The Voice 26 Recap: Blind Auditions 5 Live Blog (Videos)

The Voice 26 Recap: Blind Auditions 5 Live Blog with Videos

The Voice season 26 Blind Auditions continue to episode 5 with new coaches Michael Buble and Snoop Dogg alongside returning vets Reba McEntire and Gwen Stefani. Carson Daly returns as host.  We’ll be live blogging all the Blind Audition performances right here.

For the Blinds: Each team winds up with 14 artists. Each coach gets a block, and new TWIST called “The Coaches Replay” which allows a coach to hit their button after an artist is done singing (typically, coaches must turn during the performance).

The Voice 2024: Full Season 26 Schedule (New Twist!) (UPDATED)
The Voice 26 Contestant Preview (15 Singers to Watch!)

Cameron Wright – 34 – The Way We Were by Barbra Streisand

NBC previewed the entire audition. Watch it HERE. The singer’s mother signed a major record deal with a Gospel label. Cameron toured with her at 11 as a background singer. Cameron also duetted with Stevie Wonder. The singer came out of the closet at 17. Cameron identifies as non-binary and uses they/them pronouns. It took time for mom to accept it. However, Cameron’s grandmother always accepted them. Their performance is dedicated to her.

Cameron got the coaches to turn their chairs within the first to lines of the performance! The singer’s performance is soulful and dramatic, also they over do the runs, especially toward the end of the song. But Cameron succeeded to churchify that Streisand song.

Reba observed correctly that Cameron has been singing a long time. They started at 5 in church. Gwen called the performance “perfect” and “inspiring.” Michael said what Cameron has can’t be bottled or bought. He predicts Cameron will go to the finals. Snoop thinks he can help Cameron refine their act. Cameron picks Michael – 4-chair turn, Cameron picks Team Buble

Eliza Pryor – 17 – Linger by The Cranberries

Eliza, from Dallas, lives in Los Angeles. At 10 she began to act and was casted in a movie and TV show. Now she lives with her father, while the rest of her family is back in Texas. Eliza is trying to have normal high school experiences, like going to prom and sing in the school a’cappella group.

She needs some work on breath control. She keeps gulping for air. Also, her phrasing is flat. She gets no turns until Snoop hits his button at the last possible moment. He heard something that he liked. He can’t believe nobody else turned (Hm. I can). Michael couldn’t assess her range. Gwen agrees. She didn’t hear strength until the very end. Michael, though, says “It’s going to be so much fun to steal you.” – Only Team Snoop turned.

Kay Sibal – 24 – From the Start

Kay shares that she hasn’t sung much solo work, as she’s usually a part of a production or ensemble. She grew up in a family of five in Los Angeles. Her parents are Filipino immigrants. At first they hesitated when she wanted to pursue music. Sadly father passed after a cancer diagnosis three years ago. Her audition date coincides with his death anniversary.

Michael perks up during Kay’s jazzy performance. He hits his button first, followed by Gwen and Reba. She scats a little after Snoop turns. It’s not a perfect performance. She’s probably nervous! But her tone is pretty, and her approach technically ambitious.

“I love the jazziness of that song and how you controlled your voice,” said Snoop. Reba claimed she didn’t turn after everyone else did. “I didn’t have a chance.” Gwen senses that her “heart is really open” and thinks she would be the perfect coach for her. “I know exactly what to do.” Michael thinks he can team with her and work on songs across genres. He knows the original artist! Snoop advocates for Gwen. “I have to get out the way.” And then Reba takes Michael’s side. After the break, Kay picks Gwen – Michael, Gwen and Snoop turn, Kay picks Team Gwen. Michael would have been a better pick!

Drake Hyde – 21 – Little Rock

Drake lives on a farm in Oklahoma and works as a vet tech at the local Veterinary. He’s the only musical member of his family. So far, he hasn’t played in front of many people.

His tone is solid, but he could work dynamics and phrasing more. Unsurprisingly, he gets no turns. Snoop calls his voice “mature.” Michael noted pitchy moments. He tells him to not give up. Gwen thought his voice sounded nasally, and needs to “warm it up.” Reba promises to turn if he comes back. – No Turns

Mary McAvoy – 35 – Say You Love Me

Michael and Snoop turn pretty fast for Mary’s beautiful tone. She’s got some pitch problems here and there, but her sound is gorgeous.

Gwen doesn’t think she sounds the way she looks. She didn’t turn because of the tuning issues. Reba thinks the people who turned are good. She promises to steal her later. Snoop is ready to gamble on Mary. “I’ll coach and I’ll listen.” Michael noticed the pitch things, but Michael thinks he can help her. Snoop and Michael proceed to do the hokey things to get her. But in the end, she picked the first person who turned, Snoop. Ha ha. He calls his blue towels his “terrible towels.” (He’s a Steelers fan). – Snoop and Michael turn, Mary picks Team Snoop

Lauren-Michael Sellers – 35 – Oceans (Where My Feet May Fail)

By day, Lauren is a special education teacher. Her mother had severe mental health issues. At 13, her mother lost custody. She went to live with her father whom she didn’t know very well. Her loneliness led her to singing and songwriting.

Michael and Gwen turn right away, followed by Reba. Lauren’s voice is strong and powerful. She picked a song popular on the Contemporary Christian world, and she sings with passion. Snoop hit his button at the very last minute.

