The Voice 23: 10 Best Performances! What are yours?
With this week’s episode of The Voice being a recap episode where the coaches look back at the best moments of Season 23 so far, it only made sense to count down the 10 best performances of the season!
Between some unexpected song arrangements in the Blind Auditions and some perfect pairings during the Battle Rounds, Season 23 has already had a slew of unforgettable performances during its first few weeks.
10. Laura Littleton – “Sign Of The Times” – Blind Audition
Auditioning with a Harry Styles song on the season where Niall Horan is a coach may sound fangirly, but it worked for contestant Laura Littleton when she entered her Blind Audition performing a folk version of “As It Was.”
Littleton showed off her quirky style paired with her unique voice, earning almost immediate turns from Kelly Clarkson, Niall Horan and Blake Shelton, and ultimately joining Team Niall to top off this epic audition in the eyes of all Directioners.
9. Kason Lester vs Walker Wilson – “Here Without You” – Battle Round
Considering Kason Lester auditioned with Daughtry’s “It’s Not Over” and Walker Wilson auditioned with The Band of Heathens’ “Hurricane,” both with their gravelly voices and long, dark hair, it only made sense for their coach Blake Shelton to pair them together in the Battle Round with another alt-rock classic, “Here Without You” by 3 Doors Down.
The two contestants almost mimic the band they’re covering as they duet the 2008 hit, with Wilson throwing in his country twang while Lester owns the rocker aesthetic for the performance.
8. Holly Brand – “Mississippi Girl” – Blind Audition
Holly Brand came out with a big, country voice from her very first note, earning chair turns from every coach but Blake despite her Team Blake vibes, and finally joining Team Kelly.
Brand’s homage to her home state with “Mississippi Girl” by Faith Hill had the perfect combination of soft twang and gorgeous falsetto from the country starlet.
7. JB Somers – “A Case Of You” – Blind Audition
While he was only a two-chair turn, not quite impressing Niall or Blake as much as he did Kelly and Chance the Rapper, JB Somers’ blind audition quickly turned him into a Team Kelly member.
Somers’ audition was a beautiful rollercoaster, with ups and downs that bounced back and forth from a textured tone to an effortless falsetto during this balladeer’s rendition of “A Case of You” by Joni Mitchell.
6. Grace West – “Maybe It Was Memphis – Blind Audition
Grace West made history during her Blind Audition by not only being Blake’s final chair turn, but the final member of the very last Team Blake.
But the singer made history with good reason after her beautiful audition of a song often heard on The Voice, “Maybe It Was Memphis” by Pam Tillis. West paired her country twang with unexpected high notes in order to earn her spot on Team Blake.
5. EJ Michels – “Easy On Me” – Blind Audition
This Blind Audition turned into an unexpected one when the show hid the singer’s identity for the first part of the performance, allowing viewers to feel like a coach in that moment as a beautiful voice began singing “Easy On Me” by Adele.
The singer was revealed to be EJ Michels, whose flawless voice earned chair turns from Chance and Blake before Michels ultimately chose Team Blake.
4. Ali vs D. Smooth – “Unaware” – Battle Round
After memorable auditions from both D. Smooth and deaf singer Ali, the two were paired up by their coach Kelly Clarkson in the Battle Rounds for an unexpectedly perfect duet.
While Ali’s imperfections only made her performance stronger, D. Smooth’s literally smooth voice flowed beautifully with Ali’s, who inevitably won the battle. But in a surprising twist, D. Smooth was not only stolen by Chance, but then granted Kelly’s one and only Playoff Pass.
3. Cait Martin – “As It Was” – Blind Audition
Cait Martin had Kelly turning her chair after the first note during her Blind Audition where the voice over actress performed a much slower (and equally beautiful) version of “As It Was” by Harry Styles, which turned into a four-chair turn by the end of the song.
Turning Styles’ upbeat, 70s-inspired jam into a heartwrenching ballad showed off Martin’s incredible voice that led her to become a member of Team Kelly.
2. Katie Beth Forakis – “Ghost” – Blind Audition
Turning pop songs into ballads seemed to be a trend during the Blind Auditions when Katie Beth Forakis followed in Cait Martin’s footsteps and slowed down “Ghost” by Justin Bieber.
Forakis’ beautiful falsetto throughout the song made Kelly refer to the singer as an angel just before she chose to join the OG Idol’s team over Team Niall.
1. Michael B. vs Ryley Tate Wilson – “Heartbreak Anniversary” – Battle Round
I’ll admit, I almost included both Ryley Tate Wilson’s and Michael B.’s Blind Adutions in this list because both were that good, but that only meant that their duet in the Battle Rounds was absolutely great.
The Team Niall members destroyed “Heartbreak Anniversary” by Giveon in the best way, Michael B.’s strong, Broadway-esque sound pairing perfectly with Wilson’s powerhouse voice. It was no surprise when Niall crowned Michael B. as the winner of the battle, just to use his only Playoff Pass on Wilson.
The Voice airs on NBC Mondays at 8 pm ET/PT. The Wall takes over the Tuesday 9 pm timeslot until the May finale. Check out the full The Voice schedule HERE.
