Adam Levine left The voice under bitter circumstances two years ago, leaving Kelly Clarkson, who joined the show in 2018, to fill the necessary role of enemy on Blake Shelton’s screen (and literally fill Adam’s red chair). But viewers may have mistakenly assumed that Adam triumphantly returned to The voice Monday, because 21-year-old contestant Keegan Ferrell looked strangely like Levine during his softly sung audition for Maroon 5’s “She Will Be Loved”.
It was the last episode of the Blind Auditions of the 20th season, with the teams filling up quickly and, as it turned out, Blake – who still “happens to be friends with the guy who wrote and sang that song” and until recently starred in a Super Commercial from the bowl with your ex Voice castmate – and Kelly were the only coaches who sought out Keegan. So, this was the Perfect opportunity for Blake to emphasize his relatively new rivalry with Kelly, of course.
“I want you to look at this training panel for just a second. Notice who is missing – and who’s in that chair, ”Blake joked, pointing to the final seat that Levine has occupied for 16 seasons. “Now, I’m not saying that Kelly Clarkson made Adam fire, but he’s gone, and she’s sitting there, okay? This network means ‘Nothing But Clarkson’. … If Maroon 5 inspires you, I don’t know if I would choose a trainer who is their archenemy. “
“Oh my God, we traveled together! “exclaimed Kelly amused but exasperated, referring to the three-month joint journey she did with Adam’s band in 2013.
“And then… you got him fired, ”Blake joked. “I’m willing to be fired for you, Keegan!”
Oddly, Blake playing the Adam card somehow worked – although Kelly pointed to Keegan: “I know, love and breathe pop music; I’m, like, 20 years old! “When later asked why pop singer Keegan would reject the most obvious coach and instead sign up with country singer Blake, Keegan simply explained,” He just knows how to take artists to the next level. “
Apparently, Kelly will not be loved, at least not in this episode. She was having a rough night – although it could be argued that the award she was offering to audiences was a sufficient incentive to choose Team Kelly. While John Legend played the same “Welcome to Team Legend” jingle on the Casio keyboard (with slightly modified lyrics) to each competitor, Blake handed out bobblehead dolls that looked nothing like him, and Nick Jonas presented the contestants with “Nick’s Notes” booklets. “that could be purchased in bulk at any Office Depot, Kelly was handing out stylish, limited edition Team Kelly satin jackets. But even that ploy was not working. When a competitor, Awari, decided to go with Team Jonas, she even shouted, “He literally took the diary instead of the jacket! I think I was more offended by that! It is a empty notebook! “
Eventually, however, all coaches solidified their team formations, comprising the 40 contestants who will proceed to the Battle Rounds. We won’t be seeing Adam Levine then (or probably never) – next week’s guest consultants are Brandy, Dan + Shay, Darren Criss and Luis Fonsi – but I have a feeling that Adam would have enjoyed Blake’s sneaky and sinuous gameplay this week.
Let’s take a look at the rest of Monday’s 20th season blind auditions:
Denisha Dalton, 22: “Pillow talk”
The self-styled “prostitute”, a former member of a female group and singer in the chapel had a unique vocal style – sweet, but attitudinal, indie, but soul – and looked like a little star too. (“You are so cute!” Kelly gasped when she turned.) John described Denisha as “fearless” and “authentically you,” and pleaded, “I would do it. love for you to be the last competitor on my team. “
Who turned? Blake, John and Kelly.
Result: Team legend. John fulfilled his wish. This was not a bad choice on Denisha’s part, but she would definitely look good in a Team Kelly jacket.
Awari, 35: “Weak”
The devoted single dad and retired military man delivered a silky version of the SWV classic in Quiet Storm that Kelly dreamily described as “skateboarding for couples”. It was an old-fashioned number, and I don’t know how versatile Awari can be in this competition, but its nostalgic performance reached a sweet spot tonight.
Who turned? Just Kelly and Nick, although John would have pushed the button if he had a spot on his team.
Result: Team Jonas. Apparently, Nick playing the Priyanka card – mentioning that “Weak” is one of his wife’s favorite songs – and releasing his new album was more effective than Kelly’s tantalizing jacket offer. “If I choose Nick, he can put me on the new album!” thought Awari. (Spoiler alert: Nick’s album, Astronaut, has already been released and I don’t see Awari listed anywhere in the credits.)
Ainae, 21: “The best part”
This Howard University student-diva neo-soul vibe comes from a large industry family – her mother does music marketing, her uncle owns a club and her father is a producer – so she came to the show with a lot of potential and experience. She faltered and wavered in her upper register, but this is something that an expert coach like Kelly can easily fix. “It takes a lot of air to do what you just did,” raved Kelly. John, who probably would have changed under different circumstances, actually compared Ainae to Minnie Riperton, while Kelly compared Ainae to the recent Grammy nominee for Album of the Year, Jhene Aiko, and called her “super special”.
Who turned? Only Kelly, by default.
Result: Team Kelly – consolidating the schedule for Season 20. Let’s go to Battles!
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