And just like that, the auditions are done and the battles have begun.
Tuesday night’s episode of NBC’s The Voice saw team leaders Kelly Clarkson, Adam Levine, Queen Latifah, and Riley Green complete their rosters as the Blind Auditions came to an end.
The turns came in a flurry as each of Green, Levine, and Clarkson had two spots to fill, and Latifah had one to give.
Going first was Lillie Kolich, a 25-year-old New Mexico native who covered Sombr’s “Back to Friends.” Latifah spoke the quiet words out loud with an enthusiastic “I like it.” Perhaps she didn’t like it as much as Clarkson, Levine, and Green who turned almost simultaneously. Latifah hit her buzzer late, giving Kolich a four-chair turn.
Raised in Albuquerque, Kolich is now based in Nashville and “pretty much fulltime songwriting,” she told the coaches.
With her cool, stripped-back performance, Kolich put herself in the box seat as Clarkson, Levine and Green unfurled their best sales pitches. “I heard a storyteller,” Green remarked. “And all I want to do is help you tell that story.” Kolich even hangs out in Green’s bar, so there’s that.
Clarkson was equally impressed. “Dude, you’re rad. Your tone…sombr is like one of my favorite artists to be listening to right now. That one I never even thought about being into that vibe.” Even better, “why don’t we sing it together,” she added.
Levine tried a different approach. “I’m awesome.” He went on to praise the contestant’s choice of song and cascading talents. “The coolest thing about your voice is that in the beginning it had a bit of a softer presence and I loved that. But then I heard you open up more and realized, wow, there’s a lot more dynamic in your voice. All these layers came out…I’m going to be honest, I think it’s going to be tricky to have a voice like yours and win this competition.” But he can get her there, he reckons.
Latifah turned last, spoke last. Laughed last. “If you’re able to do that,” she remarked on how Lillie turned a current smash into something of her own, “you’re able to do anything. You’re able to win this show.”
In the end, Lillie had a choice to make. That was The Queen, Latifah.
Without any time wastage, producers called the start of the Battle Rounds. Green was forced to make an early, tough decision, when he paired up Nashville baker Brandy Neelly with sisters Ferryn and Brinkley.
Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Carly Pearce stepped in as Battle advisor, as the contestants faced off with Miranda Lambert “Mama’s Broken Heart.”
In the end, Green went with the sisters Ferryn and Brinkley, who advance to Cut Week. Neelly wasn’t given a lifeline by the other coaches.
The Voice is currently in its milestone 30th season, with episodes airing Mondays and Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on NBC, streaming next day on Peacock. Battle performances continue Monday, Oct. 12.
