Several artists sang their interpretation of the 70s & 80s classics to impress Alicia Keys & Blake Shelton. (Photo property of NBC & MGM TV)
By: Jacob Elyachar, jakes-take.com
Author’s note: Due to Kansas City weather, I was unable to cover Monday night’s “The Voice: Season 12” Blind Auditions.
If there were a theme to describe night two of the second week of The Voice: Season 12 Blind Auditions, it would be a tribute to some of the greatest artists of all-time.
Who were the artists that caught the attention of Adam Levine, Alicia Keys, Blake Shelton, and Gwen Stefani? Read on to find out!
Many singers who are in bands often come to The Voice to kickstart their solo careers. I believe that both Season Three finalists Cassadee Pope and Terry McDermott are perfect examples to demonstrate this theory as they were the last two artists standing in their season. Hoping to follow in their footsteps was 31-year-old Johnny Gates. The former rock band singer blew me away with his superb interpretation of Rod Stewart’s “Maggie May.” I loved his swagger and the way Johnny commanded the stage. His performance caught the attention of Blake, Gwen, and Alicia. The “If I Ain’t Got You” singer loved his vocal tone and range, Blake wanted him to stay in the rocker lane and compared him to Sir Mick Jagger. Meanwhile, Gwen began to bond with him over the mutual history of being a front person in a band. He decided to recruit with Team Gwen!
23-year-old Malik Davage overcame a bad neighborhood and used music to escape. His experience took him to BET’s 106th & Park to The Voice. Also, Malik wanted to create a new life for his baby daughter. For his Blind Audition, Malik performed Miguel’s “Sure Thing.” Malik was okay vocally, but there have been more superior R&B singers who have performed on the show (Season Two’s Jesse Campbell, Season Five’s Matthew Schuler, Season Six’s Biff Gore, and Season Eight’s Rob Taylor). Luckily, Adam was feeling generous and turned around for him.
As Blake continued to rile Adam, 16-year-old high school junior Lauryn Judd hoped that her choir and musical experience was enough to impress the coaches. She tackled Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Want to Have Fun.” She was the first artist of the night to give me chills, and I believe that Ms. Lauper would be proud of her effort. Lauryn caught the attention of Alicia, Blake, and Gwen. Gwen loved her style, was intrigued that she was 16-years-old and determined to work with her. While Alicia thought that Lauryn was with another artist, she was impressed with her tone and wanted to work with her. I believe Lauryn made the right choice to join Alicia’s team.
But Lauryn was not the only 16-year-old girl that took the stage tonight. Caroline Sky grew up around music as she and her family formed their band: Rockin’ Robins. However, as she grew older, Caroline became interested in folk rock and performed everywhere she could. Caroline sang her idol, Carole King’s “Will You Love Me Tomorrow.” Like Lauryn, she gave me goose bumps instantly and I loved her diction. However, the only small criticism I have for her is that at times, I could not hear her. The lovebirds turned around and for the first time tonight, two of them duked it out. Gwen loved her control and patience, plus also loved the fact that she had no nerves. Blake countered that he had a lot of success with young talent, but Caroline chose Gwen to be her coach.
The final artist of the night was Lincoln, Nebraska native Josh Hoyer. Josh is a working musician and is a bartender, but more importantly, he is a father of two. He hoped that The Voice would give him the opportunity to provide for his family. Josh was the only artist this week to tug at my heartstrings with his haunting cover of “Oh Girl.” Josh’s growl was outstanding and his voice shook the Universal Studios Hollywood soundstage. His performance caught the attention of both Blake and Gwen. Adam loved his growl and added that he had so much soulful wisdom in his voice. Blake stated that Josh deserved to be on the show and added that there was no one like him on the show. However, Gwen brought out the No Doubt card and the working parent card in her final pitch. Josh was the only artist that Blake scored tonight.
Next week, as the Blind Auditions near the homestretch, the coaches will get pickier with their decisions.
