The Voice 26 Blind Auditions: Shye’s Vocals are Heroic on “Superman” turning All 4 Chairs
The Voice Season 26 Auditions 4 episode had some nice surprises in store, including young singers with mature sounding voices. One of those singers was a recent high school graduate, Shye. (Read our Recap)
The 17 year old singer, from Glen Cover New York, was the last auditioner of the night. These days she lives in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. In her video package, she joked that she literally missed her high school graduation to audition for The Voice. Shye has sung for her family since she was little, performs in pizzerias, and sings in high school musicals. She picked her audition song, “Superman” by Five For Fighting, for her mom, who was sick during much of her childhood after going through open heart and spinal correction surgery. The song gave her hope. She face timed her mom who wishes her luck and said, “when I was sick, the singing that you did lightened up the room every time”.
Shye began the song with a gorgeous low tone. Compared to the original which is sung by a man, her voice sounded surprisingly deeper. It’s a unique song choice, being that it’s rarely covered on singing shows, and she truly made it her own. Her technique, specifically her phrasing, is beyond her years. Gwen Stefani turned instantly. The singer emoted beautifully, truly feeling the lyrics. Shye then proved that she can belt too, which got Michael Buble, Reba McEntire, and Snoop Dogg to turn. She caped the performance off with a beautiful held out note before bringing it back down. Her control and dynamics are one of a kind. There is an innocence to her approach too that is captivating.
“Your voice is like butter”
Gwen could not believe Shye is 17. Reba told her, “Your voice is like butter. It is just so rich and creamy.” She fought for her by reminding everybody that she won the previous season. Gwen said, “I have not been this excited this season for an artist,” calling her the “perfect girl” for her team. Michael called her “adorable” noting her “wonderful range.” Snoop complimented her, “you are made for this.” He wants to help her find who she fully is. Before making her decision, Shye shared that she is a rock collector and gifted a rock to each coach. Ultimately Shye picked Team Bublé. He joked that he didn’t even have to lie since he had lied in multiple of his pitches for contestants this season.
Shye’s audition may have been the moment of the season so far, but there were other great auditions on Tuesday’s show. One chair turner, Christina Eagle’s fierce Lainey Wilson cover was one of the best country auditions of the season so far and deserved more than just Snoop turning for her. Jaukeem Fortson, a 13-year-old who sang Adele’s “Easy On Me” could be a contender for Team Reba as he is one of the more talented teens we have seen. Finally, the opener of the night, J. Paul’s soulful and unique sounding tone stood out amongst the crowd with a cover of “I Keep Forgettin’.” And with him and Shye joining Team Bublé, Michael’s team is becoming deeper.
