turned musician. He overcame family tragedy to help his son recover from a rare disease. While he was doing that, he got a record contract…but the powers that be refused to let him showcase his personal side and he left them. He decided to take a gambit and tackle Adam’s “Lost Stars.” He reminds me of a blend of two of my favorite vocalists: Chris Mann and Clark Beckham. He was the first artist to give me chills this season and I am glad that he caught the attention of Christina, Pharrell and Blake. Nick was also the first artist in Voice history to bring his family on stage! Both Xtina and Blake compared to him to Michael and Prince, but it was Pharrell (who Nick considers him to be the Quincy Jones of our generation) that will have the chance to coach him.
One of my favorite rising country artists, Mary Sarah, auditioned for The Voice! I loved her duets album that featured Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson. The Nashville native tackled Connie Francis’ “Where The Boys Are.” She has a once-in-a-generation voice that brilliantly caught the attention of all four coaches! Mary Sarah is going to be a force to be reckoned with as a member of Team Blake!
As Adam made fun of the four-time winning coach, Mike Schiavo received a visit and a pass from Carson Daly. The New Jersey native turned LA transplant wanted to make it into the music industry and wanted to catch the attention of either Adam or Pharrell. I loved the way that he transformed Tove Lo’s “Talking Body” from an EDM track to a brilliant Blue-eyed soul jam. Mike’s superb voice and arranging skills caught the attention of his dream coaches and Blake Shelton! Adam stole a page from Xtina’s handbook and sang with a contestant! Mike and Adam sang a few bars of Maroon 5’s megahit “She Will Be Loved.” It was incredible! While Pharrell and Blake tried to steal him away, the duet sealed the deal and became the first member of Team Adam!
Season Nine auditionee Bryan Baustista returned with a mission to get the attention of a coach. Bryan was humbled by the experience and his mom convinced him that it was time to come back for redemption. He chose to tackle The Weeknd’s “The Hills” and he slayed the track! I am so glad that he caught the attention of both Christina and Blake. While Adam, Blake and Pharrell were impressed with his progress, Christina knew that Bryan was something special from the start and after messing with Blake…he chose to go with Christina!
Rochester, New York native Abby Celso embraced her family tradition of music by joining a band called the Swooners. She dedicated her Blind Audition to her late mother who always encouraged her to audition for the show. Abby made the right decision to sing Tori Kelly’s “Should’ve Been Us” for her audition because she gave the song a much-needed makeover and caught the attention of both Adam and Pharrell. While Adam wanted her so badly, Pharrell namedropped Sawyer Fredericks and used his Jedi mind tricks to recruit Abby for his team.
23-year-old John Gilman wanted to leave his simplistic lifestyle and bring his love for rockabilly and the Delta Blues to The Voice. He breathed new air into Elvis’ “Don’t Be Cruel” and John reminded me so much of a young Jerry Lee Lewis that I was surprised that Adam only recognized his talent.
After checking in with last season’s winner, Jordan Smith, it was time for the final audition of the night belonged singer-actress Alisan Porter. Many people might remember her from Curly Sue and her work with Adam Lambert and Val Kilmer’s The Ten Commandments, however she recently revealed that she is sober for eight years and wanted to return to the spotlight as a singer than an actor. Her haunting cover of Linda Ronstadt’s “Blue Bayou” gave me the chills and was the final four-chair turn of the night! While Adam tried flirting with her, it was Christina that connected with her the most because of their mutual backgrounds and connection to Star Search. She may become the first Team Xtina member to win The Voice!
Tomorrow night, the Blind Auditions continue!
