The audition stage of any singing competition always tends to drag along, even on The Voice. You don’t know the contestants well enough to feel fully invested in them, they follow the same repetitive formula audition after audition, and the episodes air in long two-hour blocks. Sometimes one of the coaches says or does something interesting or funny, but it’s not enough to make up for the rest of it. With round three of the blind auditions taking place last night, we saw some talented singers, but overall, it was a bit of a let down. At this point, I’m ready for them to move onto the next stage of the competition, but we’ve still got a few more nights of blind auditions to go.
Each coach picked up a few more singers for their team last night, Adam needed to make up for not getting anyone in the first round and added five people to his team. Three of those five were shown to us in a montage, making it impossible to tell whether or not they’ll be any good. Nonetheless, James McNeice, Bren’nae DeBarge, and Nicolette Mare all joined his team, and it’ll be interesting to see in the coming rounds if they have what it takes to stick around. They’re certainly at a disadvantage, having not been given a full audition.
Michael Leier also joined Adam’s team. He has experience playing in a band at bars, but you never would have guessed that watching his performance. The performance was stiff and bland, with no energy, and his voice was decent but nothing special. Adam also turned for Barry Minniefield at the last minute, the only coach to do so, which automatically landed Barry on his team. Even Adam seemed disappointed with his decision when he saw that Barry was a bit older. There’s no doubt he has a decent voice, but there are thousands of people out there who could have given the exact same performance. But hey, he’s got Jay Leno on his side, so who knows how far he’ll go?
The other three coaches each picked up three more singers. For Pharrell, this included ‘rock ballerina’ Kimberly Nichole. She has a lot of soul and will make a good addition to his team. His big get of the night, however, was Travis Ewing, whose unique arrangement and voice, along with his clear musical expertise should take him far. Another contestant who was brushed aside in a montage, Noelle Bybee, will also be on Pharrell’s team, hoping to make it far.
Team Blake picked up some young talent last night, starting with Kelsie May, who is only fifteen years old. Her young age is surprising, considering how mature she sounds in her interview as she talks about a friend who passed away. She’s very likable and has a great voice, a combination that could take her far. Blake also picked up eighteen year old Jacob Rummell, whose high pitched voice left the coaches surprised to discover that he was a guy. Matt Snook, whose small clip during a montage made it clear he was a country singer, became the last member of Team Blake for the night.
Unsurprisingly, Christina picked up a few more big voices for her team, the first of which was Sonic. Her nickname comes from being deaf in her left ear, but she doesn’t let this stop her. With a big range and strong voice, she’s perfect for Team Christina. It’s hard to say whether or not Clinton Washington will add much to her team, but his voice sounded promising in the montage. The best contestant of the night and the only person to turn all four chairs, India Carney, also picked Christina. Her voice is special, leaving the coaches all fighting for her. In the end, it’s her love of Christina since childhood that made India’s decision for her.
Amidst this all, there were a couple fun moments with the coaches. Adam’s ‘blind audition’ was the most entertaining part of the night, breaking up what would have otherwise been an extremely boring episode. Hopefully, tonight’s round of blind auditions can bring a little more excitement to the competition. If not, at least we’ll only have to deal with blind auditions for a few more episodes.
[Photo via NBC]
Follow Us
