The Voice US (2011) s07e01 Episode Script
The Blind Auditions Premiere
1 This opportunity on "The Voice" is not like anything that I'll get anywhere else.
These coaches will be able to help me as an artist to grow.
To guide me and teach me.
You don't ever give up on a dream.
You never know when it's gonna show back up.
Give it up for your coaches! Adam levine! Even after six seasons, I still get humbled by all the talent that I see.
This could easily be the best season yet.
Gwen Stefani! I've been in a band, I've had a solo career, and I'm a mom.
But I've never been a coach, and I can't wait to pass on everything that I've learned.
Pharrell Williams! I'm an artist but I'm also a producer.
For me, discovering new talent is the thing that keeps me going, and it's an opportunity to change someone's life.
And Blake Shelton! We're making their dreams come true with one push of a button.
And this season, we get to do it with two incredible new coaches.
Tonight, the emmy award-winning phenomenon, "The Voice," is back, as our returning champions welcome two new coaches to the "voice" family.
I ain't no hollaback girl Gwen Stefani Few times I been around that track Global music and fashion icon So it's not just gonna happen like that Three-time grammy winner Because I ain't no hollaback girl And lead singer of revolutionary band no doubt I'm just a girl With a career that spans two decades Oh, I've had it up to here And over 30 million albums sold.
Gwen's one of those iconic artists.
And she's paved the way for females in rock music.
There is nobody in the world like Gwen Stefani.
To the stars Pharrell Williams She's up all night to the sun One of the greatest artists, producers, and writers I'm up all night to get some In American music history.
She's up all night for good fun with seven grammy awards I'm up all night to get lucky He's responsible for 18 top-10 singles Because I'm happy And his Oscar-nominated song "happy" Clap along if you feel like a room without a roof, yeah Has sold over 10 million copies.
Clap along if you feel like that's what you want to do Adam: We really lucked out this year because we have pharrell, who's a producer and a writer.
Hey, hey, hey the coolest thing is, he's not like everybody else.
You don't need no papers as a person, as an artist, as a singer, he's just got this incredible energy around him.
Two-time "voice" champion and grammy award-winning lead singer of maroon 5 Adam levine.
I really want to love somebody Adam is a brilliant artist.
I really want to dance the night away he can do many different styles.
He plays virtually every instrument.
He has an incredible career.
There's no one like him.
Three-time winning coach and the reigning cma male vocalist of the year, country music superstar Blake Shelton.
I am a huge Blake fan.
At the end of the tunnel after watching him on TV with my kids and then getting here It ain't all that bright He has such a great perspective on music.
I just love that guy.
These four superstars have come together with one goal To find the greatest undiscovered voice in America.
But it's too cold Ch-ch-chain Just say something, I'm gmng up on you And with a lineup like this, "The Voice" will never be the same.
Blake, aren't you excited to see these guys for the first time fight each other? Gwen is the queen of awesome.
Gwen and pharrell collaborated many times together, and I feel like I'm competing against Adam and a duo.
I love you so much! I love you, too, boo.
I think I'm gonna throw up.
Unconditionally yes! This season, our coaches will be more passionate.
Being on this show is a sign for me to be inspired by people like you.
Wow.
Thank you.
We're at a high level here.
We're trying to get people that really move us.
I'm just a girl I'm just a girl Okay.
Time-out.
Time-out.
They'll be more creative.
I'm gonna write you a love poem.
Anyone can write a poem from the top of their head.
Do you really believe that's all that he said? These guys are so good at this, I'm a little threatened.
I love "The Voice" because it really puts all of the emphasis on The Voice.
And they'll fight harder to get the most talented singers I know what to do with that voice.
Oh, my God.
Do you like fashion? I have four clothing lines.
I do have two trophies from winning "The Voice.
" I have three trophies from "The Voice" and a credit card.
We'll go buy you some clothes.
They're talking the talk.
What?! But I'm walking the walk.
All right, that's it.
How seriously are you gonna be able to take this guy when you're waiting for him to make you an arby's roast-beef sandwich? Because only one coach will deliver the artist that wins it all Yes! Aah! Yes! And be named The Voice.
You're my boo.
To kick off the blind auditions Whoo! so happy For the first time performing together keep on dancin' Don't do that are your season 7 coaches.
The waves keep on crashing on me for some reason But your love keeps on coming like a thunderbolt So come here, a little closer Ooh 'Cause I wanna see you, baby, real close up, yeah Get over here, get over here You've got me feeling hella good, so let's just keep on dancing Keep on dancing Ooh You hold me like you should, so I'm gonna keep on dancing Keep on dancing The performance deserving a standing ovation And who would have thought it'd be the two of us, girl I didn't think it was gonna happen, did you? So don't wake me if I'm dreaming Ooh 'Cause I'm in the mood, come on and give it up, yeah Get over here, get over here Got me feeling hella good, so let's just keep on dancing Keep on dancing Ooh, ooh Ooh, ooh You hold me like you should, so I'm gonna keep on dancing Keep on dancing ooh, ooh Ooh, ooh You got me feeling hella good, so let's just on dancing Keep on dancing Come on Ooh, ooh You hold me like you should, so I'm gonna keep on dancing Keep on dancing Ooh Whoo! Yes! As our coaches get ready for the blind auditions, let's meet our first artist.
Outside the "voice" stage at universal studios, Hollywood, the artists eagerly await their chance to perform for our coaches.
Whoo! First is 31-year-old soul singer from dublin, Texas, Luke wade.
I came from a family of artists.
My dad is a painter.
My mom ran a dance studio.
I started dancing when I was 3 for about 10 years.
And my mom thought it was really cool to put a young boy in sequins, to dress a young man as a bunny.
You look back on your childhood, sometimes you realize things were weird.
As a kid, I would go to my mom's dance studio and have to clean it to get my allowance.
And there was only a record player over there, and that's really where I started getting into the classical music that I love.
So, what'd you start doing? How did that manifest in trying to do this for a LMNG? I started a band, played all over Texas bars.
Drmng around a lot? Yeah.
It turned into putting 50,000 Miles a year on your car, trying to get 10 people to buy a cd at a coffee shop.
It's a tough road being a professional musician, and I've been at it for 11 years.
I don't think he ever gives up.
And he's had some tough times, but Luke has persevered.
When I was 13 years old, I was involved in an accident.
Paintball was really new, and one of our friends accidentally shot me and took the vision in my right eye.
It showed me how your life can change in a second.
You can't take anything for granted, and you can never stop pushing.
This opportunity on "The Voice" is not like anything that I'll get anywhere else.
If I played in front of 100 people every night for the rest of my life, I wouldn't get in front of as many people as one night on this show.
The possibilities for me coming out of this are limitless.
You ready, Gwen? Yes, I am.
High heels.
If I was the sun way up there I'd go with love most everywhere I'll be the moon when the sun goes down Just to let you know that I'm still around What?! What?! that's how strong my love is Baby, please That's how strong my love is, darlin' That's how strong my love is, baby That's how strong my love is I'll be the ocean so deep and wide And catch all the tears whenever you cry now I'll be the breeze when the storm is gone To dry your eyes and love you all warm That's how strong my love is, so deep and wide That's how strong my love is, baby So much love, so much love You fill me up with so, so much love, yeah That's how strong my love is Baby, please That's how, that's how strong my love is That's how strong it is, baby Whoo! Whoo! Yeah! That's my boy! We did it! We won "The Voice"! This is amazing.
What's your name? My name is Luke wade.
I wish I could be higher up.
I want to swing from the rafters, and I want to sing from the mountaintops.
That's because you are high right now.
Sit down and let us talk.
It's stupid to say it, but I'm dumb and I don't care.
You're gonna win, and it's gonna be on my team.
I like that confidence.
I sw ugh! Go.
Are you, like, a professional singer? I got myself a band and a van, and we get on the road Wow.
For 12 years, you know? I've been in a band since I'm 17 years old.
And none of these guys have really done what I've done.
Don't look into her eyes.
The experience I have That's serious business right there.
I can really, I can really project it into you.
I can do it.
Mr.
pharrell? I know a thing or two about blue-eyed soul.
I know you do.
You could ask Justin.
Oh, my God.
You could ask Robin.
With Adam, you're gonna get a great vocal coach.
With Gwen, I mean, who wouldn't want to be on Gwen's team? And Blake, you know, that's the heart and soul.
But I know what to do with that voice.
Oh, no! Okay? That's all I want to do, is be your amplifier.
I'm gonna sit down now.
All right.
I-I got to say one i got i have to say it.
Okay.
It's a learning curve with the show.
As much as I don't like to give him credit, Blake and I had the advantage of being able to hone over the last few years.
That's a unique skill set.
Can I say something for just a second? Okay.
These two guys on the end, they're kind of calling it in at this point.
What?! They've been doing it so long, you know? We've been winning for so long.
I am so pumped up.
I've never done anything like this before.
I'm all fresh and excited, so I can really give you a lot of focus.
First of all, I can't believe this performance wasn't like a guest star.
You already did something incredible.
And I know a thing or two about winning "The Voice.
" You can ask jermaine.
You can ask cassadee.
You can ask Danielle.
And I have no doubt that pharrell could probably make an amazing record on you, and that's gonna be awesome when he does it after you and I win this show.
That's what we need to do first.
Listen to me.
The cool because he's sappy Nice.
I want the world to see who Luke wade is.
Give me that opportunity to introduce the world to Luke wade.
Okay.
So, who do you pick as your coach? I'm beside myself right now.
I'm gonna have a panic attack.
All of the coaches have made something that's moved me in some way.
But I have to choose.
And I choose pharrell.
because I'm happy Clap along if you feel like a room without a roof ooh! Ahh! Ahh! Because I'm happy yes, yes! Clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth yes, yes, yes, yes! Luke is so incredibly soulful.
I had to push the button.
Yeah.
Your voice is crazy.
Thank you, man.
Thank you so much.
Oh! Yeah.
I think this season is gonna be super competitive.
I can't wait to see what else the rest of the day brings.
Whoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-aah! I never could have guessed four coaches were gonna turn around.
I had to go with pharrell because there's so many people that I idolize, he's helped them make careers.
I love this show, man.
It's the magic, it's the goosebumps, it's everything.
He's got it.
And I've missed out on him.
I'm very upset about it.
So happy Clap along if you feel like a room without a roof so mad right now.
Still to come Our love is like x-o More epic performances whoo! This is the most excited I've been sitting in this chair.
That have our coaches climbing to new heights I'm gonna write you a love poem.
Is that what we're doing now? To get the artists they want.
I can't stand on chairs, mostly because I've been drinking.
And our two new coaches show Adam and Blake they came to win.
I'm just a girl I'm just a girl As a coach, this is what you dream for.
This is "The Voice" Welcome back to the blind auditions.
Pharrell really yanked the rug out from under me today when he didn't show up with the big hat on, 'cause I had so much Oh.
He had so much material planned material oh, my God.
You thought I was gonna show up with the 10-gallon "bonanza" hat? Yeah.
No, no, no.
No "gunsmoke" today.
As our coaches head back to their chairs, let's meet our next artist.
My name is Clara Hong.
I'm 22 years old.
I'm from Atlanta, Georgia.
I was born in South Korea.
When I was 8, my parents decided to move us to America to give us a better future.
I didn't speak any English.
It was hard because I felt really misunderstood.
And I couldn't say anything, so obviously I just looked really dumb.
I started listening to American music, which helped me learn English.
That was my escape.
When did singing become something you wanted to do more serious? Two years into college, when I found myself really unhappy, and I was like, "well, I can either just stay here and feel sorry for myself, or do something about it.
" And so, I told my parents You told them you wanted to be done with school? Right.
And I just moved to the city to pursue music.
And now I'm a much happier person.
In Atlanta, to pay my bills, I work as a banquet server.
What really attracted me to this show was the coaching that you get.
When I heard about pharrell, I was really excited 'cause I've loved him since middle school.
There's some pressure to prove to my parents that I can succeed with music.
They came here initially to give us a fine education, and I think it would be a relief to know that they feel okay with me doing this.
When I look back and I had hard moments, I wasn't always confident, um But it's, like, taught me just how to prepare for anything.
Go, Clara! Come on, Clara.
How come he don't come And p.
L.
P.
With me Down at the meter no more? And how come he turn off the TV Whoo! I am so happy for her! and hang that sign on the door? Well, we call and we call, "how come?" We say Hey, what could make a boy behave this way, yeah? Well, he learned all of the lines, now wow.
She sounds beautiful.
and every time he gonna s-stutter when he talks And it's true, it's true He sure has acquired this kinda cool and inspired Sorta jazz when he walks Where's his jacket and his old blue jeans If this ain't healthy, it is some kinda clean That means that Chuck e's in love, yeah, yeah Chuck e's in, Chuck e's in love Chuck e's in love, he's in love Whoo! with me Yeah Yay! Whoo! Thank you.
What's your name? My name is Clara Hong.
Well, let me be the first to say that you have three of the greatest people in all of music Oh, my God fighting over you right now.
I'm just gonna lay back here and watch this happen.
Where do I being with that tone? Oh, my God.
Thank you.
That tone is like silk.
You're silk.
Your voice! Your voice! Honestly, they turned quicker than I did.
A lot quicker.
But I was like, "is this real?" I love your voice and the control.
And then to turn around Completely different than what anyone would ever expect That's what I love.
Laying it on thick over there.
We'd love to have you on the team.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Clara, I love that song.
It feels very you, and that's super important.
It's not about being a perfect singer.
All the people that I love growing up are not perfect.
