The Voice Recap: The Last of the Blinds Leave Tears in the Coaches’ Eyes
Who knew you needed tissues to watch The Voice? Monday’s episode became unexpectedly emotional when one singer, whom you’ll read all about below, left at least two members of the coaching panel in tears with a heart-tugging Whitney Houston cover (and the story of its significance). Gwen Stefani might actually want to keep crying, too, because the last contestants that she added to her team were significantly less impressive than John Legend, Reba McEntire and Niall Horan’s recruits. Read on, and we’ll go over all of Monday’s Blind Auditions…
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Huntley (Team Niall), “She Talks to Angels” — Grade: A | Once a metal-band “screamer” (his descriptor), amiable Huntley was afraid that he wouldn’t get any chair turns in front of his little girl. He needn’t have worried, though. His spectacular, whiskey-soaked rasp won over all four coaches and prompted Reba to compare him to Chris Stapleton.
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Azán (Team Legend), “Golden” — Grade: B- | This 28-year-old Texan, whose husband has long been her biggest fan, earned a two-chair turn with a Jill Scott cover that fluctuated between great control and… let’s say less-great control. Strong, nuanced voice, just not sure she’s able to hold the reins on it.
Eli Ward (Team Gwen), “Bruises” — Grade: C | This 21-year-old, who traded his dream of running track for one of recording tracks, inspired chair turns from Gwen and Reba (who seems to turn for everybody, no?) with an audition that started promisingly but ran off the rails as soon as… his would-be coaches faced him.
Brailey Lenderman (Team Niall), “If It Makes You Happy” — Grade: B- | Told years ago that she was too heavy and old to make it in music, this now-33-year-old showed promise on her Sheryl Crow cover but suffered from pitch issues. Even Gwen, who vied with Niall to be Brailey’s coach, admitted that she’d made some “weird choices” in her performance.
Dylan Carter (Team Reba), “I Look to You” — Grade: B+ | This 20-year-old, who’d suddenly, unexpectedly lost his mom, hadn’t sung her favorite Whitney ballad since trying to at her funeral. Technically, the four-chair turn’s performance was occasionally iffy, but it was so heartfelt that it turn reduced both John and Reba to tears.
Claire Heilig (Team Gwen), “Tennessee Orange” — Grade: C | This single mom, who described her sound as country meets indie, delivered a Megan Moroney cover that was kinda average through and through. Not bad — you wouldn’t run out of the karaoke bar if the one-chair turn got up on stage — but not at all memorable, either.
Lennon Venderdoes (Team Niall), “The Night We Met” — Grade: A- | Giving serious Stephen Sanchez vibes, this songwriter wowed John, Gwen and Niall with a vocal that was so pretty — and, his eventual coach added, “pure and clean” and full of character — it felt like a hug for the ears.
Taylor Deneen (Team Legend), “Redbone” — Grade: A | Yes!!! This 23-year-old with a smile like sunshine not only sang with sensational soulfulness and warmth, she stretched notes into runs like she was pulling vocal taffy. “That was flawless,” Niall marveled. And “you just kept getting better and better,” John added.
Calla Prejean (Team Gwen), “You’re So Vain” — Grade: C- | Sara Evans’ onetime personal assistant, Calla appreciated the boldness of Carly Simon’s classic, she told us before auditioning. But the one-chair turn didn’t bring much attitude to her rendition. Worse, she sounded off more often than on. Short trip from the Battles to home, methinks.
So, what did you think of Monday’s Blind Auditions? Vote for your favorite below.
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