The coaches are already battling over a new crop of contestants as season 8 of The Voice has started off strong.
The Voice season 8 has very quickly gotten into the groove. The coaches are great, the contestants are great, and it’s great to be back in action. Blake and Adam are up to their same old shenanigans (though Adam took home no contestants on night one), Pharrell has turned his smooth-talking up to 11, and Christina is back with a vengeance.
It was a pretty upbeat night overall, as the contestants’ schmaltzy backstories were not too heartbreaking. But the most spirit-lifting part of the night was when Pharrell got up onstage to sing his hit “Happy” with a young rejected contestant who had sung the song in her high school a capella contest. He was so sweet, and gave the girl a chance to show her stuff, while encouraging her to pursue her dreams in music. Again, how can we hire Pharrell as our personal life coach?
Standout Blind Auditions
Lowell Oakley
Lowell Oakley may only be 19 years old, but he has an old soul, and a crooner sensibility that completely charmed the crowd with his performance of Duke Ellington’s “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore.” He had the personality, the swagger, and the style (including some rolled-up cuffs a la Louis Tomlinson). Adam and Pharrell both turned for him, and Adam threw out a lot of positive comments, but Pharrell was on board for Lowell’s journey, whatever it may be, and that won Lowell over to Team Pharrell.
Cody Wickline
Twenty-year-old Cody Wickline doesn’t come from a musical family, but it’s clear that music is in his bones. He performed George Jones’ “He Stopped Loving Her Today,” and it was a beautiful, heartfelt performance. His voice is pure, classic country, and he sounded like he’s been singing professionally for years. He held out one note at the end that was so beautiful, it convinced Christina and Pharrell to turn their chairs, giving him a four-chair turn. But he is a country boy, after all, so it wasn’t a surprise when Cody chose Team Blake.
Treeva Gibson
Sixteen-year-old Treeva Gibson has two deaf parents, who unfortunately aren’t able to fully appreciate her talent. But that doesn’t stop them from supporting her, and their support has made her an even stronger performer. Treeva is young, and her performance of Lana Del Ray’s “Young and Beautiful” had some flaws, but ultimately her voice was strong, and with one last push at the end, she was able to impress all four coaches, and win chair turns from Blake and Christina. Both coaches were impressed with her story, and felt that with the right coaching, she could truly be a star. Blake seemed pretty confident, but in the end, Treeva chose Christina, signing her answer so her parents could see it backstage.
Meghan Linsey
Remember Meghan Linsey? You may not recognize her name, but you might know her voice, and her face, as part of country duo Steel Magnolia. Unfortunately, Steel Magnolia, and Meghan’s relationship with her bandmate, are no longer, so now Meghan’s going solo. She hoped her old tour-mate Blake might be able to help her out. Her soulful performance of Nazareth’s “Love Hurts” turned three chairs: everyone but Blake. Awwwwwkward. Blake recognized her as soon as he turned around, and tried to play it off by throwing tons of compliments her way. Meghan was thrilled to hear good feedback from superstar Christina, but in the end, chose to go with Pharrell.
The blind auditions continue Tuesday night at 8 p.m. on NBC.