They have character.
They have personality.
Your singing voice, it's so alluring.
I think your stage presence was great.
But I have years and years and years of being onstage.
I think I could help you.
Like, I mean, do you have a microphone? I'm, like, totally screwed now.
I'm gonna write you a love poem.
Yeah, write a love poem while I get the audience going.
Okay.
There's this song that I wrote called "just a girl.
" So, when I'm usually, like, onstage, what I'll do is I'll be like You looking at me?! You looking at me? I'm just a girl I'm just a girl Let me hear you! I'm just a girl I'm just a girl See? You could suck them into your world.
Just then, I was having to check myself.
I thought I was just a girl.
Just letting Adam wrap up his poem over there for you.
Oh, my gosh.
What nationality are you, by the way? I'm Korean.
First of all.
Oh oh.
Wow.
That means "hi.
How are you?" Is that what we're doing now? Yeah.
Clara is great, and so am I.
Why should I coach you? Let me tell you why.
I've been in this chair for three solid years.
I know what it takes, so please, have no fear.
So, team Adam it is.
So glad you could be the triumphant Victor.
Let's make history.
Whoo! Now, anyone can write a poem from the top of their head.
Do you really believe that's all that he said? I mean, yes, you have Adam, you have Blake, and you have Gwen.
But come to skateboard p.
, baby, if you really want to win.
Oh, my gosh! God! Oh! I'm a really competitive person.
I will kill for you.
And I think that you should choose me because this "voice" thing, this this is my house, this this thing.
It's time to pick your coach.
Forget singing.
This is the hardest part.
It's not hard! Right here! So easy.
Just say my name.
I choose Adam.
Yes! the sound of my heart The beat goes on and on and on and on that's right! That's right! Boom, clap, you make me feel Clara's awesome.
And the best thing about her is she's not imitating anybody.
Come on to me, come on to me now someone either has it or they don't, and she has it.
Oh, my God! Good job.
So happy for you.
Oh! You sounded awesome.
Why'd you pick Adam? I thought I was gonna pick pharrell, honestly.
But when Adam did his pitch, he really convinced me.
That's that was my gut choice.
Still got it! I tried hard.
She's awesome.
She's dope.
Still to come, the artists give it their all, and our coaches hold nothing back.
I'm gonna relate to you more than any of these three guys.
That's the one thing we can't do is play the girl card.
Well, you can.
This is "The Voice" Welcome back to night one of the blind auditions.
My name is bryana salaz.
I'm 16 years old, and I'm from San Antonio, Texas.
I was born in Orlando, Florida, but I've moved every two years since then 'cause my dad's in the military.
After Orlando, we moved to Illinois, and then to north Carolina, and then to Illinois, then to Virginia, then to Hawaii, then to Georgia, then to Texas, then to California, and then back to Texas.
When I was about 12 years old, my mom and my sister signed me up for this, like, military singing competition, and I just fell in love with it.
I'm so proud of you.
Our family is really close.
My dad is so supportive in my music.
I'm really bummed that he can't be here.
He has hep c liver disease.
He was in bed for months.
Now he's recovering.
He got me this necklace.
So it's kind of like a piece of him is here with me.
I've done a lot of different competitions, but nothing really compares to "The Voice.
" You know, it doesn't really hit you that you're singing for Adam levine.
It's very surreal, and I'm excited, but I'm scared.
Go, bry! Baby, even though I hate ya, I wanna love ya, I want you And even though I can't forgive you, I really want to Tell me, tell me, baby, why can't you leave me? Even though I shouldn't want it, I gotta have it Head in the clouds, got no weight on my shoulders I should be wiser and realize that I've got Whoo! I got one less problem without you I got one less problem without you I got one less, one less problem Babe Head in the clouds, got no weight on my shoulder Should be wiser, realize that I've got No I got one less, one less problem I got one less problem without you I got one less problem without you I got one less, one less problem Oh, my God, that was awesome.
Hello! Hi.
What's your name? Bryana.
Okay.
Catch your breath.
Breathe.
How old are you? I'm 16.
Whatever.
Ooh.
That's crazy.
All right.
Where are you from? I'm from Texas.
She said she's from Texas, Adam.
Stay with me.
Stay with me.
Over here.
You're already so much better at singing than Blake is.
You got three choices here.
You got Blake Shelton.
He wants to win.
He's competitive.
I'll give him that.
And then Gwen's new.
As amazing as she is, she is new.
So there are things that she doesn't know yet.
Okay, wait, but I think I might have the longest career.
Oh, wow.
She's had an incredibly long career.
When I was your age is when I started listening to her records, and they were fantastic.
Sorry.
I was starting to like you.
I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Uh, oh, then there's me.
I'm the third choice.
And I know how far you're gonna go.
And and I think that it would be a major loss to not have you on my team.
Thank you.
When I turned and I saw this little sparkly princess girl, I was like, "oh, my God! She's amazing.
" And then you were taking it to another level when you went to those power notes, and I was really impressed.
Thank you.
When I was your age, I wasn't even close to even touching what you got going on.
But now I feel like I have a lot of experience behind me.
And it's obvious that I'm gonna relate to you more than any of these three guys because I'm a girl, right? I can't stand the girl card.
That's the one thing we can't do is play the girl card.
I know.
I'm so lucky.
Well, you can.
Sorry, pharrell.
Go ahead.
You know, Gwen is my boo, so I'm gonna have to say if I didn't get a chance to vote Hey! Hey! I'm out of this one, but I will say this.
Your range is amazing.
And I'm pretty sure at some point we'll work together.
But I'm just gonna say, you know Thank you.
They're ganging up on us, Blake.
I'm trying to figure out what the hell a boo is.
She's your boo? What is that? A boo.
Like a buddy? Yeah.
Your okay.
Yeah.
Your willingness to take chances is awesome.
To take nervous energy and turn that into a power moment means everything.
Nobody's had a better track record with younger people on this show than your old Uncle Blake sitting over here.
I'm learning how he does this now.
He's good.
I'm seeing what he does.
All right.
The power's in your hands now.
Who do you pick as your coach? Okay.
Um whoo! I think i pick Gwen.
Aah! Oh! This is the part when I break free 'Cause I can't resist it no more I had this idea to make some "team Gwen" shirts, get people pumped up.
Yeah! I have 12 shirts ready to go.
This is for you.
Oh! Bryana is a really strong voice.
The confidence that she has is insane.
I feel really inspired right now.
Thank you so much! Thank you.
Of course, of course, of course.
Congratulations.
Thank you.
Gwen and pharrell are quick learners.
Blake and I got to work harder now.
Yes! Ooh! Team Gwen! I wasn't expecting anything, nonetheless, three chairs, so I'm I'm so thankful right now.
I picked Gwen because she's always been a long-time inspiration of mine, and so I am so honored to work with her.
Whoo-hoo! Coming up a four-chair turn rocks the coaches out of their chairs Oh, my God.
I love her.
And stirs up their competitive sides.
I love you.
Please pick me.
My claws are out.
You are one of the most amazing vocalists that I've seen in a long time.
How many great singers did you and Adam actually pass up? Hey.
don't speak Like her style? Now you can buy this audition-inspired look at kohl's or kohls.
Com.
This is "The Voice" This is "The Voice" Welcome back to the blind auditions.
This next singer has waited a lifetime for his moment in the spotlight.
I'm Dennis bell.
I'm 52 years old.
I'm from Mansfield, Louisiana, and I'm in the dirt-contracting business.
This is a family business.
I work with my two sons, my nephew, and my mother.
She's been keeping books for the company ever since it started.
I love working with my family, but I'm finally at a point now where I can try and see what will happen with music.
I started singing when I was 4 at little rodeos and stuff like that.
At the end of my senior year, got in a talent contest and won it.
And it just kind of kicked it off from there.
In 1980, I was on "Louisiana hayride.
" You had everybody from Elvis Presley to Hank Williams.
I was a regular on the "hayride" till it closed.
So, as long as you remember, you've been doing music? Yeah.
Start to feel like something might happen there, a little momentum? Thought it You know, yeah, I kind of thought it would.
And, um Take your time, Dennis.
My dad, um uh, he had a heart attack.
And, um, I had to give up the music to, um to run our business.
I had to do what I what I had to do and provide for my family.
Never thought this would ever be.
And now you're here picking up the pieces from then.
Is that not crazy? We're gonna see what's left in the tank.
I hope there's enough left.
You don't ever give up on a dream.
You never know when it's gonna show back up.
To be going back onstage, being off of it for 22 years, is it's so many mixed emotions, you know? I spent a lot of time making a LMNG, doing something that I didn't choose to do.
And it'd be great to try to do something that I chose.
If a chair turned around, it's gonna be the craziest thing ever happened to me.
She looked so good movin' 'cross the dance floor Better than the day she left me Arm in arm with somebody new Holdin' hands and laughin' like we used to I got my best smile on, but it's no disguise It don't hide the pain in these eyes I did her so wrong, for so long Turned my back on her love, now she's long gone I did my part, oh, to break her heart She walked out on me, and tore my world apart Oh, come on.
Come on.
Come on, Blake.
Come on.
she used to be mine Oh, she used to be mine Oh, she used to be mine Oh! Ohh What's your name, brother? Dennis bell.
How long have you been singing country music? I started when I was 4, quit 22 years ago.
This is the first stage I've been on in 22 years.
If you don't mind my asking, why would you walk away from it? My dad had a heart attack, and I had to take over running our business.
Ended up raising my kids.
Just had to hang it up.
Sure, man.
First of all, I think you got a true country sound, and all it was, it sounds like you're out of practice a little bit.
You have a cool voice, good pitch.
Yeah.
A little bit, yeah.
You mind you mind if I say something? Sure.
I could feel pain.
You have, in spades, the absolute hardest thing To be able to show us through what you're singing how you feel.
That's a real gift, my friend.
Thank you.
Well, thank you, Adam.
I appreciate that.
Appreciate it.
You have something special because back here, they were cuddling, they were swaying.
There was, like, people making out.
You moved people today.
Thank you.
I appreciate it.
This is confirmation to say, you know what, after 22 years, to keep going.
Thank you so much.
Thank y'all.
I feel blessed to have been able to have done this.
I know I was a little rusty, but I'm glad I did it.
It was a great experience.
And now I'll go home and see my kids and grandkids.
That was so crazy.
You can, like, feel all of the agony in his voice.
Mm-hmm.
Ugh.
It was ugh.
It would have been a real breath of fresh air to have him on my team.
I really wish I had turned for him.
It's one of my bigger mistakes because I didn't follow my heart on that one.
Coming up, a powerful story All of a sudden, I heard shots.
Inspires an emotional performance It's so hard And brings our coaches to their feet.
Someone tells you no, it doesn't mean that you stop.
This is "The Voice" Welcome back to night one of the blind auditions.
This season, I'll be hitting the road to visit some of the artists before their blind auditions.
We're on our way to Los Angeles international airport to meet our next artist, who's hoping that his blind audition could take him away from his high-stress job and back to his first love of music.
My name is Damien.
I'm 35 years old.
I'm from Monroe, Louisiana.
I came out to Los Angeles when I was 22 to pursue my dream as a singer.
Making it in music has been very hard, so I had to get a job.
I work for tsa at lax.
Tsa is no joke.
Tell me a little bit about this job.
An incident happened that I was a part of.
It was an eye-opener for me.
Good evening at 9:30 on a Friday morning, a lone gunman with an assault rifle entered and apparently opened fire at a security checkpoint.
On November the 1st, a guy just decided he wanted to come and shoot tsa employees.
All of a sudden, I saw my partner go down.
Oh, my gosh.
He got shot in the leg.
As I was getting kind of trampled, another one of my coworkers lost his life.
They asked me to sing at the funeral.
I believe I can fly It was very hard to sing in front of all these people during a sad moment.
I believe I can touch the sky Sorry.
After the shooting, it just let me know that I need to go after my career even more.
Tomorrow is never promised to you.
In this business, there is a lot of rejection.
But today, I only need one yes.
Hey, Damien! How do I Say goodbye To what we had Three right away! The good times that made us laugh Outweigh the bad Oh I thought we'd get to see forever But forever's gone away wow.
Beautiful.
It's so hard To say goodbye To yesterday And I'll take with me the memories To be my sunshine after the rain It's so hard To say goodbye To yesterday Eeeeeh Come here.
That was amazing.
Why are you crying? You all right? Just you okay? I'm okay.
Okay.
Okay.
What's your name, man? Talk to me.
Tell me the definition of those tears.
My name is Damien.
I've just been told no so many times.
And it just feels good to see you guys turn around for me.
Oh, man.
These moments happen in in our lives as confirmation.
And when someone tells you no, it doesn't mean that you stop.
Look where you are right now.
There's no more need in your life for feeling the pain from the definition of no, because today should be four confirmations of yes.
Your voice is amazing, and that's the reason why I pressed the button.
Thank you.
What have you been doing in between all the nos? I work for tsa.
They took a pocket knife from me at the national airport.
It's a case stag handle pocket knife.
You know anybody you can call? No.
I have no idea.
That was my favorite pocket knife.
Okay.
Blake, Blake, he doesn't know all of the other tsas in the world.
Well, I hey, somebody's got my favorite pocket knife.
That's over, though.
Yeah.
Now you're a professional singer.
Thank you.
I appreciate that.
You were so tasteful with your runs.
And it was so emotional.
You touched us.
I know you're a guy, I'm a girl, and why would you want me to coach you? I've been in a band my whole life with guys.
I'm surrounded by guys all the time.
