State Champ Radio The Voice
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The Voice has found another one.
Teen Kaylee Shimizu showed up big time during her Blind Audition Tuesday night (Oct. 3), with a performance that carried the confidence of youth, and the skills of a professional.
Hailing from Ewa Beach, Hawaii, Shimizu covered the Beatles’ “Golden Slumbers,” peppering it with elite high notes — all stability and control — and with more runs than a track and field event.
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The 17-year-old gave us feathery touches, through to the dynamite, and earned a four-chair turn.
John Legend turning first, followed immediately by Niall Horan, Reba McEntire and, after a pause to soak it up, Gwen Stefani.
“We’re just stunned right now. Your voice was just dazzling, it was so creative it was so musical,” remarked Legend. “You know you could win The Voice, right,” he added, before rolling out the red carpet for Team Legend. “You have so much confidence delivering these impossible notes.”
Stefani was “blown away.” The youngster’s “vibrato, it’s so slow,” and it “feels like you have so much control over that,” she added. “I’ve never heard anything like that before and I think it’s because you’re so young and free.”
Horan, as a member of One Direction, has enjoyed several lifetime of experiences. “I cannot believe what I just witnessed,” he enthused. “That was just unbelievable. When we talk about ‘technically gifted,’ I’ve never met anyone so gifted. The song choice was perfect.”
Speaking last, McEntire admitted, “when I was 17 I had not the imagination to be even think about singing like you. I’ve never heard anybody do what you did on stage today. It was spiritual to me.”
Shimizu digs her “soulful R&B” and grew up singing karaoke with her Filipino family, who were invited to join the contestant on center stage.
There could be only one team for Shimizu, and that was Team Legend.
Watch the audition on NBC‘s The Voice below.
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The Blind auditions are rumbling along on NBC‘s The Voice, and, on Monday night (Oct. 2), one particular contestant got tongues wagging.
Hailing from Wrightsville, Arkansas, Mac Royals stepped into the spotlight and showed he’s in the right place. With a voice coated in caramel, Mac covered John Mayer’s “Gravity,” and was an immediate with the judges. All of them.
Royals has a vision to “build a bridge” from the industry to Arkansas, a place lacking in opportunities for talent. “I want to be there personally to help them, so I’m here doing what I can,” he explained.
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Don’t bet against him.
Prior to hitting the stage, Royals remarked: “I hope the coaches can hear my heart and not just my voice,” and that “they can feel the pain in the song that I’m about to deliver, and that’s what’s going to make them turn around.”
Niall Horan didn’t hesitate, as he turned first. John Legend closely followed, then Gwen Stefani, with Reba McEntire bringing up the rear — for a four-chair turn.
“Wow, that was such a beautiful rendition of that song,” Legend later remarked. “You made us forget about the original and just think about who is this person and I was so moved by your performance.” Legend wasted no time in presenting his pitch.
“You have this incredible gifted voice,” explained Stefani. “You weren’t trying got show off your voice, you were showing off you. And your heart. And that was beautiful.”
It was “off the scale, it was amazing,” Horan enthused. “You did everything so well. And brought different variations of your voice, we heard the falsetto, we heard the sick runs in the middle.”
McEntire played the geography card. As an Oklahoman, they’re virtually neighbors. “I had 18 people in my hometown growing up,” she noted, “so I do know about small towns, giving back, helping out.”
The smalltown connection was a winner, as Mac selected Team Reba.
Watch below.
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Yodeling is an artform so difficult to master, it ought to come with a warning — “only try this at home.”
Ruby Leigh is an exception. The 16-year-old from Foley, Missouri stopped by NBC’s The Voice on Tuesday (Sept. 26) for a Blind Audition that was both brave, unexpected and fabulously executed.
Looking the part of a golden-era country star and wielding an acoustic guitar, Leigh hit a cover of Patsy Montana’s 1935 “I Want To Be a Cowboy’s Sweetheart,” said to be the first country song by a female artist to sell more than one million copies. The youngster’s rendition was soaked in thigh-slapping country and western. And yes, yodeling.
