Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for The Voice Season 27 Episode 4.
The coaches this season are playing to win. The competitive edge has already been exposed, so, of course, we begin our show with a silly cold open where the always jovialMichael BubléandJohn Legendfind a new way to compete: getting to stage first. Is “Celebrity Speedwalking” the next celeb-reality series? Probably not, but at least the pilot gave us a giggle. WithKelsea BalleriniandAdam Levinehogging the spotlight this season ofThe Voice, it makes sense to see the other two taking up some extra screen time. They deserve it! For Michael Bublé, he utilizes his screen time by continuing to battle Ballerini for artists. For John Legend, he just warms up the crowd. The EGOT winner takes a moment to rally the crowd to cheer his name to help boost his roster when the time comes. Sucking up to the audience is always a smart move. Anyway,we have teams of twelve, so the rosters are slowly but surely filling up. Every chair turn counts, coaches! And every light switch that warns Michael Bublé not to touch will turn the lights out. So, let’s see if we get any lights-out performances on night four of the Blind Auditions.
John Legend Builds Up His Roster With Kolby, Olivia, and Antonio
Kolby Cordellis onThe Voice! Let’s meet our first artist. Likely a first for the series, Kolby is a material handler for the United States Forest Service, supplying the necessary equipment to firefighters. He is the front line for the front line. After becoming a father at age 26, this job has been there when he needed it. It’s also allowed him to pursue his dreams. Now that Kolby is on TV, hoping to make his son proud. He sings “Never Too Much” byLuther Vandrosswith such passion. Before the performance even begins,John Legend is feeling it. The energy is palpable. Kobly’s energy is felt even in the audience. Now, we may have witnessed a speedwalking competition to the stage that ended in a draw, there was little hope for the Canadian crooner to win. However, being from Ontario, California, should have been Bublé’s in to make a connection. You know, since Ontario is also in Canada. Anyway,Michael Bublé essentially bows out, giving the father Legend status.
Olivia Kuper Harrisconsiders herself a jazz singer. Hmmm, I wonder if anyone else considers themselves a jazz singer! Anyway, she lives in Los Angeles by way of Dallas. And she is celebrating the tenth anniversary of her 24th birthday. Ok, I get this girl. I like her vibe. Now, if her exceptionally beautiful smile and radiant red hair captivated you, it may be her voice that gets you next especially if you are familiar with any of her guest appearances with the hit music collective,Postmodern Jukebox. Was it her viral renditions of"Life on Mars"or"Hit ‘Em Up Style (Oops)“that were part of your musical rabbit hole years ago? Nevertheless,The Voiceis her chance to shine on her own, and do music her way. She takes on theDoris Dayversion of “Dream a Little Dream Of Me.” There is a star in the coaches’ presence. Oliva Kuper Harris has the potential to win this competition. It’s a flirtatious performance. It’s subdued and understated in a manner that she knows she can do more. And will do more. Her body of work, on top of her touring experience, makes her the perfect package for the three coaches who turned. Bublé, she will be just fine without you. “Last Word Adam” reminds her that she can do everything, butit was John Legend, who turned first, who won her for his team.
Category is dance or die. Wait, sorry. We’ve been too obsessed with “Abracadabra” byLady Gagarecently, so whenever someone says they’re going to dance, it’s just assumed that’s where our mind goes. Anyway, it’s time forAntonio Ramsey, who is a dancer first, singer second. The Florida native has experience in anything ranging from ballroom to ballet to tap. His dream is to be an overall entertainer. For his Blind Audition, he takes on “Every Little Step” byBobby Brown, moves included. The song is smart as it elicits an immediate reaction from the coaches who are dancing in their seats. Only, they just forgot that they need to turn to watch the Antonio Ramsey show.In a major shock, none of the coaches turned.Antonio takes it on the chin as the coaches tell him it wasn’t the right song for him. John Legend has his sing a capella, proving there is more inside of him. Little did Antonio know, this was his chance to sway John Legend, who isthe last coach to utilize the Coach Replay Button. Welcome to the show!