I'm married to an amazing singer/songwriter.
So, it's not like I don't know what I'm doing when it comes to guys.
I can understand why a guy would want you to coach him for many reasons.
'Cause she's very beautiful.
You're so sweet.
Anyways, I would love to have you on my team.
I could learn a lot from you.
Wow.
Man, when we fall in love with something, especially me, I fight as hard as I possibly can for that person because that's what I have to do throughout the whole competition.
It made sense that afterwards, you you burst into tears, because that's how you sing.
And that's what I love about what you do.
In the way that we said yes to you, I'm asking for a yes Oh, my God from you.
You stayed in your lower register for a good bit of that song.
It reminds me, honestly, of bill withers.
And I just think that you're in a position with a voice like that to stand out not only on this show, but just in the music industry, you know? There's just nobody quite like you, and I need you.
I love you.
Please pick me.
You know, I just wanted to reiterate one more time, you're very talented, and that's why I pressed that button, because you really did deserve four chairs.
So, who do you pick as your coach? What? No! Please! I i pick Please! This is "The Voice" Welcome back to the blind auditions.
It's so hard To say goodbye before the break, all four coaches pushed their buttons for r&B and soul vocalist Damien.
Eeeeeh Now Damien has the difficult decision of picking his coach.
Please! I pick Adam.
Yes! All my life, I've been waiting for I've been praying for had a heart attack.
For the people to say you almost gave me a heart attack.
There's no one else like Damien in this competition.
I can't wait to get into it with him, work.
We're gonna make some magic.
This is the big shot that I've been waiting for all my life.
All my life, I've been waiting for I've been praying for I chose Adam because I felt like he was the most genuine.
His words resonated with me.
There were so many loud "Gwen" s.
At least, like, make it more even.
It was like, "Gwen!" Thank you.
Gwen and pharrell are getting a little comfortable.
And while I adore those two, I needed to make them understand that this is still my house.
Security! Next, a singer who is no stranger to the "voice" stage, 18-year-old country hopeful Allison bray.
I auditioned for season six and did not get a chair to turn.
Where the boys are Where the boys are I just really believe that it wasn't my time.
Someone waits for me So, I went home and prepared myself, and I'm coming back stronger than I was before.
I have your last season blind audition.
All right? Oh, God.
Listen, I'm gmng you an invitation to come back here and do this again.
But you have to promise that you'll work as hard as you can on your pitch.
If you just tweak it, you're not only gonna make it onto the show, you're gonna be a threat.
Did that mean something to you when Blake said that? The fact that he had just anything good to say about me singing was still, like, a huge deal.
What have you been doing since last season? I got a band together, and we actually got into, like, the guns n' roses, aerosmith.
Seriously? Yeah.
We play rock and country music three times a week.
And I am graduating high school this year.
I want to come back and prove to the coaches that I had what it takes.
To not have a chair turn around would be crushing.
And I really hope I don't have to go through that again.
But I want it even more than I did the first time.
There she is.
There she goes.
There's Miss bray.
If you ain't got two kids by 21 You're probably gonna die alone At least that's what tradition told you And it don't matter if you don't believe Come Sunday morning, you'd best be there In the front row like you're supposed to Same hurt in every heart Same trailer, different park Mary, Mary, quite contrary We get bored, so we get married And just like dust, we settle in this town On this broken merry-go-'round And 'round and 'round we go Where it stops, nobody knows It ain't slowing down This merry-go-'round Hey Jack and Jill went up the hill Jack burned out on booze and pills Mary had a little lamb Mary just don't give a damn no more Oh, my God.
I love her.
Wait a minute.
We know you.
You look familiar to me.
Uh, yeah.
I've been here last season, actually.
Yes.
Whoo! What's your name again? Allison bray.
Congratulations.
Where are you from? Thank you.
Louisville, Kentucky.
Uh, hey.
I'm i don't have a chance at all.
Damn it.
Hey, Allison.
You have completely blown me away.
Your voice is a breath of fresh air.
And the way you performed that song, I mean, the quick little breaks that you have in your voice, your pitch was great.
This is the most excited I've been sitting in this chair in a long time.
Thank you.
Thanks.
Thank you.
Thank you.
I didn't press my button because I really honestly feel like it's destined for you to be with my buddy here because He doesn't need that endorsement, really.
Thank you.
Yes.
Yes, I do.
Hey, you're my boo.
Okay.
I don't think he understands what that means.
No, he doesn't.
I'm very excited about this one.
Congratulations.
You're on your way.
Um, Blake.
Blake.
Blake.
I'm sorry.
I was just really excited.
How many, um, great singers did you and Adam actually pass up? Hey.
don't speak That was really good.
Blake Blake's been waiting to say that.
I really love your voice.
It's so beautiful.
And, you know, it's good to stick in your Lane.
But for me, when I've done things outside of the box Like, one of the first people that I wrote with outside of no doubt was pharrell.
We wrote a song called "hella good.
" It changed everything.
People that you wouldn't think you would go with, sometimes that makes magic.
It seems to me that you do have a Lane that you want to go down.
And Blake will sit here and say, "you got to do this, you got to do that.
" I think you should stay in your Lane but maybe just let me drive a little bit.
And then you can be in the passenger seat and be like, "hey, check this out.
" And we can do this and then we can go in different places.
But I know you want to stay it seems to me What the hell are you talking about? Shut up.
I think that we should do something that's gonna get you to be in a good position to win and bother him simultaneously.
That's the goal.
Come on, Allison.
You know what the right thing to do is.
Uh I pick Blake.
Yes! Thank you, buddy.
Yes, sir.
Oh, that would have been awesome.
Yes! You had me worried for a minute.
Blake is the one who I feel like I came back for.
And I got him, so I feel awesome.
Like this.
Like this.
That was just such a good one.
I'm so sad.
Still to come, it's no holds barred gosh! That performance deserved the highest possible point on my chair.
As the talent level continues to be higher than ever, and the competition I need to work with someone like you in a greedy kind of way.
Couldn't be tougher.
You pressed the button because you heard yourself.
I heard something that I love.
Yes, himself.
This is "The Voice" Welcome back to the blind auditions.
My name's megg.
I'm 23 years old, and I'm from redondo beach, California.
I was in my first musical when I was 8.
Ever since then, I've been in "the sound of music," "beauty and the beast," "Annie.
" My senior year of high school, I auditioned for usc in their brand-new major in the Thornton school of music called popular music performance.
They accepted about 25 kids.
And really, those four years, I learned so much collaborating and honing in on who you are as an artist.
You have a very Gwen Stefani vibe about you.
She was a huge influence for me.
No doubt was definitely the biggest reason that helped me decide I wanted to be in a band.
Right.
I'm in a band called party for one.
We usually perform every weekend.
It's definitely tough to get recognized in the industry.
And to reach the amount of people that the show allows you to reach is amazing.
And to work with a coach in your same style that can help steer you in the right direction is huge.
I'm a little bit nervous.
It's a crazy experience, singing in front of one of my idols and singing for America.
If a chair turns, your life changes.
Yes! Yes! Megan! Oh, make me over I'm all I wanna be A walking study, yeah, in demonology Hey, so glad you could make it Yeah, now you've really made it Hey, so glad you could make it now Honeysuckle, she's full of poison She obliterated everything she kissed Now she's fading somewhere in Hollywood I'm glad I came here with your pound of flesh, hey You want a part of me Yeah, I'm not selling cheap Go, Gwen! Yeah, no, I'm not selling cheap Yeah Oh.
Come on.
What's your name? Megg.
Where you from? Redondo beach.
The two reasons I didn't push my button were I thought it was a little bit dramatic.
But my biggest problem was enunciation.
I want to be sure I can understand every word that you're singing so I can get in there with you and enjoy what this song is about.
And just remember some of these idiots like me may not know this song, so I got to be sure Amen.
Amen i teach it to them, so Well said.
Yeah.
Thank you.
I think pitch-wise, you were, like, spot-on.
You are a powerhouse when you sing.
But I was missing the subtlety.
That's something that Gwen is really good at.
Like, at times, she can belt and just, like, roar your face off.
But at the same time, when she wants to be sweet and subtle, she can do it in two seconds.
Aww.
Subtlety is a is a good thing, too.
Yeah.
Awesome.
Thank you.
Hi, megg.
Hi.
You're so cute.
I mean, it's a shame, because I bet you that if we saw the visual with The Voice yeah.
It would be a whole different experience, but that's not what the show is.
What I liked about your voice is that you did have an aggressiveness that is unique for a girl.
And that song is hard.
But who would you like to be as an artist? You have been one the biggest inspiration for me of just paving your own path, and I love you.
I love you! Come back and kick ass, and Gwen's gonna take you, and it's you know, it's gonna be very clear.
Thank you.
Yay! I love this girl.
She's so cute.
But I guess I would love to find someone that has their own unique sound.
Thank you.
Good luck.
Thank you.
You're awesome.
Glad I met Gwen.
Got to give her a hug and talk to her, which was crazy.
So now I'm just gonna go back to my band and keep working on it.
Coming up, show-stopping performances get our coaches fired up.
You're making me hot.
You're making Gwen Stefani hot.
Wow.
You better say something quickly.
And I'm gonna cry like a baby if you don't choose me.
This is "The Voice" Welcome back to the blind auditions.
Next it's 23-year-old pop folk singer Taylor John Williams from Portland, Oregon.
I have always loved performing.
Twinkle, twinkle, little star I always loved to get the attention of the room.
I kind of fell in love with it from there.
My first love has always been music.
But, you know, it doesn't pay the bills.
And I love dogs, so I got a job at sniff dog hotel.
People can drop off their dogs for the day.
For happy hour, people can go into the cafe, grab a beer, glass of wine.
Enjoy.
Cheers.
Cheers.
It's like a social club.
This has been such a great job for me.
When I'm not serving, I get to play music and, you know, show what I can do.
And I found myself If I can get the attention of the customers here with their dogs running around, then I-i feel like I can get the attention of the coaches.
I need this opportunity because I do not have a plan "b.
" Having a coach turn around for me and teaching me all that they've learned in this business, I mean, that's invaluable.
I'm here at this point.
I feel like I got what it takes and I'm passionate enough to go for it.
Oh, my God.
In the night, I hear them talk The coldest story ever told Somewhere far along this road He lost his soul How could you be so cold as the winter wind When it breeze, yo? Yeah! Oh, my God! Oh, my God! Just remember that you talking to me, though You need to watch the way you talking to me, yo And now you wanna get me back and you gonna show me So you walk around like you don't know me You got a new friend, and I got homies But in the end it's still so lonely In the night, I hear them talk The coldest story ever told Somewhere far along this road He lost his soul To a woman so heartless Talk and talk and talk and talk Baby, let's just knock it off They don't know what we been through 'Cause in the night, I hear them talk The coldest story ever told Somewhere far along this road He lost his soul To a woman so heartless How could you be so heartless? Ooo Unbelievable! That was so rad.
That dude's the real deal, right there.
Whoo! Whoo! What's your name? My name is Taylor John Williams.
You made it your own, and I thought that was really creative.
You could tell you're an artist, that you're a writer, that you're your own unique indmdual.
- I thought it was really cool.
- Thank you so much.
I liked it.
Unh! Oh, God.
Dude.
Dude.
I am so happy right now.
Every single note you hit was perfect.
And at the tail end yeah.
Of the last note, you amplified it even more.
And it was like, "oh.
" Tell me everything about you.
Just talk to me us.
But me, mostly.
I've been singing my whole life, really.
I started writing a lot.
That's kind of my first love.
I love lyrics.
I love artists who love lyrics.
I love lyrics.
I love lyrics.
I'm all about lyrics.
Being on this show is a sign for me to be inspired by people like you.
Thank you so much.
I do.
I've never been in this position before.
I need to work with someone like you in a greedy kind of way because I need to write a new record, and I feel like if I'm around someone like you, it's gonna push me.
Wow.
Whoo! Gwen Stefani just said that to me.
I'm actually hot in this room now.
Hey.
That's weird.
You're making me hot.
You're you're you're making Gwen Stefani hot.
You better say something quickly.
I need you to hey.
First of all That's a lot to handle, over here.
But, man, the second I heard you and turned around, like, way early, before others That's a good point.
That's a good point.
It means that I was really listening.
I was so in the moment.
I was being so moved.
Hey, pharrell, if you were him, who would you pick as your coach? Oh, that's not fair.
No, I'm just wondering.
Bro, listen.
Also, just keep this in mind.
They didn't press their I can hey, wait.
I didn't press it because I thought, "wow, Adam's gonna kill this," right? However Oh, here we go.
Here we go.
Oh, here it is.
I feel like Adam understands your voice, but I feel like Gwen understands your future.
So you have a lot whoa.
Oh, whoa! Well, that's You have a very tough choice.
That's very well said, slanted in favor of Gwen, of course.
That was not.
A little bit.
A little bit.
A little just a little like a little bit.
It's fine.
No.
You pressed the button first because you heard yourself.
I heard something that I love.
Yes, himself.
I honest to God wasn't thinking Okay.
Okay.
Time-out.
Time-out.
It's time to pick a coach, and I'm gonna cry like a baby if you don't choose me.
Thank you guys so much.
I can't even this is the weirdest moment of my life.
And it's so awesome at the same time.
I pick Gwen.
Yeah! Yeah! sing Yeah! Ohh ohh ohh ohh ohh Ohh ohh ohh ohh ohh Louder Ohh ohh ohh ohh ohh That's not right.
That's not right.
Let's do it.
That was awesome.
