The Voice Season 27 Preview: Check out 15 Singers to Watch ahead of the Feb 3 Premiere
The Voice Season 27 premieres on NBC Monday, February 3 featuring intriguing talent as well as a new coaching lineup.
The only coach returning for a consecutive season is Michael Bublé, and he is coming off a win with artist Sofronio Vasquez who took the crown last season. He will be matched up against three experienced coaches. Adam Levine makes a return for his 17th season after taking 10 seasons off. He has coached more seasons than anyone but Blake Shelton. John Legend returns for a 10th season after taking a season off. Kelsea Ballerini also joins the show as the lone country coach, but she brings some The Voice experience even if a newcomer as she was a comeback coach, a Team Kelly Clarkson battle mentor, and even filled in for Kelly in another season when Kelly was sick.
It is notable that Adam had a 7 season drought and John a 9 season drought. It’s anyone’s game including Michael who will aim to win consecutive seasons and newcomer Kelsea who will want to get her hands on her first trophy. This season appears to have fewer crooners for Michael, but it is packed full of talent including a former contestant’s daughter, a rumored no-chair returnee, a lot of country talent for Kelsea, and a few American Idol alums.
Photos are available for the Feb 3 premiere. FIVE of the 15 artists in this piece are featured in the premiere.
Alanna Lynise
Alanna Lynise is a soulful pop singer from Toledo, Ohio with an angelic voice. She has been performing since she was a child, and attended the Toledo School For The Arts in high school. Alanna is currently pursuing music full-time in Atlanta. She has the ability to both belt big soul and R&B numbers, but she can also nail tender and emotive pop ballads.
Angie Rey
Angie is a 24-year-old pop country singer from Tampa, Florida who is now based in Nashville. She made the Top 18 of La Voz Kids, Season 3 at the age of 13 as Ángela Rodriguez. Although never aired, at the age of 15, she also made the Top 75 of American Idol, Season 14. Angie seems like a great fit for coach Kelsea Ballerini in her first season, as her style is in the same realm as Kelsea. She is a big fan who has a few covers of Kelsea on her social media pages. In the first aired promo of the season, Angie sang with Kelsea. Angie is an entertaining stage performer with a lot of energy and a big personality, so I expect that to shine and set her apart after the Blind Audition round.
Instagram:
La Voz Kids Audition:
“I Quit Drinking” by Kelsea Ballerini Cover:
Promo:
Ari Camille
Ariel Davis, also known as Ari Camille, is an R&B singer, originally from Chicago who possesses a current sound. She attended USC where she studied theatre and acting. She also has stage experience in acting, starring in productions of Sweeney Todd and Pledge: Change is Good. Her lower range is stunning with a little rasp in it, and the way she hits runs is out of this world. She also has versatility with the ability to sing more theatrical numbers. She has recently released a few originals including one titled “Runnin’ Out” that sounds like a modern R&B hit. Her tone reminds me slightly of Jazmine Sullivan.
Instagram:
“I Want You Around” Cover:
BDii
Brian Darden also known as BDii is a 32-year-old R&B singer. He originally hails from Virginia, but he also has spent time in both Los Angeles and Atlanta. Additionally, he once was a Division 1 Basketball player at Hampton University. BDii is a super talented vocalist, and a potential crowd-pleaser standout. His original “Back Around” is sounds like it could be a hit single. The way he hits runs is smooth and mesmerizing, and he also has the ability to hit impressive low notes and showcase his falsetto. He will likely be one of the strongest vocalists this season.
Instagram:
“First Began” Cover:
Conor James Thaxter
Conor is a Los Angeles based singer, originally from Bridgewater, Massachusetts. A band he is in, Pet Project, is a newer project. Plus, he also participated in local theatre productions in high school. Conor may be one of the more creative singers this season, always flipping songs on their heads with his pop soul sound. His original music is intriguing, often including electronic elements. It has an alternative pop and R&B vibe to it that reminds me a bit of Joji. I’m interested to see what genre Conor tackles on the show.
Instagram:
“Electric Feel” Cover:
Darius J
Darius J is a pop singer-songwriter with some R&B and soul elements. His writing style, crafty and seamless, is almost conversational with portions of his song “Who Said it First” feeling “talky.” He made several appearances on a popular social media account that showcases songwriting called “The Songhouse.” The site has featured several singing TV show singers including Lauren-Michael Sellars from Season 26 and Huntley who won Season 24. Darius has also released originals on his own, including an original titled “In The Middle” where both the emotion in his songwriting and tone shine. Darius doesn’t have many covers on his page, so it’ll be interesting to see how he adapts to a show where you can only sing covers.
Instagram:
“Who Said It First” (Songhouse):
Dennis Lorenzo (RENZO) (American Idol 16 Top 10)
Dennis Lorenzo, a 33-year-old Los Angeles based singer from Philadelphia, who now goes by RENZO, may be a familiar name. He finished in The top 10 on Season 16 of American Idol where he was eliminated after a cover of “Can You Feel The Love Tonight?” during Disney night. On the show, his covers of “Unaware” by Allen Stone and Maxwell’s version of Kate Bush’s “This Woman’s Work” were true standouts, and he even got to duet with Allen on his song during the duet round. During his audition, he shared an emotional story about the murder of his dad when Dennis was 5.
