Adam. Alicia. Blake. Gwen.
It’s the 12th season premiere of The Voice, with the Blind Auditions kicking things off as always, and NBC no doubt enjoying a ratings boost.
Who won The Voice last fall? Or the spring before that? Or any season for that matter? Do you even remember? Do you even care?
Even if the answer is no, the show remains a treat to watch thanks to the format and the interplay between the legendary four coaches.
With Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani in a real relationship, and Blake and Adam Levine still in a long-term bromance, it’s just entertaining.
Oh, and we can’t forget Gwen returning after two seasons off. Did she get along with vocal powerhouse, Alicia Keys?
Now, let’s run down the list of big characters that got the judges turning for them and making it into the next stage of the competition…
Joshua “J Chosen” Hunter
29-year-old Joshua’s rendition of “Sexual Healing” was not entirely spectacular. The song has been performed to death on singing competition series, so we can forgive and forget if you rolled your eyes.
More than anything, his personality shone through the performance, and it showed us at home that he had what it took to advance to the next stage.
With the judges fighting over him, he opted to join Team Gwen.
“I wanted to work with someone that I knew would give me that diversity, different tones, and different melodies,” JChosen explained.
Everyone seemed shocked by the decision, but that’s when the show is great. Predictability does not look good on anything, so we’re off to a good start.
Lauren Dushki
25-year-old Lauren wowed the judges with her performance of “You Were Meant for Me” by Jewel. Her vocals were there, and she had the potential to go far in the competition.
After initially saying she would choose Team Gwen, she did not expect three chairs to turn for her. In the end, she opted for Team Blake who is the best fit for her.
“My heart and soul is in country music, and [Blake] is the king of country,” she says.
Johnny Hayes
Does anyone remember Johnny Hayes from Season 11? No? Well, he’s back and ready to try a little harder.
He performed “Try a Little Tenderness” by Otis Redding. He came complete with a very personal song choice after taking on board some feedback.
Adam knew Johnny was the right person to join his team and pitched the benefits of it to him, while Gwen was left in the dust.
Anatilia Villarada
Anatalia opted to sing “Runaway Baby” by Bruno Mars. The 16-year-old struggled with some fluff notes at the start of the performance.
All of these concerns, however, were put to bed as the song progressed. There was just something about it that was very heartwarming.
Alicia won her first team member after some awkward bickering amongst the judges.
Stephanie Rice
Is it just us or does everyone sound good when they sing Kelly Clarkson songs? Stephanie decided to sing “Piece by Piece.”
Stephanie’s vocals were great, but she had a back story that was just awful. Her family disowned her when she was 18-years-old when she came out to them.
Gwen managed to steal Stephanie for her team.
Mark Isaiah
Mark performed “Mercy” by Shawn Mendes, and it was an infectious performance. The dude had previously won a Justin Bieber concert a few years prior.
You could tell he was going to fit in well with Team Adam and that’s where he wound up.
Brennley Brown
14-year-old Brennley Brown wowed the judges with her rendition of Keith Urban’s “Stupid Boy.”
Blake and Alicia were at odds with one another about where to place the girl, but then she eventually chose Team Blake.
Felicia Temple
Felicia performed “All I Could Do Was Cry” by Etta James. It was a powerful rendition that had the judges close to tears. Things took an intense turn when the judges wanted her.
Eventually, she went with Team Alicia, which is the perfect place for her.
What did you think of all the drama?
Sound off below!