It's gonna be so fun.
Thank you so much.
I think the way Taylor took the kanye song and he kind of flipped it, and the fact that he was talking about songwriting, I was like, "I got to have you.
" This is what this is all about.
Hey! Hey! Team Gwen.
Oh, what? Team Gwen! Sweet! Beautiful.
It was a very tough choice.
I picked Gwen 'cause she understood me.
sing I did.
I liked him a lot.
Compared to how much I liked him, you kind of liked him.
Do you think he helped you at all? Um, in zero ways, he helped me.
What?! I didn't really think he was gonna choose me, but Well, he did.
Now how do you feel? Coming up Did you not just sing that onstage just now? Sparks fly as pharrell lays down the law.
I rest my case.
I can't lose you.
Rest your case while I testify a little bit more.
This is "The Voice" Welcome back to the blind auditions.
Our next singer hopes to prove that he's ready for his big shot.
My name is elyjuh rene.
I'm 18 years old, and I'm from long beach, California.
I love singing r&B, soul, and a little bit of pop.
Wait.
Adam.
Adam.
I know.
I know.
Adam.
Adam.
Oh, he's so cute.
I was 3 years old when I started singing in church with my mom.
And from there on, she's been my manager, my moma momager.
Mwah.
Aww.
That was sweet.
It's fun.
I like being a mama's boy.
Yeah.
We're so much alike.
I don't But I do like how we did our matching shirts.
Elyjuh is very much into fashion.
You don't look too bad yourself.
Get it from your mama, right? When I was 4 years old, my parents split up.
Growing up not having my dad around, it took a toll on me.
And I sometimes did cry myself to sleep.
It was a very difficult time.
And that's why music really became his outlet.
For the last four years, I've been competing in performing-arts competitions.
With everything that's happened to me, I channel that all in, and I use it, and it's been helping me get through everything that I've had to deal with.
The song that I'm singing for my blind audition is Beyoncé, "xo.
" The coaches are gonna be really shocked.
And when they turn around, they're gonna see this little skinny old boy singing this song.
They're gonna be like, "what in the world?" I love you.
I love you.
My mom encouraged me to sing, so I want to give back to her for all the sacrifices that she has made.
It's only helped me become a better man.
This is for me, but this is also for her.
I want to work with one of the coaches so bad because they can help you get to that stardom level as an artist.
This is Beyoncé's song.
I'm going to add in a little elyjuh rene flavor.
This is my time to sing.
I'm about to cry.
Yeah, there he is.
Your love is bright as ever Even in the shadows Oh, baby, kiss me Before they turn the lights out Mm Your heart is glowing come on And I'm crashing into you Oh, baby, kiss me Before they turn the lights out Before they turn the lights out Baby, love me lights out In the darkest night hour Ooh, go, boy! You go, boy, go.
I search through the crowd Your face is all that I see You give me everything Baby, love me lights out Baby, love me lights out You can turn my lights out Our love is like x-o You love me like x-o You kill me, girl, x-o You love me like x-o You're all that I see You give me everything Baby, love me lights out Baby, love me lights out You can turn my lights out Whoa! Wow.
Did you think that was a girl? Yes.
Okay.
Oh, my God! Look at my baby! Wow.
What is your name? My name is elyjuh rene.
I love that you have tears and that you're that emotional and that you're sharing that with everyone.
You know, that's a lot.
We're on "The Voice" right now.
The whole of America's watching, and You you're vulnerable.
That's that's what singing is.
The best singers in the world do that.
The first word that came to my mind when I heard your voice was "anointed.
" Wow.
And when I saw your tears come out, I knew you'd been through a lot.
Like, I don't know your story, but I feel like I get it when I turned around and seen you totally expressing it in everything that you sang.
Thank you so much.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Ooh-wee.
You sang with all of this joy and all of this passion.
It was blissful.
That's what ignites us.
I want in.
I want in.
Pharrell's super charming.
Happy But just try not to forget I said some real great things, as well.
That's right.
You are one of the most amazing vocalists that I've seen in a long time.
Let me ask you a question.
Have you not had to fight all your life? Yes, I had to.
Okay.
Did you not just sing that onstage just now? I did.
Okay.
I rest my case.
Wow.
You can rest your case while I testify a little bit more.
I can't lose you.
These guys are so competitive.
What? What? You are.
There is nobody more competitive on this panel than you.
Yes! You fin thank you.
Ooh.
Did you hear that? What was that, Blake? Say it one more time.
There is not a bigger idiot on this planet that's more competitive than you are.
That might be true.
But let's get down to brass tacks here, okay? Please.
Please, do.
I have won, and I would like to win again.
And you, my friend, can definitely do that.
Who do you pick as your coach? Whoo! Aah! Okay.
All right.
All right.
All right.
All right.
I choose Pharrell.
Oh! I feel good No! I knew that I would, now You got it.
I feel good Nice to meet you, man.
Nice to meet you.
Yo, your voice is crazy.
Aww, he's so cute.
Look at him.
Thank you so much.
Thank you.
Elyjuh rene is a special guy.
And with such precision in his voice, and this was his moment like sugar and spice You know, his confirmation in life that, like, this is what he's supposed to be doing.
Hey, Adam.
No, it's all right.
I'm happy.
I'm happy.
Okay.
Okay.
I'm happy.
Congratulations.
Thank you.
This is everything that I've wanted so much! It's been a struggle, and I'm just so happy that pharrell sees it.
I am on team pharrell, and I can't wait 'cause I am happy! Yes, yes! Keeping you sharp, though.
I'm keeping you sharp.
Oh, man.
You slow-played that one.
hey You Barbara Walters'd his ass.
That's how strong my love is You can download full versions of tonight's blind audition songs on iTunes.
To a woman so heartless This is "The Voice" Welcome back to the blind auditions.
Next up, 21-year-old Bianca espinal traveled across the country with hopes of making a team.
New York City's in the house.
Yes.
Yes.
Yes.
Yes.
How long you been singing? I've been singing since I was 5 years old.
My father has been my biggest inspiration.
My father moved here from Dominican Republic at the age of 16.
He was in a lot of merengue bands.
And once he found out that I could sing, he was like, "yes.
" Are you nervous? No, not really.
I'm excited.
And for me, she's a winner already.
My dad's a janitor, but we actually play in the subway together in New York.
I didn't know if people were gonna pay attention, but once we started, we made pretty good money.
And from then on, my father was like, "I think we need to do this more often.
" Busking in New York subways and being able to grab somebody's attention is gonna help me to turn a chair.
This could be my huge break, and I don't want to disappoint my dad.
It just needs to happen.
She looks great.
You took your coat off And stood in the rain You were always crazy like that Excuse me Think I've mistaken you for somebody else Somebody who gave a damn Somebody more like myself And these foolish games Are tearing me apart And your thoughtless words are Breaking my heart Breaking my heart You took your coat off And stood in the rain You were always crazy like that Hello.
Hi.
Hi, guys.
What's your name? My name is Bianca espinal.
Where you from? I'm from New York City.
It's just an incredible thing to be able to walk up here and sing a song on that stage.
It's so much pressure, and you did a beautiful job.
Thank you, Gwen.
I wish there would have been more opportunities for you to showcase the bigger, upper register of your voice because I think that's where the the strength lies.
So, let me ask you, Bianca, like, how did you feel? I felt like I can do better, but I think Okay.
So so, listen.
Okay.
What you didn't feel, we didn't feel.
And I really honestly think you were singing to us but not necessarily singing for yourself first.
I want your answer to be "I felt amazing," because you'll notice that we will turn our chairs around because we can tell that you're feeling amazing.
So when you come back next time, you're gonna have yourself a what? A good time for myself.
That's right.
Nice to meet you.
Aww.
Okay? All right? Thank you so much.
Thank you.
Okay? It's not about our chairs, it's about your great time.
You but you just did it.
You just sang for the world.
Thank you.
All right.
Mwah.
I feel blessed to have the chance to sing my heart out to four people who, growing up, changed my life.
And physically getting a kiss from pharrell Williams is so great.
Coming up nobody knows The final performance of the night Yes! Has our coaches You are the total package.
That may be the best audition that I have ever heard.
Fighting to the finish.
Whatever! I have nobody on my team like you.
I guarantee victory if you choose me.
Wow.
I guarantee it.
This is "The Voice" Welcome back to the blind auditions.
Before we meet the night's final artist, here's where the teams stand.
Adam landed pop artist Clara Hong and r&B and soul vocalist Damien.
Pharrell scored soul singer Luke wade and r&B artist elyjuh rene.
Yes! Blake picked up country artist Allison bray.
And Gwen added pop artist bryana salaz and folk pop singer Taylor John Williams.
And now the final artist of the night Atlanta, Georgia, resident James David Carter.
Growing up, I remember really loving country music.
But most of my childhood was spent chasing sports.
Football was gonna be my future.
But my senior year, I jumped up and made an interception and came down on my right leg, and my knee basically just snapped.
So my path with sports ended.
He would sit on the couch and just try to write songs.
He had a lot of time to do that.
Some really bad songs.
No.
I don't think they were bad.
I became a working musician at this country honky tonk called cowboys.
I got to open up for Dwight yoakam, Brad paisley, trace adkins, and just a lot of people that I looked up to.
Promise me that you're gonna treat I managed to make a LMNG as a solo musician for the past 12 years.
Barely hanging on And I'm I'm just ready for my big break.
As I've gotten older, thoughts creeped in of maybe I should go back to school and pursue something else.
For one of the coaches to turn a chair, it would serve as a validation that I've been doing the right thing for the past 12 years of my life.
Look at that.
Oh, my God.
Amazing.
I pretend that I'm glad you went away But these four walls close in more every day And I'm dying inside And nobody knows it but me, yeah Like a clown, I put on a show The pain is real even if nobody knows And I'm crying inside And nobody knows it but me And how blue can I get You could ask my heart Just like a Jigsaw puzzle It's been torn all apart A million words couldn't say Just how I feel A million years from now, you know I'll be loving you still Whoa, oh, I'm missing you And nobody knows But me Whoo! Way to go, Dave! Wow.
Oh.
Miss Gwen, thank you for teaching me how to spell "bananas.
" I appreciate that.
Oh, my gosh! Yes! Yes.
I can spell so many words, man.
What does it mean, to stand up there? It means it deserved the highest possible point on my chair.
See if you can stand on the back.
See if you can stand on the back.
Wow.
Don't break it.
Aah! He's gonna break it.
Are you okay? Okay.
He's taller.
He's taller.
He's taller.
That scared the crap out of me.
Listen.
You know what? Whatever.
There wasn't a nervous second in your performance.
You were like totally in key.
You had so much finesse.
As a coach, this is what you dream for.
You are the total package.
Thank you, pharrell.
I know it's weird because I taught you how to spell "bananas" and all that stuff.
You did.
But I have nobody on my team like you.
What's gonna happen on Blake's team is he's gonna have all the country artists, they're gonna battle, and he's just gonna wipe out people left and right.
This is strategy.
Can I start over? 'Cause somewhere between the cirque du soleil and bananas What is your name? Yeah.
Uh, my name is James David Carter.
I'm from Atlanta, Georgia.
Man, I can't stand on on on chairs, mostly because I've been drinking too much already.
Touché.
But I haven't lost my ability to to hear yet today, and and seven seasons of of sitting in this chair, that may be the best country audition that I have ever heard.
Wow.
For real.
What's the big bar there in Atlanta? I opened for you at the one in kennesaw.
What? So that's cowboys.
Oh, you didn't remember, did you? You had a mullet.
He just said you had a mullet.
It's been a while, yeah.
That's been at least a month or two ago.
Okay.
Songs are the lifeblood of an artist on this show.
I can guarantee you none of these three have ever heard of Kevin sharp.
I don't want to see you end up on a team that there's not a working knowledge of what's either current in country music, what is classic in country music.
Yeah, um You got to do the right thing here.
Well, can I talk? Yeah.
Go ahead.
Um, oh, my God.
Oh, man.
I well, that's a good point.
And I'm glad that you took this opportunity Then why don't you hush up? Okay.
I'm not gonna lie to you and tell you I know more about country music than Blake Shelton does.
He's the authority, and he's one of my best friends.
I love him to pieces.
I hate losing.
And I just know you can win this thing, no problem.
And when I know that, I have to fight so hard.
And I guarantee victory if you choose me.
Wow.
I guarantee it.
Wow.
Like, that's how, uh, bananas Sorry bananas i am.
I'm crazy.
B-a-n-a-n-a-s.
Yeah, that's right.
Good.
I'm like a possessed monster for you, dude.
My claws are out.
That song topped the charts.
And I see that same ability in you.
And, man, I would love to have you on my team.
Okay.
Who do you pick as your coach? Uh Man.
Come on, guys.
Come on.
Please.
I i have to go with my gut.
I have to go with Mr.
Blake Shelton.
Yeah! Yes! the boys 'round here Drinkin' that ice-cold beer Talkin' 'bout girls, talkin' 'bout trucks yes! Runnin' them red dirt roads out, kicking up dust yes, it's gonna be awesome, brother.
Whoo! Sweet.
It's gonna be awesome.
One of the most exciting moments is when James started singing.
The only thing that tops that is when he picked me as his coach.
His voice is incredible.
You broke my heart, but I understand.
I can't believe I didn't get James.
He's just ridiculous.
I've never seen a blind audition that was so star-like.
It was pretty epic.
through the countryside Ooh, let's ride oh, don't even look at me right now.
I can't even look at you right now.