Dennis’s sweet spot in his voice is his falsetto and in many of his performances it stood out. Some of his original music since being on American Idol puts an almost pop punk and alternative rock spin on r & b and pop music, so it’ll be interesting to see if he sticks with more soulful music or if he will sing more in this rock style on the show.
Instagram:
American Idol audition:
“One Step Closer” Cover:
Dimitrius Graham (American Idol 17 Top 10)
Dimitrius is a 34-year-old classically trained singer from Baltimore, and another American Idol Top 10 finalist )Season 17). He was a sleeper contestant as his audition wasn’t aired, and he didn’t have his breakout performance until the Hawaii showcase round. His creative version of “Hello” by Adele during the Top 20 round which featured his soaring range, included operatic elements which truly put him on the map. The show eventually eliminated him in the Disney Round after a performance of “You’ll Be In My Heart”.
He did struggle vocally at times, but he should have advanced another round or two as his creativity was something viewers like myself appreciated. Dimitrius’s original music is a bit all over the map since American Idol, but it leans more in the pop and alternative realm.
Instagram:
Top 20 American Idol performance:
“Feel Like Making Love” Cover:
Ethan Eckenroad
Ethan is a folk singer-songwriter from Roaring Spring, Pennsylvania. He released a few raw cuts of originals, and his raw talent truly shines through on them. His tone is one that makes him recognizable, boasting a folk sound that tells a story in an effective way. Pure folk singers don’t often make it far on The Voice, but I would be shocked if Ethan isn’t a front runner on this season. His style and tone are both sure to stand out, similar to how Season 8 winner Sawyer Fredericks did during his season.
Instagram:
“Georgica Pond” Cover:
Jadyn Cree (Daughter of Season 25 finalist Bryan Olesen)
A 23-year-old singer from Lincoln, Nebraska, Jayden is the daughter of Season 25 finalist Bryan Olesen. Jadyn had a little impromptu moment on The Voice singing “Put Your Records On” during her dad’s audition. Although it was a nice moment, it was pretty low key. However, Jadyn’s style is far from low key. She is a featured member of an 80’s cover band in the Lincoln area called AMFM, and her pop-rock Hayley Williams-esque style, is much higher energy than what she showed there. Her “Put Your Records” moment indicates she is versatile and will be able to take on any challenge thrown her way.
Instagram:
Bryan Olesen Audition:
“I Hate Myself for Loving You” Cover:
Jaelen Johnston
Jaelen is a country singer from Derby, Kansas who gigs often around his hometown. He has a deep, distinct raspy voice that is a mixture of both modern and old-school country. With so many singers heavily influenced by Chris Stapleton on singing shows today, it is refreshing to see a vocalist like Jaelen who is able to cover singers like Stapleton but with his own distinct sound. His originals are full of twang, featuring energetic southern rock sounds. One of his latest releases, “Sober Cigarette” is a punchy country song that is a great example of his style.
Iris Herrera (The Voice 26 No-Chair turn)
Iris is a 19-year-old from Newaygo, Michigan who initially auditioned for Season 26 with Fleetwood Mac’s “Gypsy.” Her initial audition felt a bit karaoke and impersonator-like as the coaches thought she sounded just like Stevie. The song also felt somewhat outside of her range, so it will be interesting to see if she picks something that allows her to have a vocal moment and stand out a bit more in Season 27. Her voice is unique, with a lot of rasp and has a throwback sound to it. It is also worth noting that both seasons’ auditions were filmed in July of 2024, so Iris only had 2 weeks in between auditions. Although the auditions are airing far apart, she did not have a lot of extra time to prepare for her return.
Instagram:
Season 26 audition:
“Rain” (Teskey Brothers) Cover:
Lucia Flores-Wiseman
Lucia is an indie folk singer from Seattle, Washington. She has a memorable voice that listeners will instantly recognize in both her covers and originals. About 6 years ago, her school was picked to perform with Brandi Carlile, and both she and America’s Got Talent Season 14 finalist Benicio Bryant (prior to his appearance on the show) shared the stage with Brandi. Lucia has the potential to be polarizing as she has what some may call a “cursive” sounding voice. The way she enunciates words is unique. Her sound is a bit smoky and features jazz influences. I wouldn’t be surprised if her influences lead her to eventually work with Michael. Her sound may be a good fit with his crooning style.
Instagram:
“River” by Leon Bridges:
Appearance with Brandi Carlile and Benicio Bryant:
Olivia Kuper Harris
Even with the American Idol alums, it is Olivia Kuper Harris who seems to bring the most experience to this season. She is a singer originally from Dallas and has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre from Carnegie Mellon. In 2017, she starred in the movie, The Playroom alongside award-winning actors John Hawkes and Molly Parker where she also provided vocals on the closing credits.
She was a mainstay with the retro-outfit Postmodern Jukebox when they were still at their height, racking up millions of views. She also has been a featured vocalist with the popular Scary Pockets who put funk spins on pop hits. More recently, she has provided backing vocals for 2024 breakout artist Teddy Swims, and appeared on the Season 3 finale of I Can See Your Voice where she belted out Celine Dion’s version of “All By Myself.” Her voice is big and timeless, featuring plenty of technique, lending itself perfectly to a singing competition environment.
Instagram:
Postmodern Jukebox “Last Friday Night”:
I Can See Your Voice:
The Voice season 27 premieres Monday February 3 at 8 pm on NBC, streaming next day on Peacock. Adam Levine, John Legend, Michael Buble and Kelsea Ballerini sit on the coaches panel. Carson Daly hosts.
