Did you enjoy the closing ceremonies for the Olympics? Let’s hear it for Carnival! Stunning colors and costumes, great music – and not a single “wardrobe malfunction”!
Early on, NBC did a special video celebrating the American female athletes, because they won over half the medals for the US – including gold medals! Is this an omen for The Voice coaches Blake Sheldon and Adam Levine? As you’ll see, The Voice 2016 Preview Show review, it looks like the women may be ahead in The Voice games as well!
Yes, I said the women. This season there are two female coaches competing: Alicia Keys and Miley Cyrus! Here’s a special early look at the coaches chemistry:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKcbjoRToOk?rel=0&w=640&h=360]
The First Set of Blind Auditions: Recap
Wow! When they said previews I didn’t think they were going to actually start the blinds! The next episode of The Voice isn’t until September 19th!
The first performer is Wé McDonald:
As soon as Wé starts singing you know she’s going to be on. The huge voice is out of this girl is phenomenal! In fact , I was wondering what took them so long to turn around! Miley hits her button first, Blake and Alicia do once the music comes in. Adam waits until nearly the end. Seriously, Adam?
The song she did is “Feeling Good” – and she came in a capella! Her sound is a mix of silky soprano jazz and alto R&B. You can tell she’s got some major vocal range, even though she didn’t really use it today.
The biggest surprise of all though is when Wé speaks! As Alicia says later, “She sounded like Minnie Mouse!” Alicia speaks first about how beautifully We’ is, saying she is “perfectly herself.”
Alicia: I just feel so much inside you – and that’s what we need in music.
At this point, Wé thanks her – and reveals that she’s always been bullied in school and had been “ashamed” of who she was. Miley jumps right on that! She manages to be both sincere and funny as she tossed out her pitch to Wé.
It’s the scariest thing in the world to feel alone. But you’re definitely not. You’ve got four people who are about to – trust me – go ham to get you on their team. So, you gotta a friend in all of us, and hopefully a coach in me.
Well done, Miley!
Blake Goes next, then Adam. They aren’t bad. Miley pipes back in about touring at 16 and 17. and hints at having difficulties facing on-line trolls. However, then Alicia gets back into the pitching!
You came to this show to meet me.
Alicia tells Wé about being how she’d had to work to be true to herself at 15 when she got signed. Then there’s her final piece to seal the deal.
Earlier, Wé ‘s Dad could be heard cheering off-stage when Blake said he’d do anything for her. Alicia tuned right into that! Noting to Wé about how great it is that she has good family support, she invites the girl’s family out on stage. It’s a smart move, one I don’t think we’ve seen done before. It pays off! Wé picks Alicia!
Darby Ann Walker
Darby’s Mom packed up her family – including Darby’s two sisters – and moved to L.A. for Darby’s career! Darby sings “Stand By Me” – the Florence and the Machine version – in honor of her mother. Host Carson Daly asks her if that’s a little risky. Darby agrees that it is, but that it represents her well.
Miley is in first again! Adam and Alicia come in second, and Blake hits the button last.
Darby and Miley bond over the love of flowers on their clothes and “Grandma Power.” This is a cute moment. The vest Darby has on belonged to her grandmother, and Miley shared the tattoo of her own grandmother on her arm!
Miley then gets up and sings the classic country tune Jolene with Darby – and they sound awesome together! Miley points out the similarities in the qualities of their voices. It’s true, there’s a real compatibility between them.
However, Darby says Alicia’s song No One was her favorite song when she was ten. Right before it’s time to pick a coach, Alicia bites off of Miley’s move and gets up to sing with her. You can tell that while she “loves” the song Jolene, Alicia’s song is in her DNA.
Who’s she going to pick? I’d say Alicia, but Miley hit her button first – and there is the whole Grandma power thing. It feels like Darby really would have more in common with Miley…. This is the longest commercial break ever!
She chooses Miley!
The Voice 2016 Preview Show: The Coaches Sing!
Alicia, Blake, Adam and Miley cover the Aerosmith song Dream On – and it totally rocks!
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2l2HQdPt92U?rel=0&w=640&h=360]
Adam’s falsetto is still awesome! This song is right in his wheelhouse, and pretty close for Miley as well. It’s not really Blake’s, but he holds his own. The one that really gets to shine a different musical light though is Alicia. I would have never pictured Alicia Keys doing rock, but she nails it!
What Miley and Alicia Bring to The Voice
After watching The Voice 2016 preview show it’s clear that a strong theme for season 11 of The Voice is going to be about embracing uniqueness and building self-esteem. As artists, this idea is always present on the show, but it’s now front and center.
It wouldn’t surprise me if this is coming out of Miley and Alicia being coaches. Both of these women have fought to create their own identity as women and as recording artists.
Each woman has also founded non-profit companies that, in different ways, seek embracing the whole of humanity. The importance of this is a passion they had to have had early on in life. Both women were around 21 when they founded these. (Yes, Miley is only 23!).
- Alicia co-founded Keep a Child Alive in 2003. Their mission: “to realize the end of AIDS for children and families, by combating the physical, social and economic impacts of HIV.”
- Miley founded The Happy Hippie in 2014. Miley’s organization dedicated purpose is, “to rally young people to fight injustice facing homeless youth, LGBTQ youth and other vulnerable populations.“
How Do They Fit With Adam and Blake
In terms of the group chemistry, in this preview it’s still feeling itself out. Miley and Alicia come off as very cohesive. They genuinely seem to like each other. Miley and Adam have a competitive older brother, younger sister vibe. Alicia is very laid back, which meshes well with everyone. The least solid connection is Miley and Blake, but it’s not like there’s any animosity. It more likely that Blake is still sizing her up.
This is because on the show Miley is the most competition Blake has ever had in terms of country music. Yes, with Miley there’s the whole Hannah Montana pop thing and she’s got the wild-child twerker period. Both are still fresh in the public’s memory.
However, as we know, country music is literally in Miley’s DNA. She’s been walking the road back to country music for a few years now, and proven she’s good at it. For the younger singers who follow country music, they’re not going be thinking about Hannah Montana, nor about Miley sticking her tongue out. No, they’re going to be thinking about her being Billy Ray Cyrus’s kid, and her hit Wrecking Ball. Not to mention all the musical collaborative stuff she’s done with her Happy Hippie foundation. …Blake has reason to worry!
The Wrap Up
The Voice 2016 Preview Show surprises by showing viewers two of the blind auditions. It can seem little unfair, because it’s giving the two singers nearly a month’s head-start on being in the public eye. However, the show will likely start releasing a few other blind audition videos – only without revealing who the coaches are. That will balance it out to be more like the regular blinds. If they do, we’ll be posting those videos here at TVoverMind. As for the auditions that were in previews – here they are!
Wé McDonald: Feeling Good
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAPWUdxdOV4?rel=0]
Darby Walker: Stand By Me
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S51ldd1Hg50?rel=0]
Anyone care to wager about these two making the top twelve? I have no idea about the other singers, but both of them have incredible voices! Is it September yet? The Voice officially premieres on Monday, September 19th at 8pm on NBC. See you then!
(Photos by: Trae Patton/NBC)
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