Down to the river side Ha! And you, too! Hey! Ha, ha! What'd I do? What did I do? Whoo! I got a good one!
These coaches will be able to help me as an artist to grow.
To guide me and teach me.
You don't ever give up on a dream.
You never know when it's gonna show back up.
Give it up for your coaches! Adam levine! Even after six seasons, I still get humbled by all the talent that I see.
This could easily be the best season yet.
Gwen Stefani! I've been in a band, I've had a solo career, and I'm a mom.
But I've never been a coach, and I can't wait to pass on everything that I've learned.
Pharrell Williams! I'm an artist but I'm also a producer.
For me, discovering new talent is the thing that keeps me going, and it's an opportunity to change someone's life.
And Blake Shelton! We're making their dreams come true with one push of a button.
And this season, we get to do it with two incredible new coaches.
Tonight, the emmy award-winning phenomenon, "The Voice," is back, as our returning champions welcome two new coaches to the "voice" family.
I ain't no hollaback girl Gwen Stefani Few times I been around that track Global music and fashion icon So it's not just gonna happen like that Three-time grammy winner Because I ain't no hollaback girl And lead singer of revolutionary band no doubt I'm just a girl With a career that spans two decades Oh, I've had it up to here And over 30 million albums sold.
Gwen's one of those iconic artists.
And she's paved the way for females in rock music.
There is nobody in the world like Gwen Stefani.
To the stars Pharrell Williams She's up all night to the sun One of the greatest artists, producers, and writers I'm up all night to get some In American music history.
She's up all night for good fun with seven grammy awards I'm up all night to get lucky He's responsible for 18 top-10 singles Because I'm happy And his Oscar-nominated song "happy" Clap along if you feel like a room without a roof, yeah Has sold over 10 million copies.
Clap along if you feel like that's what you want to do Adam: We really lucked out this year because we have pharrell, who's a producer and a writer.
Hey, hey, hey the coolest thing is, he's not like everybody else.
You don't need no papers as a person, as an artist, as a singer, he's just got this incredible energy around him.
Two-time "voice" champion and grammy award-winning lead singer of maroon 5 Adam levine.
I really want to love somebody Adam is a brilliant artist.
I really want to dance the night away he can do many different styles.
He plays virtually every instrument.
He has an incredible career.
There's no one like him.
Three-time winning coach and the reigning cma male vocalist of the year, country music superstar Blake Shelton.
I am a huge Blake fan.
At the end of the tunnel after watching him on TV with my kids and then getting here It ain't all that bright He has such a great perspective on music.
I just love that guy.
These four superstars have come together with one goal To find the greatest undiscovered voice in America.
But it's too cold Ch-ch-chain Just say something, I'm gmng up on you And with a lineup like this, "The Voice" will never be the same.
Blake, aren't you excited to see these guys for the first time fight each other? Gwen is the queen of awesome.
Gwen and pharrell collaborated many times together, and I feel like I'm competing against Adam and a duo.
I love you so much! I love you, too, boo.
I think I'm gonna throw up.
Unconditionally yes! This season, our coaches will be more passionate.
Being on this show is a sign for me to be inspired by people like you.
Wow.
Thank you.
We're at a high level here.
We're trying to get people that really move us.
I'm just a girl I'm just a girl Okay.
Time-out.
Time-out.
They'll be more creative.
I'm gonna write you a love poem.
Anyone can write a poem from the top of their head.
Do you really believe that's all that he said? These guys are so good at this, I'm a little threatened.
I love "The Voice" because it really puts all of the emphasis on The Voice.
And they'll fight harder to get the most talented singers I know what to do with that voice.
Oh, my God.
Do you like fashion? I have four clothing lines.
I do have two trophies from winning "The Voice.
" I have three trophies from "The Voice" and a credit card.
We'll go buy you some clothes.
They're talking the talk.
What?! But I'm walking the walk.
All right, that's it.
How seriously are you gonna be able to take this guy when you're waiting for him to make you an arby's roast-beef sandwich? Because only one coach will deliver the artist that wins it all Yes! Aah! Yes! And be named The Voice.
You're my boo.
To kick off the blind auditions Whoo! so happy For the first time performing together keep on dancin' Don't do that are your season 7 coaches.
The waves keep on crashing on me for some reason But your love keeps on coming like a thunderbolt So come here, a little closer Ooh 'Cause I wanna see you, baby, real close up, yeah Get over here, get over here You've got me feeling hella good, so let's just keep on dancing Keep on dancing Ooh You hold me like you should, so I'm gonna keep on dancing Keep on dancing The performance deserving a standing ovation And who would have thought it'd be the two of us, girl I didn't think it was gonna happen, did you? So don't wake me if I'm dreaming Ooh 'Cause I'm in the mood, come on and give it up, yeah Get over here, get over here Got me feeling hella good, so let's just keep on dancing Keep on dancing Ooh, ooh Ooh, ooh You hold me like you should, so I'm gonna keep on dancing Keep on dancing ooh, ooh Ooh, ooh You got me feeling hella good, so let's just on dancing Keep on dancing Come on Ooh, ooh You hold me like you should, so I'm gonna keep on dancing Keep on dancing Ooh Whoo! Yes! As our coaches get ready for the blind auditions, let's meet our first artist.
Outside the "voice" stage at universal studios, Hollywood, the artists eagerly await their chance to perform for our coaches.
Whoo! First is 31-year-old soul singer from dublin, Texas, Luke wade.
I came from a family of artists.
My dad is a painter.
My mom ran a dance studio.
I started dancing when I was 3 for about 10 years.
And my mom thought it was really cool to put a young boy in sequins, to dress a young man as a bunny.
You look back on your childhood, sometimes you realize things were weird.
As a kid, I would go to my mom's dance studio and have to clean it to get my allowance.
And there was only a record player over there, and that's really where I started getting into the classical music that I love.
So, what'd you start doing? How did that manifest in trying to do this for a LMNG? I started a band, played all over Texas bars.
Drmng around a lot? Yeah.
It turned into putting 50,000 Miles a year on your car, trying to get 10 people to buy a cd at a coffee shop.
It's a tough road being a professional musician, and I've been at it for 11 years.
I don't think he ever gives up.
And he's had some tough times, but Luke has persevered.
When I was 13 years old, I was involved in an accident.
Paintball was really new, and one of our friends accidentally shot me and took the vision in my right eye.
It showed me how your life can change in a second.
You can't take anything for granted, and you can never stop pushing.
This opportunity on "The Voice" is not like anything that I'll get anywhere else.
If I played in front of 100 people every night for the rest of my life, I wouldn't get in front of as many people as one night on this show.
The possibilities for me coming out of this are limitless.
You ready, Gwen? Yes, I am.
High heels.
If I was the sun way up there I'd go with love most everywhere I'll be the moon when the sun goes down Just to let you know that I'm still around What?! What?! that's how strong my love is Baby, please That's how strong my love is, darlin' That's how strong my love is, baby That's how strong my love is I'll be the ocean so deep and wide And catch all the tears whenever you cry now I'll be the breeze when the storm is gone To dry your eyes and love you all warm That's how strong my love is, so deep and wide That's how strong my love is, baby So much love, so much love You fill me up with so, so much love, yeah That's how strong my love is Baby, please That's how, that's how strong my love is That's how strong it is, baby Whoo! Whoo! Yeah! That's my boy! We did it! We won "The Voice"! This is amazing.
What's your name? My name is Luke wade.
I wish I could be higher up.
I want to swing from the rafters, and I want to sing from the mountaintops.
That's because you are high right now.
Sit down and let us talk.
It's stupid to say it, but I'm dumb and I don't care.
You're gonna win, and it's gonna be on my team.
I like that confidence.
I sw ugh! Go.
Are you, like, a professional singer? I got myself a band and a van, and we get on the road Wow.
For 12 years, you know? I've been in a band since I'm 17 years old.
And none of these guys have really done what I've done.
Don't look into her eyes.
The experience I have That's serious business right there.
I can really, I can really project it into you.
I can do it.
Mr.
pharrell? I know a thing or two about blue-eyed soul.
I know you do.
You could ask Justin.
Oh, my God.
You could ask Robin.
With Adam, you're gonna get a great vocal coach.
With Gwen, I mean, who wouldn't want to be on Gwen's team? And Blake, you know, that's the heart and soul.
But I know what to do with that voice.
Oh, no! Okay? That's all I want to do, is be your amplifier.
I'm gonna sit down now.
All right.
I-I got to say one i got i have to say it.
Okay.
It's a learning curve with the show.
As much as I don't like to give him credit, Blake and I had the advantage of being able to hone over the last few years.
That's a unique skill set.
Can I say something for just a second? Okay.
These two guys on the end, they're kind of calling it in at this point.
What?! They've been doing it so long, you know? We've been winning for so long.
I am so pumped up.
I've never done anything like this before.
I'm all fresh and excited, so I can really give you a lot of focus.
First of all, I can't believe this performance wasn't like a guest star.
You already did something incredible.
And I know a thing or two about winning "The Voice.
" You can ask jermaine.
You can ask cassadee.
You can ask Danielle.
And I have no doubt that pharrell could probably make an amazing record on you, and that's gonna be awesome when he does it after you and I win this show.
That's what we need to do first.
Listen to me.
The cool because he's sappy Nice.
I want the world to see who Luke wade is.
Give me that opportunity to introduce the world to Luke wade.
Okay.
So, who do you pick as your coach? I'm beside myself right now.
I'm gonna have a panic attack.
All of the coaches have made something that's moved me in some way.
But I have to choose.
And I choose pharrell.
because I'm happy Clap along if you feel like a room without a roof ooh! Ahh! Ahh! Because I'm happy yes, yes! Clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth yes, yes, yes, yes! Luke is so incredibly soulful.
I had to push the button.
Yeah.
Your voice is crazy.
Thank you, man.
Thank you so much.
Oh! Yeah.
I think this season is gonna be super competitive.
I can't wait to see what else the rest of the day brings.
Whoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-aah! I never could have guessed four coaches were gonna turn around.
I had to go with pharrell because there's so many people that I idolize, he's helped them make careers.
I love this show, man.
It's the magic, it's the goosebumps, it's everything.
He's got it.
And I've missed out on him.
I'm very upset about it.
So happy Clap along if you feel like a room without a roof so mad right now.
Still to come Our love is like x-o More epic performances whoo! This is the most excited I've been sitting in this chair.
That have our coaches climbing to new heights I'm gonna write you a love poem.
Is that what we're doing now? To get the artists they want.
I can't stand on chairs, mostly because I've been drinking.
And our two new coaches show Adam and Blake they came to win.
I'm just a girl I'm just a girl As a coach, this is what you dream for.
This is "The Voice" Welcome back to the blind auditions.
Pharrell really yanked the rug out from under me today when he didn't show up with the big hat on, 'cause I had so much Oh.
He had so much material planned material oh, my God.
You thought I was gonna show up with the 10-gallon "bonanza" hat? Yeah.
No, no, no.
No "gunsmoke" today.
As our coaches head back to their chairs, let's meet our next artist.
My name is Clara Hong.
I'm 22 years old.
I'm from Atlanta, Georgia.
I was born in South Korea.
When I was 8, my parents decided to move us to America to give us a better future.
I didn't speak any English.
It was hard because I felt really misunderstood.
And I couldn't say anything, so obviously I just looked really dumb.
I started listening to American music, which helped me learn English.
That was my escape.
When did singing become something you wanted to do more serious? Two years into college, when I found myself really unhappy, and I was like, "well, I can either just stay here and feel sorry for myself, or do something about it.
" And so, I told my parents You told them you wanted to be done with school? Right.
And I just moved to the city to pursue music.
And now I'm a much happier person.
In Atlanta, to pay my bills, I work as a banquet server.
What really attracted me to this show was the coaching that you get.
When I heard about pharrell, I was really excited 'cause I've loved him since middle school.
There's some pressure to prove to my parents that I can succeed with music.
They came here initially to give us a fine education, and I think it would be a relief to know that they feel okay with me doing this.
When I look back and I had hard moments, I wasn't always confident, um But it's, like, taught me just how to prepare for anything.
Go, Clara! Come on, Clara.
How come he don't come And p.
L.
P.
With me Down at the meter no more? And how come he turn off the TV Whoo! I am so happy for her! and hang that sign on the door? Well, we call and we call, "how come?" We say Hey, what could make a boy behave this way, yeah? Well, he learned all of the lines, now wow.
She sounds beautiful.
and every time he gonna s-stutter when he talks And it's true, it's true He sure has acquired this kinda cool and inspired Sorta jazz when he walks Where's his jacket and his old blue jeans If this ain't healthy, it is some kinda clean That means that Chuck e's in love, yeah, yeah Chuck e's in, Chuck e's in love Chuck e's in love, he's in love Whoo! with me Yeah Yay! Whoo! Thank you.
What's your name? My name is Clara Hong.
Well, let me be the first to say that you have three of the greatest people in all of music Oh, my God fighting over you right now.
I'm just gonna lay back here and watch this happen.
Where do I being with that tone? Oh, my God.
Thank you.
That tone is like silk.
You're silk.
Your voice! Your voice! Honestly, they turned quicker than I did.
A lot quicker.
But I was like, "is this real?" I love your voice and the control.
And then to turn around Completely different than what anyone would ever expect That's what I love.
Laying it on thick over there.
We'd love to have you on the team.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Clara, I love that song.
It feels very you, and that's super important.
It's not about being a perfect singer.
All the people that I love growing up are not perfect.
They have character.
They have personality.
Your singing voice, it's so alluring.