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From the opening bounce, the coaches realized they were in for something different. All four turned.
“I truly never heard anything like what you just did,” John Legend explained. “I loved how clear and precise and piercing and beautiful your tone was. And then when you started doing the yodeling, it was like, how was a human being able to do the things that you’re doing? You could win the voice, honestly.”
Gwen Stefani revealed her own secret talents at yodeling, though admitted they were nothing when stacked against the superior Leigh.
The contestant’s energy was “just insane,” remarked Niall Horan. “You got a four chair for a reason.” This kid is “exciting,” he added.
Reba McEntire, the country icon, spoke last. “Being as young as you are, and being a fan of Patsy Montana, I’m a third generation rodeo brat, so Patsy Montana, a country western singer, not just country – there is a difference – I’m very flattered, very proud of my heritage that you’re singing this song.”
McEntire’s mom taught the country legend to yodel, which she duly gave an example of. It was a thinly-veiled sales pitch. Was it a winning one?
Of course it was. Leigh steps into Team Reba.
“Ruby could be a star and have a huge following,” Reba told the cameras afterwards.
The 24th season of The Voice premiered Monday night at 8 p.m. ET on NBC and streaming on Peacock.
Watch below.
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Niall Horan has a squeaky clean reputation in the Kardashian-West household — at least, as far as dental hygiene goes. On the kickoff episode of this season of The Voice, the returning coach shared the unconventional way Kim Kardashian introduced him to her and Kanye West‘s eldest daughter North West, who apparently associated the Irish singer more with brushing her teeth than with his music or One Direction.
“The first time I met Kim Kardashian, I was backstage at an Ariana Grande concert,” he shared. “And she brought North, her daughter, up. And this is how she introduced North to me, she said, ‘North, this is the guy that sings from your toothbrush!’”
The topic came up following a stellar blind audition from 19-year-old Olivia Minogue, who revealed that she was wearing a “Niall” necklace after finishing her performance of Sam Smith’s “Lay Me Down.” This prompted Horan to joke that “the merch did well, guys!” before sharing his story about the teeth-cleaning piece of merchandise evidently purchased by the Kardashian-West family.
Based on the “Slow Hands” singer’s story, it’s unclear whether Kardashian was referring to a toothbrush that played one of Horan’s solo songs or a track from his former boy band’s discography, although co-coach John Legend seemed to think it was the latter. “You guys had singing toothbrushes?” the “All Of Me” musician asked incredulously.
“Oh, did we,” Horan confirmed. Then, emphasizing his point, Minogue revealed that she actually used to have one herself.
Unsurprisingly, Minogue went on to choose Horan as her coach for the season, even though Legend and newcomer Reba McEntire had also both turned their chairs around for the teenager’s soulful voice. The three musicians, along with Gwen Stefani, make up The Voice coaching panel for season 24, which premiered on Monday (Sept. 25). It marks Horan’s second season on the show.
Watch Horan recall meeting Kim Kardashian and North West in the video above.
NBC’s The Voice is back on our screens, back in our lives. And some standouts have already stepped forward for this latest, 24th season.
Mara Justine did her chances no harm with a Rocket Man rendition Monday night (Sept. 25) for her Blind Audition, which she hit deep, coated in a smoky tone. The 21-year-old native of Galloway, New Jersey performed Elton John‘s “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,” a song so iconic, the British pop legend referenced it in the title of his farewell tour.
The coaches went hard and fast. John Legend turned first, immediately followed by Gwen Stefani. The show’s newest coach Reba McEntire turned third, then Niall Horan, the reigning champion coach, to complete a four-chair turn.
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“Someone who’s willing to go into the first round and sing an Elton John song like that takes something. If this is where you’ve set the bar,” Horan remarked, “what are we going to see down the line? America’s going to fall in love with that voice.”
McEntire praised the song selection, Justine’s voice, confidence and stage presence. “You’ve got such a song-spoken voice to have such a big voice when you sing,” she enthused, “that’s incredible.”
