The Voice 27 Recap: Blind Auditions 4 Live Blog with Videos
The Voice season 27 Blind Auditions continue on to week 4 with a new coaches lineup, including the return of OG Adam Levine and vet John Legend. Reigning champ Michael Buble comes back for a second season and newbie Kelsea Ballerini joins the lineup.
We’ll be live blogging all the Blind Audition performances right here.
The Voice 2025: Full Season 27 Schedule
The Voice Season 27 Preview: 15 Singers to Watch (Photos, Videos)
For the Blinds, each coach gets a block, and the new TWIST called “The Coaches Replay” is back. It allows a coach to hit their button after an artist is done singing (typically, coaches must turn during the performance).
Kolby Cordell – 32 – Never Too Much by Luther Vandross
Oh no. Kolby works for the United States Forest Service in Ontario California. He assists firefighters. His job sounds real important, but there is more than a good chance his job got slashed by the X guy. He likes the job because it gives him time to pursue music. Double yikes. If he hasn’t lost his job yet, he probably has now! Kolby also has a son, who is his whole world.
Kolby sings very much in the style of Luther. His R&B sound harkens back to soul crooners of the 80s and 90s. He possesses an appealing rasp in his upper register. He got John to turn! That’s a good sign. Michael hit his button as well.
John says, “You made the song your own.” He loves how Kolby brought grit to his rendition. “You light the whole place up,” says Michael, who knows already he lost this one to John. Kelsea and Adam are sure he’ll go for John. And of course he does. – John and Michael turn, Kolby picks Team Legend
Hailey Wright – 19 – Before the Next Teardrop Falls by Freddy Fender
The Texas native is a yodeler, as she demonstrates in her video package. Her town has one stop light and one gas station. She didn’t find out until she was older that she had a different dad than her sisters. Huh. Her father is Native American and she’s recently got in touch with those roots. However, she is thankful for her step father.
Kelsea turns, and so does Michael, much to her chagrin. Hailey sings in a retro country style. She’s got the fringes and bell bottoms, all that’s missing is the big hair! She brings a cool vibe and an old soul to the stage.
John notes her maturity. Adam admits Hailey is out of his wheelhouse. Kelsea calls her voice “undeniably country.” She asks Hailey to sing a little bit of Leann Rimes “Blue.” She says, “I just wanted to show you that I get you.” Michael boasts about his many country collaborations over the years. Other than that, he’s got nothin’. Hailey picks Kelsea, of course – Michael and Kelsea turn, Hailey picks Team Kelsea
Fran Posla – 25 – What the World Needs Now by Jackie DeShannon
Fran begins singing in darkness, before any bio info is revealed. The singer eventually reveals she’s from Costa Rica. At 7 years old, she learned to speak English. Fran lives in New York now. Adam hit his button first, John followed him. Her tone is unusual, but at times she bends her notes to a point that she sounds off-pitch.
“Your voice feels comfortable,” says Kelsa. Michael compares her to Zoey Deschanel, the actress who also sings. Interestingly, Fran knew she went off pitch after Michael mentioned it was the reason he didn’t turn. John compares her to his “friend” Corrinne Bailey Rae. Adam loves her “different” and slow vibrato. Ultimately she chose Adam. I’m a little surprised! – Adam and John turn, Fran picks Team Adam
Dimitrius Graham – 33 – Get You by Daniel Caesar
Does Dimitrius look familiar? The singer finished in the Top 10 for American Idol season 17. Idol didn’t air his audition, but the singer managed a breakout performance during the Hawaii Showcase round. He performed Adele’s “Hello” for the Top 20. He loves his face tats, which he reveals give some folks the wrong idea. High school choir saved his life. He loves Opera and can sing in that style.
Dimitrius’ smooth R&B style gets Kelsea to turn. Michael hesitates, and then hits his button. John stays put. Hm. Not his best performance. He stuffed to many runs in there.
John felt it didn’t always come together, but appreciated his daring. Michael more or less calls Dimitrius a sexy singer. Kelsea is inspired by his range. She shouts that he’ll be the only one like him on her team. The singer calls Kelsea beautiful before picking Michael. Kelsea and Michael turn, Dimitrius picks Team Buble
Emily McGill – 26 – Gold Dust Woman by Fleetwood Mac
Her parents met in a band. The whole family plays together. Her dad taught her how to play guitar Sadly, a heart attack took him when Emily was only a high schooler.
She might be too much of a Stevie Nicks knockoff. I’m smelling a no turn! She can sing, but this song isn’t doing her favors. It’s not providing a standout moment for her. Adam kinda wishes he turned. But he couldn’t get past his love for Stevie’s version. John wondered if she could hit higher notes. Michael asks her to come back and with another song. – No Turns
Olivia Kuper Harris – 34 – Dream a Little Dream of Me by Doris Day
For years, Olivia has performed retro versions of pop hits with Post Modern Jukebox alongside fellow singing show alums like Casey Abrams, Blake Lewis and Haley Reinhart. The Carnegie Mellon grad starred in the movie, The Playroom alongside actors John Hawkes and Molly Parker where she also provided vocals on the closing credits. Additionally, she has provided backups for breakout artist Teddy Swims, and appeared on the Season 3 finale of the FOX game show I Can See Your Voice where she belted out Celine Dion’s version of “All By Myself.”