I think your stage presence was great.
But I have years and years and years of being onstage.
I think I could help you.
Like, I mean, do you have a microphone? I'm, like, totally screwed now.
I'm gonna write you a love poem.
Yeah, write a love poem while I get the audience going.
Okay.
There's this song that I wrote called "just a girl.
" So, when I'm usually, like, onstage, what I'll do is I'll be like You looking at me?! You looking at me? I'm just a girl I'm just a girl Let me hear you! I'm just a girl I'm just a girl See? You could suck them into your world.
Just then, I was having to check myself.
I thought I was just a girl.
Just letting Adam wrap up his poem over there for you.
Oh, my gosh.
What nationality are you, by the way? I'm Korean.
First of all.
Oh oh.
Wow.
That means "hi.
How are you?" Is that what we're doing now? Yeah.
Clara is great, and so am I.
Why should I coach you? Let me tell you why.
I've been in this chair for three solid years.
I know what it takes, so please, have no fear.
So, team Adam it is.
So glad you could be the triumphant Victor.
Let's make history.
Whoo! Now, anyone can write a poem from the top of their head.
Do you really believe that's all that he said? I mean, yes, you have Adam, you have Blake, and you have Gwen.
But come to skateboard p.
, baby, if you really want to win.
Oh, my gosh! God! Oh! I'm a really competitive person.
I will kill for you.
And I think that you should choose me because this "voice" thing, this this is my house, this this thing.
It's time to pick your coach.
Forget singing.
This is the hardest part.
It's not hard! Right here! So easy.
Just say my name.
I choose Adam.
Yes! the sound of my heart The beat goes on and on and on and on that's right! That's right! Boom, clap, you make me feel Clara's awesome.
And the best thing about her is she's not imitating anybody.
Come on to me, come on to me now someone either has it or they don't, and she has it.
Oh, my God! Good job.
So happy for you.
Oh! You sounded awesome.
Why'd you pick Adam? I thought I was gonna pick pharrell, honestly.
But when Adam did his pitch, he really convinced me.
That's that was my gut choice.
Still got it! I tried hard.
She's awesome.
She's dope.
Still to come, the artists give it their all, and our coaches hold nothing back.
I'm gonna relate to you more than any of these three guys.
That's the one thing we can't do is play the girl card.
Well, you can.
This is "The Voice" Welcome back to night one of the blind auditions.
My name is bryana salaz.
I'm 16 years old, and I'm from San Antonio, Texas.
I was born in Orlando, Florida, but I've moved every two years since then 'cause my dad's in the military.
After Orlando, we moved to Illinois, and then to north Carolina, and then to Illinois, then to Virginia, then to Hawaii, then to Georgia, then to Texas, then to California, and then back to Texas.
When I was about 12 years old, my mom and my sister signed me up for this, like, military singing competition, and I just fell in love with it.
I'm so proud of you.
Our family is really close.
My dad is so supportive in my music.
I'm really bummed that he can't be here.
He has hep c liver disease.
He was in bed for months.
Now he's recovering.
He got me this necklace.
So it's kind of like a piece of him is here with me.
I've done a lot of different competitions, but nothing really compares to "The Voice.
" You know, it doesn't really hit you that you're singing for Adam levine.
It's very surreal, and I'm excited, but I'm scared.
Go, bry! Baby, even though I hate ya, I wanna love ya, I want you And even though I can't forgive you, I really want to Tell me, tell me, baby, why can't you leave me? Even though I shouldn't want it, I gotta have it Head in the clouds, got no weight on my shoulders I should be wiser and realize that I've got Whoo! I got one less problem without you I got one less problem without you I got one less, one less problem Babe Head in the clouds, got no weight on my shoulder Should be wiser, realize that I've got No I got one less, one less problem I got one less problem without you I got one less problem without you I got one less, one less problem Oh, my God, that was awesome.
Hello! Hi.
What's your name? Bryana.
Okay.
Catch your breath.
Breathe.
How old are you? I'm 16.
Whatever.
Ooh.
That's crazy.
All right.
Where are you from? I'm from Texas.
She said she's from Texas, Adam.
Stay with me.
Stay with me.
Over here.
You're already so much better at singing than Blake is.
You got three choices here.
You got Blake Shelton.
He wants to win.
He's competitive.
I'll give him that.
And then Gwen's new.
As amazing as she is, she is new.
So there are things that she doesn't know yet.
Okay, wait, but I think I might have the longest career.
Oh, wow.
She's had an incredibly long career.
When I was your age is when I started listening to her records, and they were fantastic.
Sorry.
I was starting to like you.
I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Uh, oh, then there's me.
I'm the third choice.
And I know how far you're gonna go.
And and I think that it would be a major loss to not have you on my team.
Thank you.
When I turned and I saw this little sparkly princess girl, I was like, "oh, my God! She's amazing.
" And then you were taking it to another level when you went to those power notes, and I was really impressed.
Thank you.
When I was your age, I wasn't even close to even touching what you got going on.
But now I feel like I have a lot of experience behind me.
And it's obvious that I'm gonna relate to you more than any of these three guys because I'm a girl, right? I can't stand the girl card.
That's the one thing we can't do is play the girl card.
I know.
I'm so lucky.
Well, you can.
Sorry, pharrell.
Go ahead.
You know, Gwen is my boo, so I'm gonna have to say if I didn't get a chance to vote Hey! Hey! I'm out of this one, but I will say this.
Your range is amazing.
And I'm pretty sure at some point we'll work together.
But I'm just gonna say, you know Thank you.
They're ganging up on us, Blake.
I'm trying to figure out what the hell a boo is.
She's your boo? What is that? A boo.
Like a buddy? Yeah.
Your okay.
Yeah.
Your willingness to take chances is awesome.
To take nervous energy and turn that into a power moment means everything.
Nobody's had a better track record with younger people on this show than your old Uncle Blake sitting over here.
I'm learning how he does this now.
He's good.
I'm seeing what he does.
All right.
The power's in your hands now.
Who do you pick as your coach? Okay.
Um whoo! I think i pick Gwen.
Aah! Oh! This is the part when I break free 'Cause I can't resist it no more I had this idea to make some "team Gwen" shirts, get people pumped up.
Yeah! I have 12 shirts ready to go.
This is for you.
Oh! Bryana is a really strong voice.
The confidence that she has is insane.
I feel really inspired right now.
Thank you so much! Thank you.
Of course, of course, of course.
Congratulations.
Thank you.
Gwen and pharrell are quick learners.
Blake and I got to work harder now.
Yes! Ooh! Team Gwen! I wasn't expecting anything, nonetheless, three chairs, so I'm I'm so thankful right now.
I picked Gwen because she's always been a long-time inspiration of mine, and so I am so honored to work with her.
Whoo-hoo! Coming up a four-chair turn rocks the coaches out of their chairs Oh, my God.
I love her.
And stirs up their competitive sides.
I love you.
Please pick me.
My claws are out.
You are one of the most amazing vocalists that I've seen in a long time.
How many great singers did you and Adam actually pass up? Hey.
don't speak Like her style? Now you can buy this audition-inspired look at kohl's or kohls.
Com.
This is "The Voice" This is "The Voice" Welcome back to the blind auditions.
This next singer has waited a lifetime for his moment in the spotlight.
I'm Dennis bell.
I'm 52 years old.
I'm from Mansfield, Louisiana, and I'm in the dirt-contracting business.
This is a family business.
I work with my two sons, my nephew, and my mother.
She's been keeping books for the company ever since it started.
I love working with my family, but I'm finally at a point now where I can try and see what will happen with music.
I started singing when I was 4 at little rodeos and stuff like that.
At the end of my senior year, got in a talent contest and won it.
And it just kind of kicked it off from there.
In 1980, I was on "Louisiana hayride.
" You had everybody from Elvis Presley to Hank Williams.
I was a regular on the "hayride" till it closed.
So, as long as you remember, you've been doing music? Yeah.
Start to feel like something might happen there, a little momentum? Thought it You know, yeah, I kind of thought it would.
And, um Take your time, Dennis.
My dad, um uh, he had a heart attack.
And, um, I had to give up the music to, um to run our business.
I had to do what I what I had to do and provide for my family.
Never thought this would ever be.
And now you're here picking up the pieces from then.
Is that not crazy? We're gonna see what's left in the tank.
I hope there's enough left.
You don't ever give up on a dream.
You never know when it's gonna show back up.
To be going back onstage, being off of it for 22 years, is it's so many mixed emotions, you know? I spent a lot of time making a LMNG, doing something that I didn't choose to do.
And it'd be great to try to do something that I chose.
If a chair turned around, it's gonna be the craziest thing ever happened to me.
She looked so good movin' 'cross the dance floor Better than the day she left me Arm in arm with somebody new Holdin' hands and laughin' like we used to I got my best smile on, but it's no disguise It don't hide the pain in these eyes I did her so wrong, for so long Turned my back on her love, now she's long gone I did my part, oh, to break her heart She walked out on me, and tore my world apart Oh, come on.
Come on.
Come on, Blake.
Come on.
she used to be mine Oh, she used to be mine Oh, she used to be mine Oh! Ohh What's your name, brother? Dennis bell.
How long have you been singing country music? I started when I was 4, quit 22 years ago.
This is the first stage I've been on in 22 years.
If you don't mind my asking, why would you walk away from it? My dad had a heart attack, and I had to take over running our business.
Ended up raising my kids.
Just had to hang it up.
Sure, man.
First of all, I think you got a true country sound, and all it was, it sounds like you're out of practice a little bit.
You have a cool voice, good pitch.
Yeah.
A little bit, yeah.
You mind you mind if I say something? Sure.
I could feel pain.
You have, in spades, the absolute hardest thing To be able to show us through what you're singing how you feel.
That's a real gift, my friend.
Thank you.
Well, thank you, Adam.
I appreciate that.
Appreciate it.
You have something special because back here, they were cuddling, they were swaying.
There was, like, people making out.
You moved people today.
Thank you.
I appreciate it.
This is confirmation to say, you know what, after 22 years, to keep going.
Thank you so much.
Thank y'all.
I feel blessed to have been able to have done this.
I know I was a little rusty, but I'm glad I did it.
It was a great experience.
And now I'll go home and see my kids and grandkids.
That was so crazy.
You can, like, feel all of the agony in his voice.
Mm-hmm.
Ugh.
It was ugh.
It would have been a real breath of fresh air to have him on my team.
I really wish I had turned for him.
It's one of my bigger mistakes because I didn't follow my heart on that one.
Coming up, a powerful story All of a sudden, I heard shots.
Inspires an emotional performance It's so hard And brings our coaches to their feet.
Someone tells you no, it doesn't mean that you stop.
This is "The Voice" Welcome back to night one of the blind auditions.
This season, I'll be hitting the road to visit some of the artists before their blind auditions.
We're on our way to Los Angeles international airport to meet our next artist, who's hoping that his blind audition could take him away from his high-stress job and back to his first love of music.
My name is Damien.
I'm 35 years old.
I'm from Monroe, Louisiana.
I came out to Los Angeles when I was 22 to pursue my dream as a singer.
Making it in music has been very hard, so I had to get a job.
I work for tsa at lax.
Tsa is no joke.
Tell me a little bit about this job.
An incident happened that I was a part of.
It was an eye-opener for me.
Good evening at 9:30 on a Friday morning, a lone gunman with an assault rifle entered and apparently opened fire at a security checkpoint.
On November the 1st, a guy just decided he wanted to come and shoot tsa employees.
All of a sudden, I saw my partner go down.
Oh, my gosh.
He got shot in the leg.
As I was getting kind of trampled, another one of my coworkers lost his life.
They asked me to sing at the funeral.
I believe I can fly It was very hard to sing in front of all these people during a sad moment.
I believe I can touch the sky Sorry.
After the shooting, it just let me know that I need to go after my career even more.
Tomorrow is never promised to you.
In this business, there is a lot of rejection.
But today, I only need one yes.
Hey, Damien! How do I Say goodbye To what we had Three right away! The good times that made us laugh Outweigh the bad Oh I thought we'd get to see forever But forever's gone away wow.
Beautiful.
It's so hard To say goodbye To yesterday And I'll take with me the memories To be my sunshine after the rain It's so hard To say goodbye To yesterday Eeeeeh Come here.
That was amazing.
Why are you crying? You all right? Just you okay? I'm okay.
Okay.
Okay.
What's your name, man? Talk to me.
Tell me the definition of those tears.
My name is Damien.
I've just been told no so many times.
And it just feels good to see you guys turn around for me.
Oh, man.
These moments happen in in our lives as confirmation.
And when someone tells you no, it doesn't mean that you stop.
Look where you are right now.
There's no more need in your life for feeling the pain from the definition of no, because today should be four confirmations of yes.
Your voice is amazing, and that's the reason why I pressed the button.
Thank you.
What have you been doing in between all the nos? I work for tsa.
They took a pocket knife from me at the national airport.
It's a case stag handle pocket knife.
You know anybody you can call? No.
I have no idea.
That was my favorite pocket knife.
Okay.
Blake, Blake, he doesn't know all of the other tsas in the world.
Well, I hey, somebody's got my favorite pocket knife.
That's over, though.
Yeah.
Now you're a professional singer.
Thank you.
I appreciate that.
You were so tasteful with your runs.
And it was so emotional.
You touched us.
I know you're a guy, I'm a girl, and why would you want me to coach you? I've been in a band my whole life with guys.
I'm surrounded by guys all the time.
I'm married to an amazing singer/songwriter.
So, it's not like I don't know what I'm doing when it comes to guys.
