The Voice 27 Blind Audition: Olivia Kuper Harris Takes on a jazz classic. Did Michael Buble turn?
The Voice Season 27 returned for a 4th night of blind auditions on Monday (Feb. 24) The night, jam packed full of auditions, included the last replay audition of the season. The night was a mixed bag when it came to the quality of auditions, but one standout audition from jazz singer Olivia Kuper Harris, closed the first hour in a big way. (Read our Recap)
Olivia is a 34-year-old from Dallas, Texas who resides in Los Angeles. Music has always been a part of her life. In her video package, her mom remarked that she often sang to Olivia. In high school, the singer performed with a jazz band and went on to audition for the famed touring retro band, Postmodern Jukebox while in college. The band’s social media features multiple viral covers featuring Olivia’s vocals. She is a seasoned performer who has pursued a career in music for the past 15 years. Olivia mentioned that life as an independent artist has not been easy, and she has “looked for so many other things to do outside of the industry.” But, she reflected, “Being on stage, I feel like is my purpose in life.” Her package, however, does not mention that she has been performing with Teddy Swims as a backup vocalist.
“Some voices, in my opinion you have to turn around for”
For her Blind audition, Olivia sang the Doris Day version of the classic “Dream a Little Dream of Me.” In the opening, Olivia showcased a beautiful jazz tone, and her enunciation was spot on, allowing the listener to hear every word she sang. John Legend turned first, followed by Adam Levine. After displaying more vocal range, Kelsea Ballerini hit her button. As the song continued, she showcased incredible technique including a few belts. She also hit a few almost scat-like notes. It was one of the best auditions of the season. But, shockingly, Michael Buble didn’t turn despite her old school style fitting the best with him.
“Some voices, in my opinion you have to turn around for,” said Adam, adding that her voice possessed an “ethereal quality.” Both Adam and John called Michael a fool for not turning. John mentioned turning first, and mentioned the “beauty” of her tone compelled him to hit his button. Kelsea waited to get her “confidence” to go against the others, adding, “you’re worth it to me.” She continued by saying, “I can hear you being a singer-songwriter, I can hear you playing in Broadway, I can hear you doing a big pop song.”
Michael’s reasoning for not turning was a bit confusing. He explained that Olivia turning into a pop singer mid-performance threw him. John said, “There is a lane in pop music for singers who have a sense of the classics.” Adam concluded the pitches by giving her advice to “pull back a little” for her “voice to shine brighter.”
Olivia Kuper Harris picks Team John Legend
In the end, Olivia chose Team Legend. John remarked that Olivia’s version of the song reminded him of Billie Eilish. Olivia would sound great on a Billie song.
John keeps winning big with talented singers, but the other team who continues to become more and more stacked, is Team Adam. The other standout singer of the night, Lucia Flores-Wiseman (Watch her audition), closed the show with her rendition of “La Llorona” showcased a unique tone. It will be interesting to see as teams fill up if Kelsea can pick up a strong non-country contender or if Michael can nab a singer who would have turned more chairs had there been more spots left. So far, his team is the weakest of the teams.
