The Voice 2 – Blind Auditons #2 – VIDEO

Cee Lo is looking very sparkly tonight.  lol

A red sequinned jumpsuit!  lol

I was most nervous about the Prince medley (Prince is my most favorite artist ever), but it doesn’t really seem all that bad.

I think that it’s hard for other artists to sing Prince songs well.  That medley was OK, but not fantastic IMO.

There is an article about the judges in Rolling stone.

OK did this duo watch the show last year?  Blake was so kind and caring and into his people and they decide to go with Christina?  What is going on?

Jamar isn’t a very good actor.  lol

wow. Jamar sharing he has HIV. thats huge. good for him. thats super courageous.

I liked that country duo “The Line”, much better than the duo on The Voice last year.

No, he’s not.  I was like, this is so horribly acted.

Oh no….the sad, depressing ‘Idolesque’ back stories…ugh….

What’s with the cat?  Cee Lo’s homage to Dr. Evil?  lol

Cee-Lo and this cat…

What is with the cat?

Does anyone know any live streaming site aside from NBC? Thanks!

AND why is everyone picking Xtina?

Jamar is talented, but I didn’t see anything that special about him for Cee Lo to pick him.

2 questions:  1. I wonder if the contestants think about picking a judge that will identify with them and thus keep them on the show longer?  2.  What is the deal with the cat?

That whole pairing seemed staged from the start.

Everybody has a sob story, I just want to hear them sing. I don’t need to know their troubles, because we all got some of our own. 

Too much fur

 http://tvpc.com/Channel.php?ChannelID=294

LOL

I was thinking the same thing. I think Cee Lo made a mistake, because there have to be somebody better than him in the latter rounds. It’s a waste of a good choice. 

What is with the cat?

Maybe Cee-Lo’s alter ego is Dr. Evil.

******

You know, if you need health insurance, get a real job! I wouldn’t rely on becoming a self-supporting singer as an avenue to security.

This rocker guy just don’t have anything special about him or the voice. I would pass on him.

I remember last year when they were at the bottom of the barrel & actually went back to contestants who they did not turn around for before.
I don’t think Jamar was a waste of a choice. 

I thought Jamar Rogers was awesome. He was the first one to jump out at me tonight.

I thought Jamar was great.  I thought his style was very Cee lo like.

Doesn’t Carson always say that after the judges perform? Except I hope he didn’t when they sang Queen medley.

I agree.
I think I’ve been spoiled.

I LOVE GWEN!

Blake automatically chooses anyone who sings anything near to country. it seems that at least 1/4 of the contestants are gonna be country. oh god!

“an amp on 10″ as in at the highest (can’t go to 11).

Blake was obviously a good fit for Gwen.  I like her.

Gwen was good. I like her, she’s very down home and she really wants it.

Pamela is Pia2.0

She’s no Kelly that’s for sure.  I’ll be surprised if any of them turn around.

Wow she murdered Kelly’s song. So pretty though.

I am liking more and more that they are showing the chairs not turning. It makes it all the more anticipating and interesting to know what the judges may want. It also makes it less predictable. 

But she can hardly sing as well as Pia. She could barely sing at all.

Shallow comment here, but I wanted her to go through based on looks alone even though she doesnt have “the voice”

Pretty girl, but not a very good singer. 

So did Cee-Lo and Adam

No she can’t sing as well, but she got the same boring presentation style as Pia. 

This woman has no lower register.  lol

Of course she sings Chaka Khan. Of course.

I have never heard anyone cover Kelly good – on Idol or otherwise. 

Chaka, this lady is not, so far.

I get the feeling that Adam and Christina aren’t really that enthusiastic.  lol Unfortunately, I think that she’s fodder.

Not loving Kim’s performance because she did not bring anything new to the song. 

Not a fan of Kim, way overdone. But I hope she chooses Adam.

Too funny.  When I first saw her, I thought Chaka Khan and when she started singing…guess what?  lol

I was not impressed. Do not mess with the Chaka if you are not going to rock it. She comes off like an impersonator.

Notice CeeLo ain’t going for it. He knows the deal.