I can understand why a guy would want you to coach him for many reasons.
'Cause she's very beautiful.
You're so sweet.
Anyways, I would love to have you on my team.
I could learn a lot from you.
Wow.
Man, when we fall in love with something, especially me, I fight as hard as I possibly can for that person because that's what I have to do throughout the whole competition.
It made sense that afterwards, you you burst into tears, because that's how you sing.
And that's what I love about what you do.
In the way that we said yes to you, I'm asking for a yes Oh, my God from you.
You stayed in your lower register for a good bit of that song.
It reminds me, honestly, of bill withers.
And I just think that you're in a position with a voice like that to stand out not only on this show, but just in the music industry, you know? There's just nobody quite like you, and I need you.
I love you.
Please pick me.
You know, I just wanted to reiterate one more time, you're very talented, and that's why I pressed that button, because you really did deserve four chairs.
So, who do you pick as your coach? What? No! Please! I i pick Please! This is "The Voice" Welcome back to the blind auditions.
It's so hard To say goodbye before the break, all four coaches pushed their buttons for r&B and soul vocalist Damien.
Eeeeeh Now Damien has the difficult decision of picking his coach.
Please! I pick Adam.
Yes! All my life, I've been waiting for I've been praying for had a heart attack.
For the people to say you almost gave me a heart attack.
There's no one else like Damien in this competition.
I can't wait to get into it with him, work.
We're gonna make some magic.
This is the big shot that I've been waiting for all my life.
All my life, I've been waiting for I've been praying for I chose Adam because I felt like he was the most genuine.
His words resonated with me.
There were so many loud "Gwen" s.
At least, like, make it more even.
It was like, "Gwen!" Thank you.
Gwen and pharrell are getting a little comfortable.
And while I adore those two, I needed to make them understand that this is still my house.
Security! Next, a singer who is no stranger to the "voice" stage, 18-year-old country hopeful Allison bray.
I auditioned for season six and did not get a chair to turn.
Where the boys are Where the boys are I just really believe that it wasn't my time.
Someone waits for me So, I went home and prepared myself, and I'm coming back stronger than I was before.
I have your last season blind audition.
All right? Oh, God.
Listen, I'm gmng you an invitation to come back here and do this again.
But you have to promise that you'll work as hard as you can on your pitch.
If you just tweak it, you're not only gonna make it onto the show, you're gonna be a threat.
Did that mean something to you when Blake said that? The fact that he had just anything good to say about me singing was still, like, a huge deal.
What have you been doing since last season? I got a band together, and we actually got into, like, the guns n' roses, aerosmith.
Seriously? Yeah.
We play rock and country music three times a week.
And I am graduating high school this year.
I want to come back and prove to the coaches that I had what it takes.
To not have a chair turn around would be crushing.
And I really hope I don't have to go through that again.
But I want it even more than I did the first time.
There she is.
There she goes.
There's Miss bray.
If you ain't got two kids by 21 You're probably gonna die alone At least that's what tradition told you And it don't matter if you don't believe Come Sunday morning, you'd best be there In the front row like you're supposed to Same hurt in every heart Same trailer, different park Mary, Mary, quite contrary We get bored, so we get married And just like dust, we settle in this town On this broken merry-go-'round And 'round and 'round we go Where it stops, nobody knows It ain't slowing down This merry-go-'round Hey Jack and Jill went up the hill Jack burned out on booze and pills Mary had a little lamb Mary just don't give a damn no more Oh, my God.
I love her.
Wait a minute.
We know you.
You look familiar to me.
Uh, yeah.
I've been here last season, actually.
Yes.
Whoo! What's your name again? Allison bray.
Congratulations.
Where are you from? Thank you.
Louisville, Kentucky.
Uh, hey.
I'm i don't have a chance at all.
Damn it.
Hey, Allison.
You have completely blown me away.
Your voice is a breath of fresh air.
And the way you performed that song, I mean, the quick little breaks that you have in your voice, your pitch was great.
This is the most excited I've been sitting in this chair in a long time.
Thank you.
Thanks.
Thank you.
Thank you.
I didn't press my button because I really honestly feel like it's destined for you to be with my buddy here because He doesn't need that endorsement, really.
Thank you.
Yes.
Yes, I do.
Hey, you're my boo.
Okay.
I don't think he understands what that means.
No, he doesn't.
I'm very excited about this one.
Congratulations.
You're on your way.
Um, Blake.
Blake.
Blake.
I'm sorry.
I was just really excited.
How many, um, great singers did you and Adam actually pass up? Hey.
don't speak That was really good.
Blake Blake's been waiting to say that.
I really love your voice.
It's so beautiful.
And, you know, it's good to stick in your Lane.
But for me, when I've done things outside of the box Like, one of the first people that I wrote with outside of no doubt was pharrell.
We wrote a song called "hella good.
" It changed everything.
People that you wouldn't think you would go with, sometimes that makes magic.
It seems to me that you do have a Lane that you want to go down.
And Blake will sit here and say, "you got to do this, you got to do that.
" I think you should stay in your Lane but maybe just let me drive a little bit.
And then you can be in the passenger seat and be like, "hey, check this out.
" And we can do this and then we can go in different places.
But I know you want to stay it seems to me What the hell are you talking about? Shut up.
I think that we should do something that's gonna get you to be in a good position to win and bother him simultaneously.
That's the goal.
Come on, Allison.
You know what the right thing to do is.
Uh I pick Blake.
Yes! Thank you, buddy.
Yes, sir.
Oh, that would have been awesome.
Yes! You had me worried for a minute.
Blake is the one who I feel like I came back for.
And I got him, so I feel awesome.
Like this.
Like this.
That was just such a good one.
I'm so sad.
Still to come, it's no holds barred gosh! That performance deserved the highest possible point on my chair.
As the talent level continues to be higher than ever, and the competition I need to work with someone like you in a greedy kind of way.
Couldn't be tougher.
You pressed the button because you heard yourself.
I heard something that I love.
Yes, himself.
This is "The Voice" Welcome back to the blind auditions.
My name's megg.
I'm 23 years old, and I'm from redondo beach, California.
I was in my first musical when I was 8.
Ever since then, I've been in "the sound of music," "beauty and the beast," "Annie.
" My senior year of high school, I auditioned for usc in their brand-new major in the Thornton school of music called popular music performance.
They accepted about 25 kids.
And really, those four years, I learned so much collaborating and honing in on who you are as an artist.
You have a very Gwen Stefani vibe about you.
She was a huge influence for me.
No doubt was definitely the biggest reason that helped me decide I wanted to be in a band.
Right.
I'm in a band called party for one.
We usually perform every weekend.
It's definitely tough to get recognized in the industry.
And to reach the amount of people that the show allows you to reach is amazing.
And to work with a coach in your same style that can help steer you in the right direction is huge.
I'm a little bit nervous.
It's a crazy experience, singing in front of one of my idols and singing for America.
If a chair turns, your life changes.
Yes! Yes! Megan! Oh, make me over I'm all I wanna be A walking study, yeah, in demonology Hey, so glad you could make it Yeah, now you've really made it Hey, so glad you could make it now Honeysuckle, she's full of poison She obliterated everything she kissed Now she's fading somewhere in Hollywood I'm glad I came here with your pound of flesh, hey You want a part of me Yeah, I'm not selling cheap Go, Gwen! Yeah, no, I'm not selling cheap Yeah Oh.
Come on.
What's your name? Megg.
Where you from? Redondo beach.
The two reasons I didn't push my button were I thought it was a little bit dramatic.
But my biggest problem was enunciation.
I want to be sure I can understand every word that you're singing so I can get in there with you and enjoy what this song is about.
And just remember some of these idiots like me may not know this song, so I got to be sure Amen.
Amen i teach it to them, so Well said.
Yeah.
Thank you.
I think pitch-wise, you were, like, spot-on.
You are a powerhouse when you sing.
But I was missing the subtlety.
That's something that Gwen is really good at.
Like, at times, she can belt and just, like, roar your face off.
But at the same time, when she wants to be sweet and subtle, she can do it in two seconds.
Aww.
Subtlety is a is a good thing, too.
Yeah.
Awesome.
Thank you.
Hi, megg.
Hi.
You're so cute.
I mean, it's a shame, because I bet you that if we saw the visual with The Voice yeah.
It would be a whole different experience, but that's not what the show is.
What I liked about your voice is that you did have an aggressiveness that is unique for a girl.
And that song is hard.
But who would you like to be as an artist? You have been one the biggest inspiration for me of just paving your own path, and I love you.
I love you! Come back and kick ass, and Gwen's gonna take you, and it's you know, it's gonna be very clear.
Thank you.
Yay! I love this girl.
She's so cute.
But I guess I would love to find someone that has their own unique sound.
Thank you.
Good luck.
Thank you.
You're awesome.
Glad I met Gwen.
Got to give her a hug and talk to her, which was crazy.
So now I'm just gonna go back to my band and keep working on it.
Coming up, show-stopping performances get our coaches fired up.
You're making me hot.
You're making Gwen Stefani hot.
Wow.
You better say something quickly.
And I'm gonna cry like a baby if you don't choose me.
This is "The Voice" Welcome back to the blind auditions.
Next it's 23-year-old pop folk singer Taylor John Williams from Portland, Oregon.
I have always loved performing.
Twinkle, twinkle, little star I always loved to get the attention of the room.
I kind of fell in love with it from there.
My first love has always been music.
But, you know, it doesn't pay the bills.
And I love dogs, so I got a job at sniff dog hotel.
People can drop off their dogs for the day.
For happy hour, people can go into the cafe, grab a beer, glass of wine.
Enjoy.
Cheers.
Cheers.
It's like a social club.
This has been such a great job for me.
When I'm not serving, I get to play music and, you know, show what I can do.
And I found myself If I can get the attention of the customers here with their dogs running around, then I-i feel like I can get the attention of the coaches.
I need this opportunity because I do not have a plan "b.
" Having a coach turn around for me and teaching me all that they've learned in this business, I mean, that's invaluable.
I'm here at this point.
I feel like I got what it takes and I'm passionate enough to go for it.
Oh, my God.
In the night, I hear them talk The coldest story ever told Somewhere far along this road He lost his soul How could you be so cold as the winter wind When it breeze, yo? Yeah! Oh, my God! Oh, my God! Just remember that you talking to me, though You need to watch the way you talking to me, yo And now you wanna get me back and you gonna show me So you walk around like you don't know me You got a new friend, and I got homies But in the end it's still so lonely In the night, I hear them talk The coldest story ever told Somewhere far along this road He lost his soul To a woman so heartless Talk and talk and talk and talk Baby, let's just knock it off They don't know what we been through 'Cause in the night, I hear them talk The coldest story ever told Somewhere far along this road He lost his soul To a woman so heartless How could you be so heartless? Ooo Unbelievable! That was so rad.
That dude's the real deal, right there.
Whoo! Whoo! What's your name? My name is Taylor John Williams.
You made it your own, and I thought that was really creative.
You could tell you're an artist, that you're a writer, that you're your own unique indmdual.
- I thought it was really cool.
- Thank you so much.
I liked it.
Unh! Oh, God.
Dude.
Dude.
I am so happy right now.
Every single note you hit was perfect.
And at the tail end yeah.
Of the last note, you amplified it even more.
And it was like, "oh.
" Tell me everything about you.
Just talk to me us.
But me, mostly.
I've been singing my whole life, really.
I started writing a lot.
That's kind of my first love.
I love lyrics.
I love artists who love lyrics.
I love lyrics.
I love lyrics.
I'm all about lyrics.
Being on this show is a sign for me to be inspired by people like you.
Thank you so much.
I do.
I've never been in this position before.
I need to work with someone like you in a greedy kind of way because I need to write a new record, and I feel like if I'm around someone like you, it's gonna push me.
Wow.
Whoo! Gwen Stefani just said that to me.
I'm actually hot in this room now.
Hey.
That's weird.
You're making me hot.
You're you're you're making Gwen Stefani hot.
You better say something quickly.
I need you to hey.
First of all That's a lot to handle, over here.
But, man, the second I heard you and turned around, like, way early, before others That's a good point.
That's a good point.
It means that I was really listening.
I was so in the moment.
I was being so moved.
Hey, pharrell, if you were him, who would you pick as your coach? Oh, that's not fair.
No, I'm just wondering.
Bro, listen.
Also, just keep this in mind.
They didn't press their I can hey, wait.
I didn't press it because I thought, "wow, Adam's gonna kill this," right? However Oh, here we go.
Here we go.
Oh, here it is.
I feel like Adam understands your voice, but I feel like Gwen understands your future.
So you have a lot whoa.
Oh, whoa! Well, that's You have a very tough choice.
That's very well said, slanted in favor of Gwen, of course.
That was not.
A little bit.
A little bit.
A little just a little like a little bit.
It's fine.
No.
You pressed the button first because you heard yourself.
I heard something that I love.
Yes, himself.
I honest to God wasn't thinking Okay.
Okay.
Time-out.
Time-out.
It's time to pick a coach, and I'm gonna cry like a baby if you don't choose me.
Thank you guys so much.
I can't even this is the weirdest moment of my life.
And it's so awesome at the same time.
I pick Gwen.
Yeah! Yeah! sing Yeah! Ohh ohh ohh ohh ohh Ohh ohh ohh ohh ohh Louder Ohh ohh ohh ohh ohh That's not right.
That's not right.
Let's do it.
That was awesome.
It's gonna be so fun.
Thank you so much.