Kelsea Keeps It Country With Hailey and Robert
Bringing some good old-fashioned country to the stage is 19-year-oldHailey Wright. If the twang didn’t alerted you as to what type of country stylings she leans toward, the yodel sure does. Her struggle as a child was coming to the realization that she had a different father than her blonde-haired, blue-eyed siblings. However, upon learning that she was part Native American, her perspective on life changed. She has discovered her tribe and is thankful for her new identity. With teams filling up, Hailey steps on stage in her pink fringe jacket and takes onFreddy Fender’s “Before the Next Teardrop Falls.” Rooted deep in classic country, Hailey captures the essence of time of yore. Knowing how important legacy and history is to her, it makes sense that her vocals drop into classical vocal mechanics country artists used. If you close your eyes, there is even a littleReba McEntireslipped into her country riffs. She has a maturity in her voice that is undeniably country.
Even though Michael Bublé attempts to pitch to Hailey, it’s Kelsea’s connection that captivates Hailey. Having her sing some of Leann Rimes' “Blue” on the spot proves that Kelsea is not only in it to win it, she knows how to make a first-time meeting become a long-time collaboration.Hailey doesn’t shock anyone and picks Kelsea Ballerini as her coach. This could be a very interesting pairing moving forward. Just as long as Kelsea doesn’t overload on female country artists.
Sometimes, it’s the little ones who still watch the show. Such is the case forRobert Hunter’s little girl, Mary Blake, who simply dominates his video package. The 33-year-old father from Garner, North Carolina, is used to gigging around the state, but when he’s not earning a tip or two, he’s a deputy who serves warrants. He shares he lost a close from in the line of duty, but it has not stopped him from doing what he loves. When it comes to music, he’s done it as a hobby, but he’s ready to make it more of his life. He hopes that joining a team will give him a new future. He sings “‘Til you may’t” byCody Johnson. Once that guitar strum happens, Kelsea Ballerini is like, “Outta my way!” His rendition isn’t quite modern country, but it has odes ofGarth Brooksinside. Throughout the entire performance, Kelsea is desperate to keep him for himself, but there goes Michael Bublé, once again, to give her a run for her money. Kelsea brings out those boots to entice him to join her. Michael Bublé brings out his really horrid country accent. Even though Michael Bublé wrote a future country hit, “Cowboys in Calgary,” on the spot,it’s Robert’s daughter who comes on stage and picks “Kelsea Ballerina.“It is quite possibly the cutest thing to happen onThe Voiceof all time.
A Star Is Born as Adam Gets Fran and Lucia
The coaches have their interest piqued by fantastic runs from a somber yet promising rendition ofJackie DeShannon’s “What the World Needs Now,” but it is Adam Levine who spins that chair first. But leave it to John Legend to tap in at the last minute. Now, it’s time to meetFran Posla. The overly-affected singer is 25 years old and hails from New York by way of Costa Rica. Even though he isn’t pitching for her, Michael Bublé compares her vocals toZooey Deschanel. It checks out as there is a little quirk in her vocals. Both Adam and John provide solid pitches, complimenting her for everything from her vibrato to her R&B soul, but in the end, Fran feels her coach should be Adam.What’s interesting about Fran’s Blind Audition is we learn very little about her.Is it possible it will be saved for later on down the line or is Fran simply not long for the season? Time will tell.
Lucia Flores-Wisemancannot believe there have been 27 seasons of the show, and she’s only 22. Well, they do two seasons per year, so the math ain’t fully matching. Anyway, the recent college graduate is a proud daughter of a Mexican immigrant. She is there to make her parents proud. Oh, andBrandi Carlile. She’s there to make her proud. In one of the most effortlessly flawless namedrops, Lucia shares that the musical mastermind just happened to live in her hometown of Maple Valley, Washington. At 16, she had the honor to sing with Brandi Carlile. She is using Brandi’s success to help launch her into stardom. She doesn’t want Brandi to be the only person to represent Maple Valley!
Bringing the spice to the stage, she takes on “La Llarona” byAngela Anguilar. It’s a bold risk, but the guitar-toting singer gets immediate love from the coaches. As the night’s four-chair turn, the coaches know that there is immense potential for Lucia to become a powerhouse. Truly, her audition is unreal.Lucia easily could walk her way to the finale without a problem.But to get there, she needs a coach. Could it be John Legend, who reminds her that his wife is from the Pacific Northwest and that her performance wasJanis JoplinmeetsAmy Winehouse,but make it Spanish? Could it be Adam Levine who compares her to her idol, Brandi Carlisle? She selects Team Adam, and suddenly, Adam Levine has jumped to the top of the leaderboard.
