The Voice Recap: Blake Shelton Earns Four-Chair Turn Contestant Cali Wilson
Tammy Ragusa
As the blind auditions progress and the competition heats up on season 17 of NBC’s The Voice, the tension builds in the most hilarious way between coaches Kelly Clarkson, John Legend, Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani.
All of the blocks are gone and Gwen’s team is nearing capacity with just a few nights of blind auditions left. However, the third night of Blind Auditions ended with a cliffhanger as Cali Wilson had not yet chosen her coach.
And the winner was…Team Blake!
Here’s how the fourth night of blind auditions panned out:
INJOY FOUNTAIN (29), Wichita, Kansas – “7 Rings” by Ariana Grande
Performed in the musical Rent.
CHAIRS: Kelly, then Gwen
GWEN: “I think just how bold of a choice, on
this show, to come out and do that shows that you like to bounce around in
different genres and that’s what I loved about the performance. I love the
mash-up styles. I think it would be amazing to work with you.”
KELLY: “We turned around and saw you living your
best life. That’s all it is, that’s what you gotta do. It was so beautiful, it
was so infectious in a positive way. I loved the rap. So good! I love you. I
would like for you to be Team Kelly.”
Picked: TEAM KELLY
JORDAN CHASE (19), Pensacola, Florida – “Makin’ Me Look Good Again” by Drake White
Lived in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina.
CHAIRS: Blake, then Gwen in the last second
BLAKE: “When you sing, it’s incredible because a
lot of times when someone has that sandpaper voice, they don’t have the range
that you have, they don’t have the accuracy, they don’t have the quickness. Me
fighting for you means I’m probably going to pay for this later, that’s how
much I love you.”
KELLY: “No cuddles for Blakey!”
GWEN: “Your voice, it just sounds so honest. I
can imagine being a 19-year-old boy, actually, and wondering what it would be
like…I know what it looked like for me to sing and realize, ‘Wow, this feels
really natural.’”
Picked: TEAM BLAKE
DANE & STEPHANIE (21), Bloomsbury, New Jersey – “Angela” by The Lumineers
Twins born sisters, Dane (born Dana) is
transgender
Dane: “Music was always something I was
passionate about and I knew it was part of my dreams as well as just being able
to transition myself.”
CHAIRS: John, then Blake
KELLY: “I love your sound. Family harmony is so
beautiful and I thought y’all did a really stellar job.”
JOHN: “I really got into it once you started
harmonizing together. The blend was gorgeous and I’ve never had a duo on my
team. I directed choirs when I was growing up. I love the idea of arranging
multiple vocals together, so I would love to have you on my team.”
BLAKE: “I haven’t done any vocal arranging or
choir leading, but I have won The Voice six times. This isn’t high
school, this is The Voice. I’m the only person to ever bring a duo to
the finale. Let’s see where this journey takes us.”
Picked: TEAM LEGEND
JAMES VIOLET (20), Syracuse, Utah – “Sweet Creature” by Harry Styles
CHAIRS: Kelly, then Blake, Gwen in final seconds
GWEN: “I love your voice so much. It’s soothing,
it’s emotional, it’s relaxed. Your voice is the kind of voice I want to hear on
a record.”
KELLY: “Your sound and that whole nice glass of
wine vibe you have with your voice shows that you want to emote the message…I
love Utah and I love you and I really want you to pick me.”
BLAKE: “Your voice could take somebody out of
where they’re at, especially us in these chairs. You kind of remove us from
this area and next thing you know, we’re out in the woods somewhere. Please
pick me as your coach.”
Picked: TEAM GWEN
JORDAN McCULLOUGH (20), Murfreesboro, Tennessee – “Let Me Love You” by Mario
Never played outside of church
NO CHAIRS
JOHN: “It felt a little bit scattered. You were
singing the background vocals, you’re singing the lead, but the moments you
were really good were really exciting. You need to have a little more
discipline about how you plan out how to sing the song.”
GWEN: “I’m sorry no one pressed for you.”
PRESTON C. HOWELL (14), Miami, Florida – “Dream a Little Dream of Me” by Ozzie Nelson
Dad taught him the standards, loves Michael
Bublé
FOUR CHAIR TURN: Blake, then Kelly immediately
after, followed by Gwen and John
GWEN: “When I turned around, it didn’t look like
your voice was coming out of your body…we all would die to have you on our
team.”
KELLY: “I need to aim higher as a parent. What I
love most about you is that you didn’t imitate. Yes, you obviously have that
influence of that big band sound, but originality is something that gonna take
you really far and possibly to the finale on this show. I would love to be your
coach.”
JOHN: “Most of the time, this show is about
fireworks and big riffs and big runs, but you said, ‘I’m gonna do a standard
and I’m gonna sound beautiful doing it.’ The whole idea that you can come out
here at your age, to do a song that most people wouldn’t have the cajones to do
is such an audacious undertaking.”
BLAKE: “Your voice is timeless. You’re either
born with that or you’re not and you were born with that not very long ago.
I’ve done a lot of work with Michael Bublé. We recorded together, he’s a friend
of mine. When you can do what you just did and get all four of us to turn
around, congratulations to you. I’d be honored to be your coach.”
Picked: TEAM LEGEND
There are two more full nights of Blind Auditions in addition to
a partial night that will also kick off the Battle Rounds. The most winning
coach in The Voice history, Blake, still has plenty of slots to fill on
his team, but there is still a lot more talent to see when the Blinds continue
next week.