Michael calls her a beautiful, unique breath of fresh air. Gwen calls the performance “crazy.” She shared how after discovering the song she listened to it thousands of times. Lauren shares that she tends to sing country music. Reba calls her “magical” and notes her emotion. Snoop turned after seeing how happy Gwen looked. Ultimately Lauren picked Reba. The coach becomes emotional! – 4-chair turn, Lauren-Michael picked Team Reba

Mark Shiiba – 29 – Don’t Think Twice It’s Alright by Bob Dylan

At 18 Mark, from Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, joined the Navy and was stationed on an aircraft carrier. Now, he’s living in San Diego. His father, who is Japanese, has a beautiful voice, Mark says. The singer began singing in middle school and wrote songs on the carrier.

OK, I was not expecting a mouth playing folk singer! He does his Bob Dylan thing acoustically with no band backup. His voice harkens back to young Dylan, but he has his own sound. Maybe a little off-putting to the coaches because they don’t turn. Gwen was on the fence the entire time. “Your voice is so extreme.” She tells him not to be discouraged. Michael appreciates good and unique singers. OK HE’S WINDING UP! He’s using his coach replay. It’s the last one of the season. Yeah, Mark deserves a spot. Michael thinks he could be a star. He talks about hooking him up with some Hank Williams. – No Turns, Team Buble uses their Coach Replay

Beya – 24 – Our Day Will Come by Ruby and the Romantics

The singer lives in Hawaii. She lives on one of the small islands. Her family inspired her music. At 16 she got a guitar. Her parents separated when she was young. Her dad’s side is from El Salvador, so she learned Spanish. Currently she is a full time musician and sings Latin songs sometimes.

This song was a big hit in the early 60s. People under 50 probably don’t know it. Beya sings a jazz-inspired version of the song. Her tone and phrasing are solid. But Michael isn’t turning. Gwen turned pretty fast though. Well, she got Gwen at least. Michael calls himself an “Idiot.” He questioned if she was versatile. He predicts that the singer will prove him wrong. Gwen compliments the “foundation” of her voice – Only Gwen turned

Tsola – On My Mama

The first montaged performance of the season. Her soulful voice got Only Team Reba to turn.

Deon Jones – Little Ghetto

The second montage is another soulful voice that also go only Team Reba to turn. The other coaches speculate that Reba is hearing something special the others are missing.

Brad Sample – 38 – The Letter by the Box Tops

Brad is the father of a two year old girl and he’s from Nashville. He plays for Colbie Caillat on the road. He’s thinking in his late 30’s, he believes The Voice is his last shot at a music career. His wife signed him up for the show.

He sings the song in the style of the Joe Cocker cover. He’s got the rapines in his voice that makes it work. He sings softly, however, like he has a cold. His vocal could use more heft. It doesn’t cut through until the end. Maybe he does have a cold. Reba turned first. Snoop turned later.

Reba thinks the two would have fun working together. His daughter is Team Reba. Gwen compares his phrasing to Fiona Apple. She found his look shocking. Michael calls him his “biggest surprise.” He didn’t turn because his rhythmic choices confounded him Brad gave it a “double time” feel to bring Nashville bluegrass sounds into the mix. Snoop makes a bunch of pot jokes, riffing off of “bluegrass.” Michael advocates for Snoop. And despite his daughter wishes, he goes with Snoop! Reba and Snoop turn, Brad picks Team Snoop

Dahlia Jones – 28 – You Know I’m No Good by Amy Winehouse

The Minneapolis, Minnesota native is mother to a four year old daughter. She’s away from her daughter. It’s the longest they’ve been separated. Her day job is motivating students to be kind to each other.

She sounds nervous. There are pitch problems and control issues on the top notes. Her last note is strong. If she could have kept it together, she might have gotten a turn. Gwen notes that teams are filling up and calls her an “amazing” singer. Michael knew Amy and had a hard time not comparing. He urges her to keep at it. She’s upset and crying. “You are very good,” says Snoop. “Keep your spirits up high.” Reba begs her to try again. – No Turns

Camryn Brooks – 24 (No chair returnee) – Light On

Camryn is as no turn from season 21. She admits she was nervous. She calls the experience “gut wrenching.” Coach Ariana Grande suggested she come back. After that, she had health problems. She developed Myocarditis. Oh boy the conspiracy theorists are going crazy as we speak. She’s worked to recover, and three years later, she feels good. She also helps take care of a brother who became paralyzed after an accident. She’s excited to face an entirely different panel than she did the first time.

If she had problems years ago, she’s more than ready for a chair turn now! Her deep rich tone delivers a lovely an emotional performance. From No turns to 4 turns. Camryn’s face lights up as she realizes what happened.

Camryn explains how she got no chair turns on Season 21. Michael admits he was the last to turn, but he loves the way she almost lost it. Snoop calls her the perfect example of why singers should stop trying. Michael leads the crowd in a version of “Oh Canada” after Camryn said she sang the anthem. She covered “Feeling Good” in college, she says. Gwen loves her round soothing tone. And in the end, Camryn picks Gwen – 4-chairs, Camryn picks Team Gwen

Tuesday night, The Voice 26 Blind Auditions 6 is the LAST of the Blinds. The Battles begin next week.