I don’t see any limitations to your voice is a cop-out answer.  These folks need some direction to go to the next level.  Also every team needs come cannon fodder for the early elimination rounds.

They need to stop the pandering to the judges. 

On another note, GRRRLLL isn’t happy with Chaka’s choice. Heh. 

I remember her on Youtube!

I’ll be rooting for the contestant that doesn’t say “i love all of you”, no matter the voice

I saw that YouTube video!

I think this girl was lucky that Cee Lo turned around. She is weak.  Pitchy…

I don’t think this was a good song for her, even though her voice was good I don’t think it was really strong enough

Those glasses make Cee Lo’s hands look even smaller, if that’s possible.

This girl is amazing! And cee lo is a hard rock fan. Good for her. But i think she would split the votes with Juliet.

Oooo… CeeLo might have a contender here. Military background, not too shabby a vocalist, not bad to look at, and I’m pretty sure she will sing Adele before the season is over. 

I should be disgusted by CeeLo’s skeevy ways, but somehow all I ever do is laugh.

He’s a bit like Ol Dirty Bastard in that way. There is no reason to like a guy who shows up on MTV to collect his food stamps on camera, but nobody ever really hated him no matter how embarrassing he got. LOL

Carson is more engaging this season so far.  He digs the army gal.

lol  Singing BB?

Checked out Neil Middelton. He’s actually in a band Royal Bliss. They have half a dozen albums out. Was signed with Capitol Records. 

and example off their new album released 1/24/12

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YZkSKwzAEo&feature=related

I thought the same thing.  His voice is nothing special.  I’d pass on him.

He can’t sing. But that makes him no different from a lot of boy band dudes.

Country Lady is my favorite so far.

How can he be on this show if he’s already signed?

Cute, but really weak.

Ditto for me, I’ve heard it done a lot better than what he did.

I wouldn’t call him cute.  But yeah, weak.

His downfall was singing Backstreet Boys. His voice could’ve fit a Mraz tune. Not the best vocal but if he pulled of a Mraz, he might have had a chance.

Cute in that boy band, Justin Bieber, tween kinda way.
(but those fans, probably aren’t watching anyway. lol)

Gee.  I’m not impressed with this singer at all.  3 of them turned around?  lol

Gee.  I’m not impressed with this singer at all.  3 of them turned around?  lol

I think that they are impressed with the song’s arrangement.  She’s a little bit like Dia.

His hands are rather “fun sized,” aren’t they.

For some strange reason, I really liked it. I hope she choose Cee Lo.

She picked Xtina?  Ok.  lol  

She was high on the quirky meter, would appeal to the same people that like Lana Del Ray. I can’t see Christina knowing what to do with that.

Getting tired of the Kris Allen maneuver (flipping a hip-hop song). It does work to cover some vocal flaws.

I didn’t get her appeal at all.

Oh oh.  First bad contestant.

You mean the Blake Lewis maneuver, or David Cook…maybe even Bo Bice or Chris Daughtry maneuver. The Andrew Garcia route?

Getting tired of the Kris Allen maneuver (flipping a hip-hop song). It does work to cover some vocal flaws.

Everybody has vocal flaws, or songs that suit their voices better.  She changed a song to fit her style, personally, I think that’s smart.  That’s what every artist does.  

She’s showing that she’s knowledgeable about music, and not just a karaoke singer.  I remember last year that a lot of the women from the voice where applauded for showing that they are musicians, and people wanted AI to start giving the female contestants credit for understanding music, like they’ve been doing with the males.

This is awful.

It’s basically a trainwreck.

I don’t think that this guy is very good at all.

All apply but only Kris took it to a win. David won but his MJ take was done before.  At the same time, it always catches my attention.

Why is he singing THIS song? I don’t get it. He can sing though. But he’s overcooking it. The voice is in there still.

…and then he started talking, and now I am irritated.

Avril?  Ooookay.  This is a mess.   Too shouty.

He made an Avril song sound a little bit better. He sounded angry singing it, though.

Man, just be glad somebody turned around for you!  You aren’t all that.

what a argumentative cocky guy is Jermaine ! he has 0 chances. he could sound like god he would still had no chances

Kris never flipped a hip-hop song.

