The voice kicked off its 26th season with new coaches Snoop Dogg and Michael Bublé in the familiar red chairs, proving they were more than capable of giving veterans Gwen Stefani and Reba McEntire a run for their money. The first episode, which featured the season’s first blind auditions and a performance by the coaches of the Eagles’ “Heartache Tonight,” also brought a welcome – and frankly long overdue – twist (more on that later) to spice up the NBC singing competition.
More than a dozen aspiring singers took part The voice stage in Monday’s two-hour season opener with big dreams of winning the $100,000 grand prize, a recording contract with Universal Music Group and the chance to work with the best in the music industry. It was quite a premiere, with typical four-chair turns, dramatic coach blocks and even a duet between a coach and a young hopeful.
Stefani returns for her eighth season as coach and McEntire – who won season 25 with singer Asher HaVon – is hoping for her second consecutive win. Agree The novices Snoop Dogg and Bublé had a lot to offer. But when the first few Agree As the contestants filed through and chose Team Snoop or Team Bublé, it was clear that Stefani and McEntire were up against two formidable opponents.
“We might be the newbies, but you know what, we learn pretty fast,” Bublé told Snoop during the episode after they nabbed several coveted vocalists from Stefani and McEntire. The rapper agreed, confidently declaring, “We might be the newbies of the year!”
As The voice starts with Season 26. Find out who sang their way onto Team Reba, Team Gwen, Team Snoop and Team Bublé and how the new twist could change the game.
Introducing Coaches’ Replay
It is surprising that the producers long enough to bring a new button into play: the Coaches’ Replay. Likely a response to past seasons when coaches expressed regret for not turning around for a singer during the blind auditions, the additional feature offers them the opportunity to replay the show without consequences.
Here’s how it works: The Coaches’ Replay feature allows coaches to press their button and turn their chair around after the blind audition. Each coach can only use this option once. If multiple coaches want the same singer on their team, the one who presses first wins.
The premiere featured the first use of the Coaches’ Replay. Kendall Eugene, a country singer with a heartbreaking backstory, sang a stunning cover of Morgan Wallen’s “Don’t Think Jesus.” Amazingly, none of the coaches turned around, causing McEntire to wonder why she hadn’t. In a previous season, that would have spelled the end for Eugene. “I loved everything about it,” McEntire said, slightly incredulous. “I don’t understand why I didn’t turn around.” Without delaying the process any longer, she pressed her only Coaches’ Replay button on Eugene, welcoming him to Team Reba.
Fastest four-seater rotation
There were several four-chair spins, but the fastest – sometimes a harbinger of future success on the show – lasted just seven seconds. The lucky winner was Filipino singer Sofronio Vasquez, whose remarkable rendition of Mary J. Blige’s R&B ballad “I’m Goin’ Down” captivated the four coaches.
Each of them praised his soulful voice, with Stefani even going so far as to call it a “Grammy performance,” and Bublé, who had been in contact with Vasquez through the Philippines, becoming visibly emotional. After much fussing from the coaches, Vasquez chose Team Bublé.
The celebrity effect
One of the contestants, Jan Dan, had ties to the music industry since he was a child. His mother, Fundisha, was an R&B singer who was once signed to Jermaine Dupri’s So So Def Records and was featured on Bow Wow’s 2002 hit “Basketball.” That musical presence came in handy, as Dan’s cover of Brandy’s “Almost Doesn’t Count” made Stefani and Bublé flip.
He wasn’t an obvious choice for Stefani’s team, who explained that she was approaching season 26 “thinking outside the box,” but her mini-coaching session with Dan turned the tide in her favor and he joined her team.
Most unique interpretation
It is not often that singers audition with non-English songs as it carries a certain risk. But Kiara Vega blew the coaches away with a soulful cover of “Amor Eterno” by Spanish singer Rocío Dúrcal, a song her family loved. Even more impressive was the fact that it was her first performance at any Stage.
Bublé liked Vega immediately—“an instant attraction for me,” he told her—and even spoke Spanish with her to build a connection with her (and give her an edge). It worked, and she became the newest member of Team Bublé.
Who we want on our team
This may be an obvious choice, but there is a reason why Sydney Sterlace was eliminated The voice Premiere. The 15-year-old high school student was so amazing during her 90-second performance of Olivia Rodrigo’s “Drivers License” that coaches were speechless when she revealed her age.
Sterlace sounded just like Rodrigo (if you close your eyes, you’d think you were listening to her record) and was undoubtedly one of the strongest performers. The question now was, “How can we make your singing style more compatible with Sydney?” Stefani advised. That advice, and the fact that she was the best coach, put Sterlace on Team Gwen, giving the No Doubt singer a big head start.
An honorable mention goes to Jake Tankersley, the country singer from Oklahoma who crooned Zach Bryan’s “Something in the Orange” and somehow made it his own. He chose Team Snoop, which proved that he really The voice‘s wildcard this season.
Quote of the night
“I’ve spent most of my life wanting to know what Snoop Dogg tastes like,” said Michael Bublé while eating a bag of Snoop Dogg-branded potato chips.
A look ahead to next week
It’s part 2 of the blind auditions. Will the other three coaches find themselves in a similar situation next week when McEntire exercises her Coaches’ Replay power? It’s still early for The voiceso anything is possible. But the coaches are already putting together interesting teams with unexpected genres and music styles. So come along on the journey as we continue The voice Trip.
The voice‘s Blind Auditions continue Monday, September 30, 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.
