The Voice Season 27 kicked off on Monday night. It marked the return of Adam Levine who hasn’t been on the show since Season 16, and he seemed comfortable in his return, earning multiple coveted artists. John Legend and Michael Bublé had quieter returns, as newcomer Kelsea Ballerini also came out swinging when it came to pitching to artists. Kelsea landed a returnee, dueted with another singer, and pulled out all the stops for one singer, 33-year-old, New York City native, Dan Kiernan.

Watch his performance below.

In his video package, Dan talked about his childhood, sharing that he played dress up. His dad knew he was different and needed “a little extra love.” He started in a band in 3rd or 4th grade and performed full productions, even back then. Dan is currently a wedding singer. His mom said, “I know that daddy would be so proud of you” as Dan’s dad died 5 years ago when he went into cardiac arrest after a routine scan. Dan had a tough time getting back into music, “because my dad believed in me so much,” he said, “I’m still out here believing in my dream.”

“The higher parts of the song you sounded so powerful and energetic”

Dan sings “High Hopes” by Panic! At The Disco which is one of the more challenging bands to tackle as lead singer Brendon Urie has a very distinct voice and an insane range, that allows him to hit extremely high notes. Dan’s voice was piercing to begin, and it got Michael to turn. He did lose his breath as the performance went on, and had a tough time keeping up to the beat of a very wordy song. Either way, he showcased growls, runs, and high notes, and one particular high note, got John to turn as well.

“The higher parts of the song you sounded so powerful and energetic,” said John. He noted the difficulty of the song, but also pointed out there were areas that Dan missed. Michael added that he sings the song when taking his kids to school. He loved Dan “going for it.”

Kelsea Ballerini uses her Replay Button in an unusual way

Kelsea connected with him due to his “aura.” She is unsure why she didn’t turn, so she used her replay button. She explained, “I want to know more about your musicality.” John pointed out that she is the first coach to use the replay in that way. He joked, calling the move “dirty and underhanded.” Kelsea continued to give a strong pitch saying that she can give him value considering her collaborations with Halsey and The Chainsmokers. Adam dumbed it down telling Dan that John is highly decorated, Michael is from Canada, and that Kelsea is rising. He wanted to see Dan with Kelsea.

Dan ultimately picked Kelsea. The Replay Button twist is only in its 2nd season, but Kelsea’s use of it will lspark some controversy. People will likely call her out for bending the rules. The Voice in the U.S. has always been pretty by the book, but other versions like The Voice Australia have often had controversy with coaches bending rules like forming duos or turning their chairs when their teams are already full.

Dan’s audition wasn’t the strongest of the night, but it sure made for good TV. Auditions that made a mark vocally included Team Adam’s Ethan Eckenroad’s folksy 4-chair turning take on “Northern Attitude” by Noah Kahan and Team Legend’s Renzo’s take on “Simple Man” that reminded me what a good vocalist he was during his time on American Idol. Finally, Team Kelsea’s Iris Herrera achieved redemption with a smoky take on “You Are On My Sunshine” and Angie Rey’s harmonizing duet with her coach Kelsea on the emotional “Penthouse” was a magical moment.