OMG!!! Blake!!!!! I did not see that coming. I like that Blake told him he has work to do. I am dying to see what Blake does.

S10fan, I already watched Smash so I’m going to skip right now..

I think he made a bad song choice. He can sing, but he started to irritate me with the attitude afterwards. 

That Jermaine dude thinks he’s more talented than he actually is. Oh well. I bet it’s buh-bye sooner than later for him.

I thought he would have picked Cee Lo.  I was wrong.  Heh

I like this woman.

I didn’t like his attitude either.  Like he wanted a guarantee that he would be put through.  I didn’t even think that he was good.  lol

I loved Angel Taylor’s song she had out.  But I don’t know what’s going on here.

Wasn’t Jordis supposed to be auditioning tonight?

She’s no Adele.

Is she another really experienced singer?  lol

I believe AI panders to a different audience. It is essentially a glorified karaoke competition which limits the contestant’s creativity. Prior to Season 5, it was unheard of for contestants to take too much liberty with “their” song choices. Artists like Brooke White, Didi Benami, Lilly Scott and Naima have never really done well in Idol. I can only a few artists who have taken liberties with their songs and done well on the AI stage and all of them are white males. 

Blake really loves himself doesn’t he?  Heh

I wonder if Angel’s family was this excited when she was signed to a major label contract just two years ago, or when VH1 highlighted her for a year.  

I’m not upset with her for being on the show, she’s amazing.  I hope she goes far, but if she was going to try out for a show I think it should have been American Idol.  That seems like it would be a better fit, even with AI’s recent inability to cast a viable black female contestant..

At least she didn’t try out for the X Factor.

as irritating as that guy was…i could look at those arms for another 6 weeks, no problem. 

how bout these background stories…

Yup. Was on the Vh1 countdown for weeks. LOL

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKN-2YEYb-4

Adam was the right pick for her I think.

No wonder she’s good.  lol

Too many ringers with histories in the biz.
I feel so misled :(

This isn’t the place to discuss, but I disagree.  I think a lot of the earlier seasons people did it, but they were limited in how much they changed a song around, because the judges and audience were quick to call them out on not following that week’s theme, like everybody else did.

I really liked Angel. Adam is hard to beat when he really wants somebody.  I’m tired of Christina whining about it but he really is a good salesman.

Crystal did but she never got credit for it with the judges. Still, she made it to 2nd.

Brooke was loved but imploded. I always thought she could have made it further if her nerves hadn’t taken over.

Still, I could see both of them doing incredibly well on The Voice.

Is it bad that I watch this show just for the coaches? lols Really the coaches are so entertaining that I forget about the contestants sometimes. I bet they will have huge ratings again. I really enjoyed tonight’s show even with all the plants. :)
 

Glad to see The Voice is able to do something that Idol has lost the ability to do, cast some black contestants who can sing. Angel was good, she will be better when she relaxes a bit more. 

It’s worth watching just to see the judges. They put Idol’s three stooges to shame.

Two hours and only 1 train wreck; the time flies.  I thoroughly enjoyed watching this episode.

Really enjoyed tonight. Hope they do not have the diminishing returns during the audition rounds like they did last year.

I was so surprised to read that Angel Taylor was auditioning on the voice.  I workout to VH1 everyday and her video was on rotation for awhile.  I think she might have even had a sit down with Jim Shearer, but I am not sure about that.  It was a cute, wholesome video.  I am a west coaster so haven’t seen show yet.

That’s funny as I think Prince writes some good songs but I like them much better when other people perform them .

I dont feel misled at all. The show itself is not trying to hide who has past experience as long as the contestants admit to it.  Dont care one bit who has a previous career as long as they do well, and I loved Angel tonight. YaY Team Adam! I love this show.

Angel should have done her “Breakeven” cover. It fits her voice much better than the Adele song. http://bcove.me/vvuinc45

“because the judges and audience were quick to call them out on not following that week’s theme, like everybody else did.”

