New coaches Snoop Dogg and Michael Bublé join veterans Reba McEntire and Gwen Stefani for Season 26.
The Voice kicked off its 26th season with first-time 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 premiere episode featured the season’s first Blind Auditions and a long overdue twist (more on that later) to spice up the NBC singing competition.
More than a dozen aspiring singers took to The Voice stage in Monday’s two-hour season opener with big dreams of winning the $100,000 grand prize, a record deal at Universal Music Group and the opportunity to work with the best in music. It was quite the premiere with signature four-chair turns, dramatic coaches’ blocks and even a duet between a coach and a young hopeful.
As The Voice gets underway with Season 26, here’s a look at who sang their way onto Team Reba, Team Gwen, Team Snoop and Team Bublé, and how the new twist may change the game.
Introducing the Coaches’ Replay
It’s surprising it took producers this long to put a new button into play: the Coaches’ Replay. Likely a response to past seasons when coaches expressed regret over not turning around for a singer during the Blind Auditions, the added feature affords them the chance for a redo without consequences.
Here’s how it works: The Coaches’ Replay allows the coaches to press their button and turn their chair around after the Blind Audition is over. It’s an option that can only be used once by each coach, and if multiple coaches want the same singer on their team, whoever presses first wins.
The premiere saw the Coaches’ Replay in action for the first time. Kendall Eugene, a country singer, performed a cover of Morgan Wallen’s “Don’t Think Jesus.” Shockingly, none of the coaches turned around, prompting McEntire to question why she didn’t. In a previous season, this would have signaled the end for Eugene. “I liked everything about it,” McEntire said in mild disbelief. “I don’t understand why I did not turn around.” Without dragging the process out any longer, she used her one Coaches’ Replay button on Eugene, welcoming him to Team Reba.
Fastest four-chair turn
There were multiple four-chair turns, but the fastest — sometimes a bellwether of future success on the show — took a mere seven seconds. The lucky recipient was Filipino singer Sofronio Vasquez, whose 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 going so far as to call it “a Grammy performance.” After a lot of posturing by the coaches, Vasquez chose Team Bublé.
The celebrity effect
One of the contestants, Jan Dan, grew up with ties to the music industry. His mother, Fundisha, was a R&B singer who had once been signed to Jermaine Dupri’s So So Def Records and was featured on “Basketball” by Bow Wow in 2002. That musical exposure proved beneficial as Dan’s cover of Brandy’s “Almost Doesn’t Count” had Stefani and Bublé turning their chairs.
He wasn’t an obvious pick for Stefani’s team, who explained she was approaching Season 26 “thinking out [of] the box,” but her mini coaching session with Dan turned the tide in her favor and he joined her team.
Most unique rendition
It’s not often that singers audition with non-English songs, as there’s a level of risk involved. But Kiara Vega blew the coaches away with a soul-rendering cover of Spanish singer Rocío Dúrcal’s “Amor Eterno,” a song that was beloved by her family. Even more impressive was the fact that it was her first time performing on any stage.
Bublé quickly took a liking to Vega — “an instant turn for me,” he told her — and even spoke to her in Spanish in an effort to connect with her (and get a leg up). It worked and she became the latest member of Team Bublé.
Who we’d want on our team
This might be an obvious pick, but there’s a reason Sydney Sterlace, 15, closed out The Voice premiere. Judges were impressed by her performance of Olivia Rodrigo’s “Drivers License” and floored when she revealed her age.
Sounding exactly like Rodrigo (close your eyes and you’d think you were listening to her record), Sterlace was easily one of the strongest performers. It was now a question of “how can we make your style of singing more saturated with Sydney,” Stefani advised. That piece of advice and the fact that she was the best coaching fit, landed Sterlace on Team Gwen, giving the No Doubt singer a big edge.
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 to go with Team Snoop, who proved he really was The Voice’s wild card this season.
Quote of the night
“I have 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. With McEntire exercising her Coaches’ Replay power, will the other three coaches find themselves in a similar situation next week? It’s still early days on The Voice, so anything goes. But the coaches are already putting together interesting teams with unexpected genres and musical styles. So come along for the ride as we continue on The Voice journey.
News
Why ‘AGT’ Season 19 Winner Richard Goodall Won’t Win the $1 Million Prize
America’s Got Talent fans, let’s all congratulate Richard Goodall as the winner of season 19! The latest installment of the hit NBC competition series just wrapped up the season, and fans are ecstatic by the former janitor’s victory in the final round of the…
‘The Voice’ Why John Legend Is Not Returning For Season 26
John Legend is not returning for Season 26 of The Voice. After being a judge for multiple seasons, the names of the judges were released, and Legend’s name was not on it. The Man, The Myth, The John Legend John Legend…
Michael Bublé Talks “Intense” First Day on the Set of ‘The Voice’ and Competing Against Snoop Dogg
Spending nearly 30 years in the music industry, Michael Bublé serenaded fans with classic albums like Dream, Crazy Love, and Nobody But Me. Selling over 75 million albums worldwide, the singer also brought home more than a few awards that included five Grammys. But looking…
‘The Voice’: Michael Bublé Explains What Makes Competition Between Coaches in Season 26 Different
The new additions to The Voice‘s Season 26 cast are, to quote Michael Bublé’s signature hit, everything! For the latest round of NBC’s singing competition, the Canadian crooner and hip hop legend Snoop Dogg join Reba McEntire and Gwen Stefani as coaches. “I was really nervous to do the…
See Snoop Dogg Make His Epic The Voice Debut By Smoking His Fellow Coaches (Literally)
From giving his fellow coaches the munchies to offering bling to contestants, see Snoop Dogg make a helluva splash in E! News exclusive sneak peek at The Voice season 26. The Voice has a whole new swagger thanks to Snoop Dogg. The…
Longtime ‘Voice’ Fans Reveal Why They’re Boycotting New Season
When the 26th season of “The Voice” premieres on September 23, 2024, some longtime fans won’t be watching. Viewer response to the new lineup of coaches has been all over the map, with many thrilled about the unique foursome, and others so upset…
End of content
No more pages to load