The country star kicked off the sales pitches. Legend followed suit. The R&B artist pointed out the youngster’s “tone in the lower part of the song” and her “finesse to also do those really light touches.”
Stefani pushed her enthusiasm beyond, asserting she “would love, die, freak out” at the chance to coach the competitor.
Niall, in his desperation to poach Justine, triggered a giant prop to help catch her attention. Then he strolled over to her and worked his charm offensive. Legend played his own fight by singing “All of Me,” with Justine effortlessly dueted on.
In the end, the choice was all Justine’s. And who did she select? Buckle in. We don’t know the result until Tuesday night.
The Voice premiered Monday night at 8 p.m. ET on NBC and streaming on Peacock. Watch below.
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Just call her The Woman in Black. In this blind audition from Monday’s night’s (Sept. 25) season 24 premiere of The Voice, debuting exclusively on Billboard, aspiring country singer Jordan Rainer makes the bold choice to cover the signature song of brand-new coach Reba McEntire to make her first impression. Rainer is a woman of […]
The gloves are about to come off. Another fall means another new season of The Voice, and the upcoming 24th installment of the singing competition series is already promising a slew of entertaining dynamics amongst the coaches.
In a new video uploaded to The Voice’s official YouTube page on Monday (Sept. 18), season 24’s coaches — John Legend, Gwen Stefani, Niall Horan and Reba McEntire— enjoy their first day on set. For McEntire, the day was something of a crash course in how the coaches operate on The Voice, with season 24 marking her first appearance as a coach. She served as a battle advisor in seasons 1 and 8, and during season 23, McEntire acted as the overall Mega Mentor for every team, advising artists ahead of the knockout rounds.
“It’s day one of season 24 blind auditions, we’re back!” Horan announces at the beginning of the video. “The reigning champ is here. It’s like the first day of school, come on!” Last season, Horan won The Voice — on his first attempt! — alongside 19-year-old contestant Gina Miles.
In a relaxed roundtable discussion between the coaches, McEntire asks, “Am I supposed to like y’all? Be mean to you? Is there something that I need to know to let me win?” Legend quickly interjected that “you’re supposed to direct all the artists my way,” prompting an aghast “your way?!” echo from McEntire. Throughout its lengthy history, The Voice has become synonymous with the playful competitiveness that permeates every configuration of the coaches’ panel — from Blake Shelton and Adam Levine’s early friction to Horan and Shelton’s “father-son” rivalry last season.
On May 15, NBC announced that McEntire would be joining The Voice as a coach. Earlier this year, when asked if she thought she’d make a good replacement for Shelton — who hung up his cowboy hat at the end of last season — McEntire revealed that she was almost one of the original Voice judges. The country music icon told ET that she was originally offered a role on the show before it debuted in 2011.
After a few seconds of McEntire and Stefani gushing over how “cute” Horan’s Irish accent is, the “Can’t Even Get the Blues” singer got serious about her first day on set. “The blind auditions were so much harder than I thought they were going to be,” she said. “They block you, and it’s just so devious! But a lot of fun too!”
In a clip of her addressing the crowd, McEntire joked, “Everybody’s just as sweet and kind offstage as they can be. When they come on the stage though, they kinda change their personalities!” “They’re real mean… especially Gwen,” she teased before breaking out into a fit of laughter.
Season 24 of The Voice premieres on Sept. 25 on NBC at 8/7c. Watch Reba McEntire get into the groove of being a Voice coach above.
After OG coach Blake Shelton‘s final spin last month, The Voice is continuing its reinvention of the coaches panel. While the upcoming fall season 24 will feature Shelton’s wife, Gwen Stefani, alongside fellow returning judges Niall Horan and John Legend, as well as newcomer Reba McEntire, the following season will seriously mix things up.
Come spring 2024, season 25 will bring even bigger changes, with Grammy-winning country duo Dan + Shay joining the lineup as the series’ first-ever coaching duo. They will join Legend and McEntire, along with returning season 23 fan-favorite coach Chance the Rapper.