Exactly. That is the reason I have come to that conclusion. Though we try to deny it, the audience love AI for being karaoke. If you are looking for a pop star, you don’t go for someone who can sing the highest notes or someone who can sing a song as well as Whitney. You need someone who can take liberty with a song and sell it. If you will notice that in the more current seasons, they have become more lenient with how the contestants perform and have been trying to push AI in a new direction.  I believe it is the audience who are really holding AI back. They’ve been so used to the old AI that it takes a lot of risk for an artist to perform any iconic song differently. 

The X Factor on the other hand disappointed me. I love X Factor UK but it seems like they tried to bring too much of Simon’s Idol era to the show that it was held back. Hopefully the second season will be a great improvement to the show what with their change of line-up.

The Voice on the other hand takes a nurturing approach to their artists and watching the last season, you’ll see that the four coaches really deserve their title. It also helps that it is a new show and hence, they can go for their own market. It feels organic and natural and there is this level of transparency not possible with the way AI and X Factor US works. I am not dismissing AI as a singing competition because it is. All of these shows are singing competitions but if we want to see risks paying off, I believe The Voice is currently the show to watch.

 I was excited when I heard Angel Taylor would be on the show.  I thought her  video from a couple of years ago was awesome.  I don’t mind if they get these people on the show who have had some success in the past, the fact is….they wouldn’t be here if they had made it big, and second chances are deserved, as the music industry is so tough to get into.  I just want to see the people with the most talent compete. 

I don’t care if they have no experience with it or a bunch.  But her raspy voice and style is great…a few similarities to Haley from Idol last year in the tone, which I loved, but I expect her to do well.  I know the video from a couple of years ago has been posted, but I will post it again, because I think this girl is so good that she deserves to make it in the industry.  Now is she more deserving than anyone else and should she win this competition?  That remains to be seen and depends on how well she does (and how well others do) and who performs the best should win.  For those who haven’t seen her video (I know it was posted before but I will post it again) it is worth taking a look at.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKN-2YEYb-4&ob=av2e

I love Brooke White and still follow her from time to time. She didn’t have the best voice on the show but her arrangement of the songs she covered on her albums are a breath of fresh air. I can actually see her winning The Voice if ever she joined but she’s doing quite well now so I don’t think she needs to.

In two hours, they only selected 8 contestants? At this rate, it’s going to take them 12 hours to cast everybody. This show better be two hours a week.

So, of the 13 contestants cast so far: 
Christina: 4 (2 last night and 2 tonight)
Adam/Blake/Cee Lo: 3 (1 last night and 2 tonight)

Last year, the first night, they showed us the very best auditions and in the end, some people re-auditioned. I wonder if any the rejects from tonight will make it on a re-audition. Who should have a chance?

I kinda feel that some of these singers are wasting their time trying out for the voice…ppl like Angel should’ve tried out for Idol or X-factor…I dont think the voice is concerned with their winner have a successful career…its almost like they saying “oh ok you won..now here’s your 100k…now get the hell on”…Idol was mainly successful because it found a superstar in its first season…and i predict that melanie should have fairly decent sales with the amount of promotion she’s been getting so that will add some credibility to X-factor…but if the show isnt focused on making a star then whats the point?? is it going to be just for entertainment???

OAN: how the hell did Idol pass up on Jamar?? he has a great R&B vibe with a little bit of rock thrown in there…

why do you feel mislead?  this isn’t Idol complaing to only pick totally raw undiscoverd talent. 

I enjoyed the show tonight, I like Jamar, Gwen, Lyndsey and Angie  ; i think Lyndsey picked the wrong team though ……. and about  Jermaine, i think he has talent definitely , but oh boy if sound a little arrogant? :/

Aw, Jamar — he was so excited Cee-Lo turned his chair around.

Wow — that was totally different from what I remember Jamar singing on Idol

Angel Taylor toured with Kris when they both opened for Barenaked Ladies. I have her cd! :)

That guy really did sound exactly like Gavin DeGraw

I was actually surprised that Jamar Rodgers made it that far when he auditoned for Idol.  I didn’t think he was that good.  And yeah, they never mentioned his drug addiction or that he is HIV+.

