The Voice Season 16 Recap – Blind Auditions 4 Live Blog and Videos

Opening montage of the contestants telling us about their voices.  Recap of teams fo far:  John has 7 artists, Blake has 6, Adam has 5, and Kelly also has 5 on her team.

Betsy Ade, 40, Kenosha, WI “Hunger” by Florence + The Machine

She has a 10 year old son, she keeps his notes in his pocket.  She traveled in a band until she met a girl and fell in love.  They decided to have a baby, and then the relationship broke up.  Betsy is a single Mom, and would practice her guitar after her son went to sleep.  Gradually moved back into music, so now she’s in a band.  Her son wants her to pick John Legend.  She’s wearing a red leather jacket, her voice is powerful but also has a different edge to it.  She really belts toward the end, and John hits his button, followed by Adam.  She brings it down to tender at the end.  Two chair turn.  Adam says he heard a lot of Florence, but he also heard Annie Lennox and he thinks she’s fantastic.  John loved her power and energy, and her vibe.  Kelly says she should cover Sinead O’Connor.  Adam and John are bantering and fighting for Besty.  Blake tells her John will be a great coach for her.  Betsy picks Team John! (And it was a super fast decision).John says Betsy cuts through the noise and that’s why he hit his button.

https://youtu.be/mUYkmJaztA8

Dalton Dover, 20, Marietta, GA “Don’t Close Your Eyes” by Keith Whitley

He grew up in a trailer with his Mom and sisters in a small town.  He works in a factory as a machine operator.  He got married at 17 because he wanted to be with his wife forever and they were having a baby.  He dropped out of school at 17 to take care of his family.  His Grandpa and brother in law introduced to him music and he’s been playing parties locally.  He’s wearing a ball cap and playing guitar.  Classic country song with a different sound and more runs then typical country.  Blake mouths “he’s really good.”   Blake is the first chair to turn, not a big surprise.  One chair turn.  Adam says he was great.  Kelly says Keith Whitley is her husband’s favorite artist, and we all know you were picking Blake.  Blake says it’s the first song he learned to play on the guitar.  John says he has a rich tone.  Dalton is Team Blake!  Blake says Dalton is one of the best country singers we’ve heard this year.

https://youtu.be/BONhx8N8Els

Preview of Marvel studios Captain Marvel….

Rebecca Howell, 18,  Cochran, GA “The Night the lights went out in Georgia”  by Reba McEntire

She just graduated High School and has never been on a plane, from a small town mostly singing at school and the fair.  Kelly turns immediately.  Blake thinks he’s been blocked and then he realizes there are no blocks and turns.  This is a big Reba song and she’s doing a good job with it tender in spots and powerful in spots, and doing something different notes.  John also turns.  Three chair turn.  John says he may be an unorthodox choice for you, but he thinks she sounded fantastic.  Subtle in the right spots, and belted in the right places.  Kelly tells her she was solid from the beginning, she has a Lee Ann Womack vibe.  She pushed her button first!  Blake says the things he loves about Georgia vocalists is the whiney, nasally sound.  John interjects that she was so precise.  Kelly would love to explore the whole genre.  Blake says I don’t need to explore the genre of country music, I know every nook and cranny of the landscape.  Who does Rebecca pick? We find out after the break!

Really long commercial break….

https://youtu.be/bvlN7fOOEL4

Rebecca says after hearing everybody she picks Team Kelly! Kelly freaks out!  Kelly says there’s a new sheriff in town.

Kendra Checketts, 19, San Diego, CA “Sober” by Demi Lovato

She’s got dark black hair but is a natural red hair.  She’s always been a fan of music and dancing and got into music in 4th grade.  Her Dad was in the hospital with a brain hemorrhage.  Her Mom told her that her Dad wasn’t going to make it through the night, but he did recover after multiple brain surgeries and physical therapy.  Music really got her through helping to stay strong for her parents.  She can’t imagine life without her Dad.  Almost immediate button from Blake, she has a strong start.  Good voice with an emotional edge.  She really tears into it on the bridge and chorus still only Blake has turned and he is on his feet.  She brings it down tender at the end.  Surprising one chair turn.  Adam says she’s a beautiful pairing with Blake.  Kelly says she didn’t turn, and she didn’t break down the last barrier and bring out the ache in her voice.  Blake tells her his job is to coach, he doesn’t sit and wait for people who are ready at this moment but he really wants to coach her.  Kendra is Team Blake!

https://youtu.be/kP8U1WI37Io

Lots of commercials tonight.

J.T. Rodriguez, 23, Chattanooga, TN “Higher Love” by Steve Winwood

He’s a fitness coach.   Around 8 he turned to food after his parents divorce and he put on weight.  He likes to help people stay healthy.  He’s at a fork in the road, does he keep his day job or pursue music?  His Mom was always into music and he grew up watching her.  This is his opportunity to jump back into music.  I do not like this at all, he sounds flat and he’s clearly nervous.  He starts to calm down, but it still sounds like he’s pushing too hard.  So far nothing special even when he tries to belt.  I will be surprised if he gets a chair.   Not surprising, no chairs turn.  Adam says all of them were about to turn around and come back.  John says he’s voice is interesting but he heard nerves and unsureness.  Blake says he wasn’t sure how he was going to work with a 90 year old person after they all start making jokes that he’s an old soul.  No chair turn…

https://youtu.be/64VRhNmOwe8

Comeback Stage with BeBe Rexha, the good news is that J.T. Rodriguez is our 4th come back artist.  Bebe says he has potential. She paired him against Kanard in the battles stay tuned on YouTube for the results!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sh7grRa7oPM

LB Crew, 29, Little Rock, AR “Waves” by Mr. Probz

Final artist of the night got his music from the church.  He wants to do what he’s passionate about as a living, he has been singing with his brothers.  His youngest brother is sick and had to have emergency surgery.  He wants to be an inspiration to his little brother.  He cries when talking about his brother.  He picked the song because it’s about leaving what you love and moving into unchartered territory, towards a destination you are trying to get to.  Soulful voice, Kelly and Blake both turn immediately. He’s keeping it subdued adding some runs.  As he gets to the bridge and hits bigger notes, John and Adam both turn.  Four chair turn.  He ends it softly, nicely done good control.  Kelly is on her feet.  Adam says he’s going to say one thing:  one of his best skills as a singer is falsetto and he thinks he could help LB improve that.  He has a gift, and Adam has the right skillset to help him be even better then he already is.  Kelly points out that she was first person to turn.  Kelly tells him he has range, depth tone, intimacy of falsetto.  John says he has magnificent, beautiful low tone.  Blake jokes with him about Toad Suck National Park (which apparently is an AR thing).  Blake tells him he has a charisma, he has a tortured intentional falsetto.  There’s nobody like you on my team.  LB picks Team Adam!  A little surprising since he had indicated that he wanted John.  LB says he picked Adam because he gave him some constructive criticism.

https://youtu.be/_Rz-dIuyj4U

Next Monday the blind auditions continue!

Quick Recap:

Team Adam:

LB Crew

Team Blake:

Kendra Checketts

Dalton Dover

Team John:

Betsy Ade

Team Kelly:

Rebecca Howell

Come Back Stage:

JT Rodriguez

See you all next week, when The Voice moves to Monday night only.