Michael Bublé Brings in Soul With Dimitrius and Kaiya
Dimitrius Grahamarrives to the green room with a lot of energy. Hailing from Baltimore, Maryland, Dimitrius reminds us that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. Filled with tattoos up and down his body, face included, Dimitrius wants people to know that he’s not up to no good. He wants them to know that he’s good at singing. Growing up with such negativity in Baltimore, including gang violence, it was his choir teacher that opened him up to a musical world of possibility. Remember how we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover? Well,Dimitrius’ video package includes him singing opera.Yeah, he can giveLuciano Pavarottia run for his money! He takes the stage and sings “Get You” byDaniel Caesar. There’s a bit of trepidation at the top of his performance. The coaches are waiting for that moment, and his run gets Kelsea to turn. As much as he hopes to get Adam Levine to turn, it’s Michael Bublé who swoops in at the tail end. It’s an old story,Bublé versus Ballerini. Another week, another moment where Michael Bublé tells us that the population of America is about to be doubled due to Dimitrius and his baby-making music. Family show, Bublé! Kelsea feels inspired by his voice. So, which pitch won Dimitrius over?He selects Michael Bublé. It’s an interesting combo.
Kaiya Hamiltonknows that a chair turn will change her life. Being a wedding singer from Atlanta, Georgia, she’s had experience in the world of music beyond the reception. She’s opened up forDru HillandEl DeBarge. No big whoop. The young mother of three shares the support from her fiancé has given her the opportunity for this experience. She selects “ICU” byCoco Jonesfor her Blind Audition. She begins at a lower octave that allows her to build up by the chorus. She has the runs, but it’s simply not as powerful as it can be. Luckily for her, she gets a turn from Bublé and Ballerini. That classic battle. Neither coach seems like a smart fit for Kaiya, but that’s who she’s stuck with. She takes Michael Bublé as her coach.What can work to her advantage is being the only artist in her lane on her team, thus far. As of now, she’s not standing out.
“It Haunts Me Forever”: ‘The Voice’ Coach Kelsea Ballerini Recalls Winning a Date With Craig Conover
The country singer wanted to set the record straight.
Not Every Audition Is Made Equally
Emily McGillis a Nashville girl but also states that the saxophone is a big part of her family. Let’s see if we have a Bublé-Ballerini battle on our hands. Coming from a very musical family, we learn that her parents meet while together in a band. She and her sister joined the band when they were ready. Emily shares that it was her father who taught her how to play guitar, but she sadly lost him due to a heart attack when she was in high school. Now, she’s determined to keep his legacy alive, sharing that when she sees a butterfly, it reminds her of the butterfly that landed on her guitar when he passed. Emily sings “Gold Dust Woman” byFleetwood Mac. Her marriage of country twang with that tinge of rock fits her gruff vocal. She’s rooted in a lower register, staying there for the majority of the performance. Unfortunately, there’s nothing that gets the coaches to turn. Sometimes, we are disappointed when someone doesn’t earn a coach. For Emily, it just wasn’t her moment.
When you hear Fleetwood onThe Voice, chances are you’re expecting it in song form. Not via last name. WelcomeElliott Fleetwoodto the stage. Any relation? Not quite, but what a name to have. Native to Niagra Falls, he says the town is known for its beauty but notes that the most beautiful part is his wife, Alexandria. We love love. His other true love is his alt band,Letters to Elise. Who is Elise, and what kind of letter are you writing there, Fleetwood? This is Elliott’s first time going solo. Will this be his shot? With a faster tempo rendition of “Cough Syrup” byYoung the Giant, Elliott gives a different aura than what’s been presented thus far this season.Perhaps timing is everything, but his performance is chair-turn worthy.With the rosters filling up fast, the coaches pass on the indie rocker. Major miss.
The Voice has entered that weird part of the season where we’re moving through the motions to get to the next round of fun. It’s a shame. It’s that point in the season where we have to shove some singers onto the show seeing or hearing more than a ten-second snippet of their Blind Audition. Sadly, such wasthe case for Aaron Rizzo and Kameron Jaso, who both joined Team Bublé, Nell Simmons, for Team Legend. This has happened before on the show. Is this a precursor to a short run or the opportunity to learn more later? I guess just sit back and watch.It’s just difficult in a game of equality not to have the chance to follow along on their entire journey.What if they do make it to the Live Shows? Can they face off against someone who had the complete Blind Audition experience? I guess, at the end of the day, reality television isn’t always fair!
From the cutest baby to a solid frontrunner, ‘The Voice’ delivers what it needs to in part four.
The Voiceairs Mondays at 8:00pm on NBC. All episodes are available to stream on Peacock.