This show has a huge pool of professional singers who have flirted with success to choose from.  It makes for a totally different level of entertainment for the viewer, and I love it!!!  What the chosen ones do with the exposure after the season ends is their responsibility. 

The hot chick & hot guy will probably be back for 2nd chance round and get picked despite not being good. 

I have to wonder what the pile of rejects look like.  There have to be hundreds. 

AND THANK YOU for using the word ‘cast’ correctly.  Every time someone writes ‘casted’ I want to chew my nails off.  ;)

Okay seriously….where are the not so pretty/handsome contestants? “it’s not about looks” but everyone casted so far have little to no problems in the looks department. And the few who might be considered on the lower end, didn’t get picked. 

I love this show too. In fact, as far as auditions go, I much prefer the Voice over Idol auditions. Idol gets good once the semifinals start and we hear each of them perform in front of an audience.   But the Voice captures my interest from  the auditions and throughout. Some of it could be that it is new and different and interesting.

That Jermaine Paul guy was annoying, so arrogant IMO. I thought he was just screaming.
If I were the judges, I would have said “Hm, I change my mind, I did not mean to ring the bell.”

What about the Chaka Kahn lookalike?

I enjoyed the show last night. The ones who made an lasting impression on me was Gwen and Angel, possibly Angie. It was an entertaining show and I can’t wait to see the next round of contestants. 

What these shows point out is how difficult it is to become a TOP recording star.  Few reach that level through these shows (Kelly, Carrie, and Jackie are the exceptions so far).  Some others (Chris, Kellie, David C., Kris, Jennifer) have solid mid-level success so far.  Others still (Reuban, Clay, Fantasia, Taylor, Jordan, David A., Lee) have seen their chart success diminish almost to the point of extinction. Scotty is a work in progress and we’ll see what happens in 2-3 years time.  The winners of The Voice, AGT, X-Factor peak at their 1st release and go down from there.  I have to give credit to those who keep trying but reality seems to indicate that the road is severely uphill.  Kelly set a bar that few will be able to reach. What she did accomplish was to plant the seed of hope and that, perhaps, will be her greatest legacy. 

I’m really liking The Voice so far. My favorites last night were Jamar and Angie. I loved the way Jamar was super excited about being on Cee-Lo’s team, he’s very likable. Angel also had an interesting tone, but she had too many pitch problems, but maybe it was due to nerves.

“Others still (Reuban, Clay, Fantasia, Taylor, Jordan, David A., Lee) have seen
their chart success diminish almost to the point of extinction.”

 Fantasia’s last album went gold and she won a Grammy. Her singles chart very well. It’s just that she’ not a Pop singer and you’re not listening to the stations that play her.

Right now, I don’t think David A and David C are very different in their level of chart success. Both have had big issues following up their early success. And I disagree that Scotty is a work in progress but Kris has already established mid level success. But no argument that maintaining a career in music is hard.

It just seems the show isn’t completely honest about the extent to which some of the contestants have experience in the biz. If you’re not hiding it, show clips of some of their previous work, videos, song clips, etc.
Tell the WHOLE story, not just the spin for the show.

“Others still (Reuban, Clay, Fantasia, Taylor, Jordan, David A., Lee) have seen 
their chart success diminish almost to the point of extinction.” 

Fantasia’s last album produced three top 40 singles.  One peaked at number 7 and another at number 11 on the Billboard R&B and hip hop chart.  Unless you listen to the stations that play her music, it might be hard to see that she’s one of the top female artists on Urban radio.

Ruben is Urban AC.  He’s not going to get as many spins as someone who is pop, but he does well on that format.  He has a song that is currently in the top 40 on that chart, so he’s not extinct.

Taylor and Clay never received any airplay.  AC played their songs at times, but nothing beyond that. 

Lee never really received a serious amount of airplay either.  For all intents and purposes he only released one song that had some label support.

When I saw him, I knew I’d seen Jamar Rogers before, on Idol, but I couldn’t quite place what season. I wonder do Voice producers brainstorm past reality show auditioners and decide to invite them? How do the Voice producers track these people down? But I guess these days so many have an internet presence.

“Taylor and Clay never received any airplay.  AC played their songs at times, but nothing beyond that.”