Back in the 60s, Cass Elliott had a hit with her cover of this classic song. Olivia is definitely going for the Michael Buble jazz lane with her version. John and Adam hit their buttons pretty fast. Kelsea is next. Michael however, does not hit his button. He’s picky. However, her performance was fine. She can sing the jazz.
Adam calls her special and Michael Buble a fool. John mentions that he turned first. He found her performance risky and musically exciting. Kelsea can hear her as a singer-songwriter, performing on Broadway, singing pop songs. Michael couldn’t nail down what she was doing exactly, which threw him. He wanted more power. After a dramatic commercial break, she picks John – Adam, John and Kelsea turn, Olivia picks Team Legend
Kaiya Hamilton – 26 – ICU by by Coco Jones
Right now, Kaiya is a wedding singer. She’s also a mom of three. She recently gave birth to premature twins. They had health issues at first. Her fiance is supportive.
Justin Timberlake, a co-writer on the song, recorded a duet with Coco. But she sang the original. Kaiya is a classic R&B singer with solid phrasing, range and a way with adlibs. Both Michael and Kelsea hit their buttons, but not John.
John calls her really good, but didn’t explain why he didn’t turn. On the other hand, Adam is feeling some regret for not hitting his button. Kelsea calls her pitch, runs and range amazing. She’d love to help her with her lower register. Michael thinks she can do it all. Ultimately, Kaiya picks Michael. – Kelsea and Michael turn, Kaiya picks Kelsea.
Aaron Rizzo – Drops of Jupiter by Train
Montage! Aaron is a one chair turn, picked by Team Buble. Michael describes Aaron as “exactly what he was looking for” in a unique voice.
Kameron Jaso – This Town by Niall Horan
Kameron is another montaged Team Buble member. He appreciated Kameron’s gentle and pure voice.
Nell Simmons – Love Hangover
Another montag, this time a one chair turn for Team Legend. John believes he turned so fast for her, the others were intimidated.
Antonio Ramsey – 35 – Every Little Step by Bobby Brown
Antonio was a dancer first, and did backup dancing for Missy Elliott. But in 2016 he moved to Los Angeles and it was hard. His mother has been incredibly supportive.
Antonio has the coaches dancing in their chairs during his performance, but not hitting their buttons. He’s a good singer, but not unique or a standout. Ultimately, no turns.
The singer brought Michael back to his teen years. He suggests that he try again with a different song. John also felt he picked the wrong song. It’s worth mentioning the coaches didn’t know that Antonio danced and sang, because they never turned their chairs. Next, John requested a new tune which impressed him enough to use his Coaches Replay. – No turns, but Team Legend used his Coaches Replay
Robert Hunter – 33 – Til you Say You Can’t by Cody Johnson
Robert has been playing all over North Carolina. He’s married and is a father to a little girl. Also, he’s from Garner, hometown to American Idol 2011 winner Scotty McCreery. Robert works as a deputy sheriff and serves warrants to people. Oh fun. Hm. Tragically, a co-worker was killed in the line of duty.
Kelsea aggressively hits her button while commanding her fellow coaches NOT TO TURN. His tone is resonate and rangy, with grit around the upper edges. He doesn’t nail the big last note, though. Michael hits his button, but doubts that he has a chance. Tonight’s theme has been focused on battles between Kelsea and Michael, but this particular audition is a no brainer.
John compliments Robert’s passionate performance. Adam loves what he did, but says he has “retired” from turning for country singers. Kelsea notes pitch issues, but she loved his storytelling ability. Kelsea wants to help him choose songs. Since Michael admits he is an underdog and has nothing, he fakes being a Canadian cowboy. Robert consults his family, whom he brings on stage, and picks Kelsea because she’s her daughter’s favorite singer. Michael didn’t have a chance – Kelsea and Michael turned, Robert picks Team Kelsea
Elliott Fleetwood – 25 – Cough Syrup
The singer lives in Niagara Falls New York, and is married and plays in a band. He describes himself as an indie singer who doesn’t have much experience performing solo without a band. Elliott mentions that the teams are almost filled up.
Next to last performance of the night is usually a no turn. And it’s too bad, because Elliott is a decent pop vocalist. Accompanying himself on electric guitar, he sings the emotional song with urgency. Oh well.
Adam confesses that he almost turned. He’s torn. He begs Elliott to come back. YES. I hope he returns. Michael explains that he didn’t turn because he felt a disconnect, but calls it merely a bump in the road for the singer. If Elliott had auditioned earlier in the process, he probably would have gotten turns. He deserved it. – No Turns
Lucia Flores-Wiseman – 22 – La Llorona by Ángela Aguilar
NBC previewed this audition last week. Check it out HERE. The singer is from Maple Valley, Washington. She hopes to make her father, a Mexican immigrant, proud of her. Lucia reveals that at 16, she sang with Brandi Carlile who happens to also be from Maple Valley. (Brandi also just dropped a new song, the theme for a new NBC show The Americas. Coincidence?)
If Brandi Carlile sang this song in Spanish, she’d sound something like this. Lucia brings power and unique phrasing to her take on the song. All four coaches turn quickly. After her performance it’s a fight to the finish.
Kelsea admitted Lucia’s performance made her teary. Adam wants to fall madly in love with a singer, specifically Lucia. John mentions that his wife Chrissy Teigen is from Washington too. He compares her to Amy Winehouse and Janis Joplin. Adam goes on to compare her favorably to a talented and “disruptive” singer like Brandi. Michael speaks in Spanish for part of his pitch. In the end, she picks Adam! – 4-chair turn, Lucia picks Team Adam
