The Voice Recap: Hopeful Shane Q Gets Four Chair Turn With ‘Tennessee Whiskey’

It was an exciting first night on season 17 of NBC’s The Voice, that found coaches Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani already using their one “block” of the season—Blake blocked Kelly Clarkson and Gwen blocked boyfriend Blake.

As the second night of Blind Auditions kicked off, the team count was as follows:

Team Blake: 2
Team Gwen: 3
Team John: 2
Team Kelly: 2

And as Kelly and John Legend were regaling in the fact that they still had their “block” option, the first contestant took the stage.

SHANE Q (28), Sacramento, California – “Tennessee Whiskey” by Chris Stapleton (most recently)

• A special needs shuttle driver
• FOUR CHAIR TURN: Gwen, Kelly, Blake, and John in the last second
• GWEN: “I turned my chair before everybody else. Every time I thought your voice was one thing, you changed it until the very end until my eyes were back in my hair.”
• KELLY: “I think the most beautiful part about you is you didn’t categorize yourself. I love going in and out of genres and that’s what I love about my career…you’re gonna be in the finale.”
• Picked: TEAM KELLY

MAX BOYLE (23), Toledo, Ohio – “Wayfaring Stranger” / American folk song

• Youngest of six kids
• CHAIRS: John (blocked Kelly), Kelly
• KELLY: “You are good. Come on with that rock-and-roll falsetto. You should have been on my team.”
• Picked: TEAM LEGEND

HELLO SUNDAY (Myla Finks – 13, Chelsea Grover – 14), Atlanta, Georgia – “This Is Me” from The Greatest Showman

• Met at a summer camp for young entertainers
• CHAIRS: Kelly
• KELLY: “I grew up singing in choirs, having to learn how to blend properly because I’m loud. I don’t know if you noticed. I’m just really good at helping you stay in sync. I think y’all have so much potential to be something magical.”
• BLAKE: “I’ve literally watched Kelly sing and jump to different harmony parts. She’s so good at playing around with that stuff. It’s important that you have her in your corner because this is going to test your limits, but it’s going to be a lot of fun, also.”
• Picked: TEAM KELLY

SIDE NOTE: According to host Carson Daly, Hello Sunday are the youngest competitors in the history of the show.

EMILY BASS (16), Magnolia, Texas – “Blank Space” by Taylor Swift

• Started singing at age 5, developed complex regional pain syndrome in fourth grade
• NO CHAIRS
• GWEN: “I was so close. I love your tone.”
• JOHN: “I think what we all were hearing was a lot of potential that needed a little bit more polish.”
• KELLY: “I promise, if you come back next season, you’ll get chairs to turn.”
• BLAKE: “I think sometimes, as coaches, we make a mistake because we talk through these things and I hear us all saying ‘it was right there.’ That’s when it dawns on me, yeah, that’s what we’re supposed to do on this show, we’re supposed to coach you and then win the show. I hope you do come back and give us another chance.”

ROYCE LOVETT (30), Tallahassee, Florida – “911” by Wyclef Jean and Mary J. Blige

• Married with two little ones, wants to show them to never give up on their dreams
• CHAIRS: Gwen, Blake
• GWEN: “I turned first. I didn’t know if it was a girl or a guy. Obviously, I love you. This is not his lane, this is my lane. Your voice is so animated, you could feel the undertone of the reggae, but then you’re bringing it to this modern place, this rock place. I love that. Let’s mix it up.”
• KELLY: “I love her and I love your voice. There’s one major reason that I didn’t turn because I saw her turn. And then I saw her dancing and I was like, ‘I’ve lost.’”
• BLAKE: “Royce, I have a lake playlist that consists of Bob Marley and Jimmy Buffett who I know is seriously reggae. Alright, screw it. Just pick a coach.”
• KELLY: “Do not pick Blake.”
• Picked: TEAM GWEN

ELISE AZKOUL (28), Atlanta, Georgia – “Million Reasons” by Lady Gaga

• Related to the late Paul Jabara who wrote “Last Dance” and “It’s Raining Men.”
• CHAIRS: Gwen
• GWEN: “I love your tone, it’s so soft. Then you kept showing more sides to your voice and I was like, ‘she has a strong side, too.’ You just have to get the confidence.”
• Picked: TEAM GWEN

CORY JACKSON (24), Johnson, Arkansas – “Galveston” by Glen Campbell

• Getting married right after blind auditions
• CHAIRS: Blake, Kelly, Gwen in last seconds
• BLAKE: “I love your voice. You sang the crap out of it and it was theatrical. A lot of Glen’s records were big-sounding for country radio. Great job!”
• GWEN: “If you wanted to take a risk, I could help you with being really unique because that song, for me, is like a crossover song. Do you want to be country?” Cory: “I do, I do want to be country.” Gwen: “Oh…I’m kinda country now.”
• KELLY: “I also studied classical and dabbled in country. That’s my least favorite song of his, but I loved your voice so much, I was like, I don’t care.”
• Picked: TEAM BLAKE

SIDE NOTE: Kelly has been so into the competitor’s performances that she hasn’t realized she has been blocked twice until after the song ends.

The Voice returns on September 30 with more Blind Auditions and another opportunity for the coaches to add to their teams.