I don’t know about Taylor, but Clay’s “Invisible” was supported by radioplay and peaked at #37 (Hot 100), #14 (Top 40), #25 (HAC) and #8 (AC).

http://www.billboard.com/#/song/clay-aiken/invisible/4910301

It just seems the show isn’t completely honest about the extent to which some of the contestants have experience in the biz. If you’re not hiding it, show clips of some of their previous work, videos, song clips, etc.Tell the WHOLE story, not just the spin for the show.

To me, if I like someone on one of these shows I immediately go google them and see if I can find anything else out about their previous work.  I assume others are the same way.  In the age of internet no one’s history can be hidden.  Arrest records, bankruptcy, drug addiction and yes even previous record deals will be found and talked about. 

I can see feeling misled from Idol as they never acknowledge people’s often times extensive professional experience.  On The Voice almost all of these contestants talk about how the always been thisclose to hitting it big but have always fallen short. 
I also really enjoy the higher quality of singers that they have on The Voice.  There are only a few previous idols I would say are good enough, just based on their vocals alone, to get these judges to turn around for them. 

It seems a shame then that the voice contestants, with their professional experience and their higher quality of singers, are so far, under achieving in actual records sales and the success of the Idol contestants.

Even James Durbin, a fourth place finisher in a less popular genre of music, has outperformed the Voice’s winner in record sales so far.

There were some good voices last night, some special tones, I’ve liked Angel’s raspy voice, I don’t know how far Lindsey’s coolness will drive her in the competition, Jermaine was too shouty doing that “cute” song, too soon to say I have already a favorite

I’ve predicted some bigger glasses for Cee Lo a while ago, so there they were last night, lol; plus a cute furry “judge” for some help to “smell” some music; man, they should find a new powder-foundation for Adam, he’s so “white” compared with the neck’s contrast-color.

It seems a shame then that the voice contestants, with their professional experience and their higher quality of singers, are so far, under achieving in actual records sales and the success of the Idol contestants.

Even James Durbin, a fourth place finisher in a less popular genre of music, has outperformed the Voice’s winner in record sales so far.

Idol is a proven formula, with a loyal audience.  The Voice is the upstart and has yet to prove themselves.  IMO had Idol not found artists initially like Kelly Clarkson they wouldn’t be anywhere near what they are now in terms of commercial success of their contestants.  Therefore The Voice would need to find a Kelly type winner to make that kind of impact.  However, even if they found someone like a Kelly or a Carrie the chances are slim that the Voice will ever have the same cultural impact as Idol and certainly no show will have the impact Idol has had on music overall.  It’s a machine.  As for not selling as much as 4th place finishers, more commercial success doesn’t = more talented IMO. 

Fantasia has as much or more sales and chart success as JHud whenever she releases an album. Whenever Fantasia grows up and acts more professional, she’ll hopefully have as much visibility too…the R&B world loves them some Fantasia. I just heard her songs on the radio 3 times yesterday.

But still, I agree with the point you made overall.

i’m calling it, it’s either jamar or jesse

Why? Most viewers don’t want a personal resume of everyone who auditions. I don’t need to know everything they’ve ever done. AI has been doing the same thing for years. AI doesn’t get people with near as much experience, because that isn’t the type of show it is, but it still doesn’t tell the WHOLE story.

It was another very enjoyable show last night! The Prince Medley was great and Cee Lo had on a very sparkly outfit. lol

I remember Jamar from AI, but I don’t remember them telling us he was a meth addict who was HIV positive. Maybe that was why he didn’t make it that year? Maybe they thought that AI viewers couldn’t handle that. Jamar has a great vibe and is a likeable personality. It will be interesting to see how far he goes.

I liked Angel’s voice and the woman that sang Stay had a strong country voice. I was surprised that the country duo picked Christina. She is getting some good artists so far. I’m liking Christina as a judge more this year than last year.

The judges pick and poke at each other, but they all seem to respect each other. They have built up a nice chemistry over the past year and it really is making these audition rounds fun to watch! I’m excited for this season!

She was not ugly. Considering she’s 50, she looks amazing.