If you were on “The Voice,” which superstar coach would you like to have as a mentor? (Photos property of NBC)
By: Jacob Elyachar
The Voice: Season Five has already attracted dozens of artists but so far 17 performers have been able to convince coaches Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, CeeLo Green and Christina Aguilera that they have the ability to become superstars.
So far…the Maroon 5 frontman picked up five artists while Blake, CeeLo and Christina had four artists each.
How many artists did the coaches recruit tonight? Read on to find out….
The first artist to try to win a spot on the show was single father Ray Boudreaux from Lafayette, Louisiana. He surprised everyone with his impressive cover of Bill Withers’ “Use Me.” His impressive cover caught the ears of both Blake and CeeLo. CeeLo tried to play the Blue-Eyed Soul card but Ray decided to join the three-time winner’s team.
Former model Lina Gaudenzi moved to Paris and performed in cafés across the city and realized that she could have a career in the industry. She performed an airy but honest cover of Stevie Nicks’ “Landslide.” Her stunning vocals impressed both Christina and Blake. The “Make the World Move” singer fought hard against the three-time champion and was able to persuade her to join her team.
Nashville native Juhi wanted to be on the show to see if she really wanted to pursue music. She delivered an impeccable cover of Duffy’s “Mercy,” that had superb vocal runs that caught both Christina and CeeLo. When Christina asked her about what artist that she wanted to be, Juhi stated a “cross between Amy Winehouse and Kurt Cobain.” While she stated that she was a huge fan of both Gnarls Barkley and Xtina, she chose to go with CeeLo.
Hoping to continue to the Tennessee winning streak was 20-year-old Justin Blake. He decided to take a huge risk and perform one of the coaches’ songs. It was interesting to hear him sing Blake’s “Sure Be Cool If You Did” because I thought it was an average cover that did not deserve a turn. However, I am not Adam Levine, who was very eager to welcome Justin to his team.
Timyra-Joi now holds the record of the youngest person to audition for the show. The 15-year-old delivered a dynamite cover of Alicia Keys’ “Girl on Fire” that caught the attention of Christina, Blake and CeeLo. The “Beautiful” singer stated she loved her runs at the end of the song and Adam added that Timyra-Joi was a “diamond in the rough” and suggested that Christina should be her coach. Timyra followed Adam’s suggestion and chose to enlist in Team Christina.
Boulder native Monika Leigh took a four-year-hiatus from performing after she gave up on her dreams. However, once she heard about The Voice’s Blind Auditions…she decided to give it a try. Her bluesy-jazzy infused cover of “The Thrill is Gone” caught the attention of Adam, CeeLo and Blake. While the first two coaches fought it out, Blake decided to bring out his three coaches’ trophies and it sealed the deal! Monika was the second artist to join Team Blake.
Carson traveled to the home of Big Bang Theory’s Kaley Cuoco to recruit her sister, 24-year-old Briana. She decided to perform Lady Gaga’s “You and I.” I remember hearing Sarah Golden’s Mary Travers-esque take on it and I thought it was the best cover of the song. Briana surprised me with her powerful vocals that caught the attention of Christina and CeeLo. Briana decided to choose the Grammy-winning diva.
But the fun did not stop there as George Horga, Jr. caught the attention of CeeLo with his cover of Bruno Mars’ “Treasure.” Meanwhile, Cilla Chan’s intriguing take on Selena Gomez’s “Come and Getz It” caught of Blake plus Jacob Poole’s cover of Bruno Mars’ “Marry Me” caught the attention of a certain divalicious Voice judge.
The final Blind Audition belonged to 26-year-old Preston Pohl. The church-based singer delivered an intriguing take on MGMT’s “Electric Feel.” His raw vocals and superb showmanship caught the attention of all three male coaches! He could be a contender for the Live Shows. While the dueling CeeLo and Blake were bickering, Preston decided to enlist with Team Adam!
Tomorrow night, the Blind Auditions continue!
