The coaches were not messing around tonight, as we saw some of the hardest-fought battles over some very talented contestants.
It was an interesting night on The Voice. There was someone singing to a pizza, skorts, a Selena song (finally), one of the weirdest voices we have ever heard in eight seasons, a surprisingly aggressive Pharrell, and the pimp limp. This show never fails to entertain, that’s for sure.
Standout auditions
Koryn Hawthorne
Sixteen-year-old Koryn Hawthorne loves to perform, even showing off her vocal stylings at her job at the local pizza shop, and performing for an elderly audience at nursing homes. She chose Emeli Sande’s “My Kind of Love” for her audition, and showed off a vocal maturity that surprised all of the coaches. Christina and Pharrell both turned their chairs, leading to their first-ever head-to-head battle. Their “battle” turned out to be pretty lovey-dovey, ending with hugs shared between Christina and Pharrell, and of course Adam and Blake. In the end, Koryn’s love went to Christina.
Jeremy Gaynor
Jeremy Gaynor knows a thing or two about music and discipline. He is the lead vocalist for the West Point Band, and sings all types of music for all types of occasions. He loves his gig at West Point, but his wife is expecting their first child, and he wants a different kind of legacy to leave his daughter. Jeremy’s performance of The Carpenters’ “Superstar” earned enthusiastic turns from all four coaches. Adam pointed out his work ethic, and Blake tried to pretend he had a chance, but Christina was relentless, and won Jeremy over in the end.
Brian Johnson
Brian Johnson has always loved music, but he had to put his musical dreams on hold in order to help out his father when he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. His father and his wife encouraged Brian to take his chance on The Voice, and see if he could make his dreams come true after all. After having struggled with body image issues and bullying in school, Brian felt the blind auditions were the perfect opportunity for him. His performance of Rod Stewart’s “Reason to Believe” was so strong, that Adam turned around after only the first “ooooo.” Blake turned around later, but Adam was way confident that Brian was his. Oops, guess who’s the newest member of Team Blake?
Corey Kent White
Corey Kent White is the country-singing Lucas Grabeel we didn’t know we needed. The towheaded Oklahoma boy looks just the High School Musical star, but has a voice that’s like honey to your ears. Corey’s decision to sing Zac Brown Band’s “Chicken Fried” was the perfect choice because that song evokes the same feelings of carefree summertime happiness as Corey’s voice. Pharrell and Blake both turned around, and it seemed like an easy victory for Blake, right? But Pharrell and Adam both teamed up to present their case to Judge Corey, arguing that Corey would hold a unique country spot on Pharrell’s team. But Blake argued right back, making Corey’s decision a very difficult one. But Oklahoma boys gotta stick together, so Corey’s joining Team Blake.
Tune in Wednesday night at 8 p.m. on NBC for the conclusion of the season 8 blind auditions.