Tonight on NBC the Emmy award winning music competition The Voice returns with an all new Monday February 23, season 8 premiere episode called, “The Blind Auditions,” and we have your weekly recap below. On tonight’s episode, blind auditions are held in the Season 8 opener. The coaches are Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, Christina Aguilera and Pharrell Williams.
In the last season of The Voice, Craig Wayne Boyd was the winner. Did you watch the last season finale? If you missed it, we have a full and detailed recap right here for you.
On tonight’s episode in the season eight premiere as per the NBC synopsys, “the “blind auditions” are held in front of the celebrity panel of musician coaches, including Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, Christina Aguilera and Pharrell Williams, who each pick vocalists for their individual teams. The strongest vocalists from across the country compete to be selected by one of the coaches and fight for a chance to win the title of being named “The Voice.”
Tonight’s Live season 8 premiere is going to be exciting. We’ll be blogging it right here for you. In the meantime hit up the comments section and tell us how excited you are for season 8 of The Voice.
Tonight’s episode begins now – Refresh Page often to get the most current updates!
On #VoicePremiere, Christina, Blake, Pharrell Williams and Adam Levine are performing together to start the show. These four are back as judges and tonight is the first night of blind auditions. Sarah Potenza is 34, Italian and from Nashville. She had a country blues band with her husband Ian. Ian and her dad are both there for her audition. Her dad has Parkinson’s but has told her to be brave.
Sarah sings Stay With Me. She has a Janice Joplin quality sound. Adam is the first to turn. Pharrell is next and he’s on his feet jamming to her song. Blake finally turns and Christina turns at the last few notes. Blake says they have a connection because of Nashville. Pharrell and Adam both creep up closer to her. Pharrell woos her then Adam hugs her. Pharrell says he wants to make her music.
Sarah chooses Blake. He’s thrilled and goes to hug her. Pharrell and Adam hug each other in consolation.
Next up is Lowell Oakley, a 19 year old from North Carolina whose uncle has a degree in opera. He wants to do R&B in soul. He says this audition will decide if he will pursue music or business. His whole family is there to listen. Lowell performs Duke Ellington’s Don’t Get Around Much Anymore.
Adam turns almost immediately. Pharrell then turns in the last few moments.
Adam says “oh my G” and says Lowell charmed the crowd. He says it felt like they were at a club. Christina asks Blake why they didn’t turn around. Pharrell says he’s “other” and is totally at home with it. Adam says he knows what Lowell wants and can do it. Pharrell says it hasn’t been done yet and he wants to do it with him. Pharrell has a much better sales pitch.
Pharrell stands and takes off his jacket as part of his appeal. Lowell chooses Pharrell who drops down to his knees in thanks then goes to shake his hand.
Rob Taylor is 22 and from Donaldsonville, Louisiana was raised by his single mom and then she had a massive stroke when he was in 6th grade and now he takes care of her because of extensive paralysis. He says his grandma taught him his first song and his grandparents made him sing in church. He went to Berkley College of Music but then dropped out to help take care of his wheelchair-bound mom.
Rob sings I Want You and Christina turns almost immediately. When he hits his falsetto, Pharrell and Adam turn. Blake is the lone hold out. Christina goes to hug Rob and tells him he’s Team Christina all the way and says he has to come home to her. Adam says that was a bold move. Christina asks who his inspiration is and he says it’s his disabled mom.
Christina says she wants to meet his mom and be part of the family. Rob chooses Christina and she screams then says bam to the guys then runs to hug him. Christina goes backstage with him to meet his mom.
Ivonne Acero is 16 and from Aguila, Arizona a small town that is home to the cantaloupe. She says she works at the cantaloupe factory in her small town and has been saving up for a plane ticket to come to The Voice auditions. She has only sung in her school choir and hasn’t been doing that long. She performs Try by Colbie Caillat.
It’s really shaky until she hits the hook then it gets much better. She’s pitchy. Nobody turns around. Adam asks her name and he says there was a lot of good things and says she needs to come back and try again. Pharrell shows her how to hold the mic then says she has an enormous gift but she needs to unwrap it. Christina says she needs to develop herself as an artist and get to know herself.
Blake says he was actually mad at himself for not turning and says she’s five minutes away from having a four chair turn. Blake says he let her slip through his fingers and as a coach he should have been more ready for someone like her. The only judge without a contestant now is Adam.
20 year old Cody Wickline from West Virginia is up next. He is in he nursing program and says he’s the first person in is family to go to college and also the only person in his family that sings. Cody sings He Stopped Loving Her Today by George Jones. Adam turns within seconds. Christina tells Blake his voice is kind of dope. Blake finally turns around. Adam is upset. Christina turns then Pharrell.
Cody gets a big standing o from the judges and crowd. Adam says brilliant voices transcend all genres and says it’s the best country performance he’s heard on the show. He says he’s going to fight for him. Adam says he doesn’t need Blake. But Blake says that is the most important country song of the last 60 years but says he can hear Merle Haggard.
He says he needs someone to introduce him to Nashville and points to himself. Pharrell says Blake is right but that any of them could rise to the occasion to work with him. Pharrell says he’s been to the CMT’s twice. Christina says she was intimidated when she heard the country but says his gift is undeniable. She calls him a true talent. Blake asks why he’s even talking to them.
Cody chooses Blake (of course). Adam says it’s not fair. Blake says he made him sweat it out. He goes to give Cody a hug and welcomes him to the team. He calls his mom to say he turned all four chairs.
Next up is Treeva Gibson, she’s 16 and from Frederick MD. She grew up with two deaf parents. She says her parents could never hear her but understand why she loves to sing. Her parents and sister Deanna are there and she interprets for their parents. Her parents are both educators. She lost part of her own hearing when she was 13.
Treeva sings Lana del Ray’s Young and Beautiful. Christina and Blake turn within moments of each other. Adam and Pharrell don’t turn. Blake gives her a standing o. Adam says it was kind of messy then got great. He’s floored when she says she’s just 16. Christina says she liked the texture of her voice. She says it was pitchy here and there but you can work those flaws out especially as young as she is.
Pharrell says he missed out by not turning and says she can use her voice cracks. Blake is shocked when he hears both her parents are deaf. He says her voice draped over the band and says she was born to sing that way. Treeva signs so her parents can see who she chooses. She chooses Christina who hugs her and says her voice is beautiful. Treeva says she’s a huge fan of hers and Christina says she can’t wait to hear more of her story.
Mason Henderson is next and he sings Riptide by James Keogh. He gets no chair turns. Blake says he didn’t hit his button because it seemed too dramatic like he was on 10 the whole time. Adam says they felt his passion but he might want to rein it in and get some control. Christina says she thinks his guitar was making his voice jerk a little. Pharrell says he needs to sing outside of his sweet spot a little more.
Next is 28 year old Meghan Linsey who used to sing in a duo called Steel Magnolia with her boyfriend in Nashville. She even had a record deal and says they went on a tour and had a billboard top five. She even opened for Blake 10 years ago. But in 2011, she and her BF broke up and then the band did too. She’s been trying for a solo career but says it was back to square one and humbling.
Meghan sings Love Hurts by Nazareth and does it very soulfully. None of the judges are turning then almost simultaneously, Christina, Pharrell and Adam all his their buttons. Only Blake doesn’t turn around. When he does, he recognizes her. Adam tells him not to talk and she says she toured with Blake. Adam says Blake should feel bad but Blake says he would have been pissed off if she didn’t pick him.
Christina says she was giving it all and she was enraptured. She tells her she’s team Meghan. Pharrell says he turned around because he sensed her soul and says he heard some Joplin and wants to garnish her with song selection. Adam says there’s a lot of talk about genre but says she doesn’t need to be in a box since she has raw passion and a great voice. Christina plays the woman card. She woos her some more.
Meghan chooses Pharrell. Adam and Christina are both upset. He hugs her. She says she chose him for his producing and brilliant song writing but says she can’t believe she didn’t pick Christina. Pharell is happy and says he wants to work with different people. Blake is kicking himself for not turning but says she was a good choice for the other judges.
Next is Joshua Davis from Michigan who is 38. He says he played folk music in college and after. He has his wife and daughter there and says he likes that The Voice will take an artist like him and put him in front of a wider audience so he can provide for his family with music. He sings Bob Dylan’s I Shall Be Released. Adam and Blake turn within seconds. Adam is so into it, he starts singing along.
Pharrell and Christina never turned. Blake and Adam want to know what’s wrong with them. Pharrell says he has tone, control and character. Christina says his voice has a lot of textures. She says she thought his sound was more for the guys. Blake says he felt like he was curled up by the fire listening to him. He says it’s a totally different sound and he wants to work with him.
Adam says he heard so many things going on his voice. Adam says his roots are in music similar to what Joshua likes. He mentions that he covered that song and Joshua says he heard that album. Blake says Adam wants him to help himself while Blake wants to help Joshua. Adam says he grew up in a band and then says Blake doesn’t get it.
Joshua chooses Blake. Adam throws up his pen in disgust and covers his face while Blake crows. He says he made his season and goes to hug the guy. Joshua tells Adam he’s sorry. Adam tells him to go sit down because he’s upset with him. Blake laughs in his face and says his pitch was terrible. He mocks him for saying he would split the victory with him. Adam wonders if he’s lost his mojo and calls Blake the devil. Pharrell says it’s like having two Vince Vaughns on set all day long.
Next up is Bryce Sherlow who is on a winning a Capella group. She’s just 17. She studied ballet seriously but then decided to pursue singing and says she sang Pharrell’s Happy at the finals. She comes out and sings Cool Kids by Echosmith. No one turns around. Pharrell says he should have turned around and she says she sang Happy. He asks her to sing it now.
Christina says he should sing it with her. He goes up and they sing together. Adam tells her she needs to come back and audition again. As it stands, Blake has three, Christina has two and Pharrell also has two. Adam has a big goose egg.
Next is 15 year old Sawyer Fredericks who lives on a farm in upstate New York. He’s doing Man of Constant Sorrow by the Soggy Bottom Brothers. Adam, Christina and Pharrell turn within moments. Blake finally turns. Adam says he has to pick him and says he’s going to change his mind if he has to. He says he needs someone to crush Blake with and say she’ll be the last person standing. He tells him to act with his heart.
Christina says he has to pick her so they can be friends, buddies and roommates. She says he’s a legend in his own right and says she will not let him down and says not to go the obvious route. Blake asks where he’s from and Adam says that’s nowhere near where Blake is. He says it was like Sawyer was singing into an old vintage mic. Adam says it sounds like Team Adam.
Blake says he’s awesome and says maybe Pharrell won’t sound as desperate. Pharrell says this is his destiny. He says even if he’s not on his team, he’s excited to watch the amazing thing happen. Sawyer chooses Pharrell. Adam says he doesn’t even know what to do anymore. They compliment each other’s hats as Adam says he gives up. Christina hates that she didn’t get him. She says she hopes she can steal him.
THE END!
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