I think the way Taylor took the kanye song and he kind of flipped it, and the fact that he was talking about songwriting, I was like, "I got to have you.
" This is what this is all about.
Hey! Hey! Team Gwen.
Oh, what? Team Gwen! Sweet! Beautiful.
It was a very tough choice.
I picked Gwen 'cause she understood me.
sing I did.
I liked him a lot.
Compared to how much I liked him, you kind of liked him.
Do you think he helped you at all? Um, in zero ways, he helped me.
What?! I didn't really think he was gonna choose me, but Well, he did.
Now how do you feel? Coming up Did you not just sing that onstage just now? Sparks fly as pharrell lays down the law.
I rest my case.
I can't lose you.
Rest your case while I testify a little bit more.
This is "The Voice" Welcome back to the blind auditions.
Our next singer hopes to prove that he's ready for his big shot.
My name is elyjuh rene.
I'm 18 years old, and I'm from long beach, California.
I love singing r&B, soul, and a little bit of pop.
Wait.
Adam.
Adam.
I know.
I know.
Adam.
Adam.
Oh, he's so cute.
I was 3 years old when I started singing in church with my mom.
And from there on, she's been my manager, my moma momager.
Mwah.
Aww.
That was sweet.
It's fun.
I like being a mama's boy.
Yeah.
We're so much alike.
I don't But I do like how we did our matching shirts.
Elyjuh is very much into fashion.
You don't look too bad yourself.
Get it from your mama, right? When I was 4 years old, my parents split up.
Growing up not having my dad around, it took a toll on me.
And I sometimes did cry myself to sleep.
It was a very difficult time.
And that's why music really became his outlet.
For the last four years, I've been competing in performing-arts competitions.
With everything that's happened to me, I channel that all in, and I use it, and it's been helping me get through everything that I've had to deal with.
The song that I'm singing for my blind audition is Beyoncé, "xo.
" The coaches are gonna be really shocked.
And when they turn around, they're gonna see this little skinny old boy singing this song.
They're gonna be like, "what in the world?" I love you.
I love you.
My mom encouraged me to sing, so I want to give back to her for all the sacrifices that she has made.
It's only helped me become a better man.
This is for me, but this is also for her.
I want to work with one of the coaches so bad because they can help you get to that stardom level as an artist.
This is Beyoncé's song.
I'm going to add in a little elyjuh rene flavor.
This is my time to sing.
I'm about to cry.
Yeah, there he is.
Your love is bright as ever Even in the shadows Oh, baby, kiss me Before they turn the lights out Mm Your heart is glowing come on And I'm crashing into you Oh, baby, kiss me Before they turn the lights out Before they turn the lights out Baby, love me lights out In the darkest night hour Ooh, go, boy! You go, boy, go.
I search through the crowd Your face is all that I see You give me everything Baby, love me lights out Baby, love me lights out You can turn my lights out Our love is like x-o You love me like x-o You kill me, girl, x-o You love me like x-o You're all that I see You give me everything Baby, love me lights out Baby, love me lights out You can turn my lights out Whoa! Wow.
Did you think that was a girl? Yes.
Okay.
Oh, my God! Look at my baby! Wow.
What is your name? My name is elyjuh rene.
I love that you have tears and that you're that emotional and that you're sharing that with everyone.
You know, that's a lot.
We're on "The Voice" right now.
The whole of America's watching, and You you're vulnerable.
That's that's what singing is.
The best singers in the world do that.
The first word that came to my mind when I heard your voice was "anointed.
" Wow.
And when I saw your tears come out, I knew you'd been through a lot.
Like, I don't know your story, but I feel like I get it when I turned around and seen you totally expressing it in everything that you sang.
Thank you so much.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Ooh-wee.
You sang with all of this joy and all of this passion.
It was blissful.
That's what ignites us.
I want in.
I want in.
Pharrell's super charming.
Happy But just try not to forget I said some real great things, as well.
That's right.
You are one of the most amazing vocalists that I've seen in a long time.
Let me ask you a question.
Have you not had to fight all your life? Yes, I had to.
Okay.
Did you not just sing that onstage just now? I did.
Okay.
I rest my case.
Wow.
You can rest your case while I testify a little bit more.
I can't lose you.
These guys are so competitive.
What? What? You are.
There is nobody more competitive on this panel than you.
Yes! You fin thank you.
Ooh.
Did you hear that? What was that, Blake? Say it one more time.
There is not a bigger idiot on this planet that's more competitive than you are.
That might be true.
But let's get down to brass tacks here, okay? Please.
Please, do.
I have won, and I would like to win again.
And you, my friend, can definitely do that.
Who do you pick as your coach? Whoo! Aah! Okay.
All right.
All right.
All right.
All right.
I choose Pharrell.
Oh! I feel good No! I knew that I would, now You got it.
I feel good Nice to meet you, man.
Nice to meet you.
Yo, your voice is crazy.
Aww, he's so cute.
Look at him.
Thank you so much.
Thank you.
Elyjuh rene is a special guy.
And with such precision in his voice, and this was his moment like sugar and spice You know, his confirmation in life that, like, this is what he's supposed to be doing.
Hey, Adam.
No, it's all right.
I'm happy.
I'm happy.
Okay.
Okay.
I'm happy.
Congratulations.
Thank you.
This is everything that I've wanted so much! It's been a struggle, and I'm just so happy that pharrell sees it.
I am on team pharrell, and I can't wait 'cause I am happy! Yes, yes! Keeping you sharp, though.
I'm keeping you sharp.
Oh, man.
You slow-played that one.
hey You Barbara Walters'd his ass.
That's how strong my love is You can download full versions of tonight's blind audition songs on iTunes.
To a woman so heartless This is "The Voice" Welcome back to the blind auditions.
Next up, 21-year-old Bianca espinal traveled across the country with hopes of making a team.
New York City's in the house.
Yes.
Yes.
Yes.
Yes.
How long you been singing? I've been singing since I was 5 years old.
My father has been my biggest inspiration.
My father moved here from Dominican Republic at the age of 16.
He was in a lot of merengue bands.
And once he found out that I could sing, he was like, "yes.
" Are you nervous? No, not really.
I'm excited.
And for me, she's a winner already.
My dad's a janitor, but we actually play in the subway together in New York.
I didn't know if people were gonna pay attention, but once we started, we made pretty good money.
And from then on, my father was like, "I think we need to do this more often.
" Busking in New York subways and being able to grab somebody's attention is gonna help me to turn a chair.
This could be my huge break, and I don't want to disappoint my dad.
It just needs to happen.
She looks great.
You took your coat off And stood in the rain You were always crazy like that Excuse me Think I've mistaken you for somebody else Somebody who gave a damn Somebody more like myself And these foolish games Are tearing me apart And your thoughtless words are Breaking my heart Breaking my heart You took your coat off And stood in the rain You were always crazy like that Hello.
Hi.
Hi, guys.
What's your name? My name is Bianca espinal.
Where you from? I'm from New York City.
It's just an incredible thing to be able to walk up here and sing a song on that stage.
It's so much pressure, and you did a beautiful job.
Thank you, Gwen.
I wish there would have been more opportunities for you to showcase the bigger, upper register of your voice because I think that's where the the strength lies.
So, let me ask you, Bianca, like, how did you feel? I felt like I can do better, but I think Okay.
So so, listen.
Okay.
What you didn't feel, we didn't feel.
And I really honestly think you were singing to us but not necessarily singing for yourself first.
I want your answer to be "I felt amazing," because you'll notice that we will turn our chairs around because we can tell that you're feeling amazing.
So when you come back next time, you're gonna have yourself a what? A good time for myself.
That's right.
Nice to meet you.
Aww.
Okay? All right? Thank you so much.
Thank you.
Okay? It's not about our chairs, it's about your great time.
You but you just did it.
You just sang for the world.
Thank you.
All right.
Mwah.
I feel blessed to have the chance to sing my heart out to four people who, growing up, changed my life.
And physically getting a kiss from pharrell Williams is so great.
Coming up nobody knows The final performance of the night Yes! Has our coaches You are the total package.
That may be the best audition that I have ever heard.
Fighting to the finish.
Whatever! I have nobody on my team like you.
I guarantee victory if you choose me.
Wow.
I guarantee it.
This is "The Voice" Welcome back to the blind auditions.
Before we meet the night's final artist, here's where the teams stand.
Adam landed pop artist Clara Hong and r&B and soul vocalist Damien.
Pharrell scored soul singer Luke wade and r&B artist elyjuh rene.
Yes! Blake picked up country artist Allison bray.
And Gwen added pop artist bryana salaz and folk pop singer Taylor John Williams.
And now the final artist of the night Atlanta, Georgia, resident James David Carter.
Growing up, I remember really loving country music.
But most of my childhood was spent chasing sports.
Football was gonna be my future.
But my senior year, I jumped up and made an interception and came down on my right leg, and my knee basically just snapped.
So my path with sports ended.
He would sit on the couch and just try to write songs.
He had a lot of time to do that.
Some really bad songs.
No.
I don't think they were bad.
I became a working musician at this country honky tonk called cowboys.
I got to open up for Dwight yoakam, Brad paisley, trace adkins, and just a lot of people that I looked up to.
Promise me that you're gonna treat I managed to make a LMNG as a solo musician for the past 12 years.
Barely hanging on And I'm I'm just ready for my big break.
As I've gotten older, thoughts creeped in of maybe I should go back to school and pursue something else.
For one of the coaches to turn a chair, it would serve as a validation that I've been doing the right thing for the past 12 years of my life.
Look at that.
Oh, my God.
Amazing.
I pretend that I'm glad you went away But these four walls close in more every day And I'm dying inside And nobody knows it but me, yeah Like a clown, I put on a show The pain is real even if nobody knows And I'm crying inside And nobody knows it but me And how blue can I get You could ask my heart Just like a Jigsaw puzzle It's been torn all apart A million words couldn't say Just how I feel A million years from now, you know I'll be loving you still Whoa, oh, I'm missing you And nobody knows But me Whoo! Way to go, Dave! Wow.
Oh.
Miss Gwen, thank you for teaching me how to spell "bananas.
" I appreciate that.
Oh, my gosh! Yes! Yes.
I can spell so many words, man.
What does it mean, to stand up there? It means it deserved the highest possible point on my chair.
See if you can stand on the back.
See if you can stand on the back.
Wow.
Don't break it.
Aah! He's gonna break it.
Are you okay? Okay.
He's taller.
He's taller.
He's taller.
That scared the crap out of me.
Listen.
You know what? Whatever.
There wasn't a nervous second in your performance.
You were like totally in key.
You had so much finesse.
As a coach, this is what you dream for.
You are the total package.
Thank you, pharrell.
I know it's weird because I taught you how to spell "bananas" and all that stuff.
You did.
But I have nobody on my team like you.
What's gonna happen on Blake's team is he's gonna have all the country artists, they're gonna battle, and he's just gonna wipe out people left and right.
This is strategy.
Can I start over? 'Cause somewhere between the cirque du soleil and bananas What is your name? Yeah.
Uh, my name is James David Carter.
I'm from Atlanta, Georgia.
Man, I can't stand on on on chairs, mostly because I've been drinking too much already.
Touché.
But I haven't lost my ability to to hear yet today, and and seven seasons of of sitting in this chair, that may be the best country audition that I have ever heard.
Wow.
For real.
What's the big bar there in Atlanta? I opened for you at the one in kennesaw.
What? So that's cowboys.
Oh, you didn't remember, did you? You had a mullet.
He just said you had a mullet.
It's been a while, yeah.
That's been at least a month or two ago.
Okay.
Songs are the lifeblood of an artist on this show.
I can guarantee you none of these three have ever heard of Kevin sharp.
I don't want to see you end up on a team that there's not a working knowledge of what's either current in country music, what is classic in country music.
Yeah, um You got to do the right thing here.
Well, can I talk? Yeah.
Go ahead.
Um, oh, my God.
Oh, man.
I well, that's a good point.
And I'm glad that you took this opportunity Then why don't you hush up? Okay.
I'm not gonna lie to you and tell you I know more about country music than Blake Shelton does.
He's the authority, and he's one of my best friends.
I love him to pieces.
I hate losing.
And I just know you can win this thing, no problem.
And when I know that, I have to fight so hard.
And I guarantee victory if you choose me.
Wow.
I guarantee it.
Wow.
Like, that's how, uh, bananas Sorry bananas i am.
I'm crazy.
B-a-n-a-n-a-s.
Yeah, that's right.
Good.
I'm like a possessed monster for you, dude.
My claws are out.
That song topped the charts.
And I see that same ability in you.
And, man, I would love to have you on my team.
Okay.
Who do you pick as your coach? Uh Man.
Come on, guys.
Come on.
Please.
I i have to go with my gut.
I have to go with Mr.
Blake Shelton.
Yeah! Yes! the boys 'round here Drinkin' that ice-cold beer Talkin' 'bout girls, talkin' 'bout trucks yes! Runnin' them red dirt roads out, kicking up dust yes, it's gonna be awesome, brother.
Whoo! Sweet.
It's gonna be awesome.
One of the most exciting moments is when James started singing.
The only thing that tops that is when he picked me as his coach.
His voice is incredible.
You broke my heart, but I understand.
I can't believe I didn't get James.
He's just ridiculous.
I've never seen a blind audition that was so star-like.
It was pretty epic.
through the countryside Ooh, let's ride oh, don't even look at me right now.
I can't even look at you right now.
Down to the river side Ha! And you, too! Hey! Ha, ha! What'd I do? What did I do? Whoo! I got a good one!