Though The Voice has never had a two-headed coaching team, Dan + Shay are not strangers to the franchise, as they stepped in as Shelton’s battle advisors in season 20.
Before all that change, though, McEntire will slide into the spot vacated by Shelton for the upcoming fall season 24. Earlier this year, McEntire was asked if she thought she’d make a good replacement for Shelton, revealing that she was almost one of the original Voice judges. She told ET that she was offered a role on the show before it debuted in 2011, with producers pivoting to Shelton when Reba passed.
“I got [a look at] the Holland version of The Voice. They sent it to me and I said, ‘I can’t see me doing that,’” she said in February of her feelings after seeing the original version of the show that went on to spawn a global franchise. “Because, you know, I’m a gypsy at heart,” added McEntire, 68, of her desire not to be tied to one project for so long.
McEntire didn’t totally bail, though, acting as a mentor to Team Blake in 2011, returning in 2015 and then again this past season as a Mega Mentor.
Check out the Dan + Shay tease below.
Blake Shelton might have been a little bit of a sore loser after Niall Horan‘s team won this season of The Voice — but to be fair, it was the country crooner’s final turn behind the red button before retirement, so one last victory would’ve been sweet.
Regardless, Shelton apparently left the former One Direction star without a single word of congratulations following the Voice newcomer’s win with contestant Gina Miles, according to Horan.
“When we left the seat, they announced the winner and I stood up, and then he came for a big hug,” Horan told People of the moments following his triumph. “I gave him a big hug, and he said, ‘I taught you everything you know.’ That’s all he said, not congratulations or anything.”
Shelton and Horan have had a jokey friendship from the very beginning of their first and last season together, a dynamic the “Slow Hands” singer confesses he’ll miss going forward.
“I’m going to miss him,” he told the publication. “He is not one of those famous friends, in my eyes. I think if I had met him outside of The Voice, I would have probably been friends with him anyway,” Horan said. “Weirdly enough, we’ve got a lot in common, we’re quite similar people. Though not in dress sense.”
And while season 23 was Shelton’s last, his wife will be returning to The Voice in his place. After taking a break from the the show this past season, Gwen Stefani is set to coach alongside Horan, John Legend and Reba McEntire for Season 24.
“I’m going to miss [Blake], but I get to work with the other half of that marriage,” Horan said of returning for next season. “I met Gwen at the afterparty for this season’s Voice. She came and surprised Blake on the last night, and she was so funny and so cool, so I’m excited.”
Blake Shelton‘s 23-season run as a coach on The Voice came to a close Tuesday (May 23) with the singing competition’s season finale on NBC.
Shelton, a coach on the show since its first season, was celebrated by several celebs, including his wife, singer-songwriter Gwen Stefani. But he also earned a special shout-out from none other than Country Music Hall of Fame member George Strait, who sent in a video congratulating Shelton.
“Hey, Blake, I just want to say congratulations on the successful run you had on The Voice,” Strait said. “You really stole the show, man, you really did. So, congratulations on that and I wish you the best of luck in whatever you decide to do next. I’m sure it’ll be great, whatever it is, and I’ll see you out there on the road sometime.”
Shelton responded after watching the video, saying, “That’s the true king of country right there.”
The “Minimum Wage” singer has earned the most wins of any coach on The Voice, with nine of his team members taking home victories over the years, including Danielle Bradbery, Cassadee Pope, Jermaine Paul and Sundance Head. However, in Shelton’s final season, Team Blake wasn’t victorious; that honor went to Team Niall Horan member Gina Miles.
Reba McEntire has been named as Shelton’s replacement in the coach’s chair next season. The Voice season 24 coaches are McEntire, Stefani, Niall Horan and John Legend.
Shelton recently told Entertainment Tonight that he plans to spend more time focusing on his personal life after leaving The Voice.
“I want to finally have the opportunity to say yes to more stuff in my personal life and not say, ‘Let me check,’ or just flat-out no,” the singer said.
Check out George Strait’s message to Blake Shelton below:
