While Blind Auditions ended The voice, the coaches became choosier when it came to which singers would fill the remaining spots on their teams. With only a handful of selections left for Reba McEntire, Gwen Stefani, Michael Bublé and Snoop Dogg, Monday’s episode marked a pivotal point in the competition where strategy and humor became crucial pieces of the puzzle.
Season 26’s penultimate round of auditions didn’t disappoint — with a flurry of four-chair turns, a last-second decision from Snoop, and another chance for a former Vote participant. Meanwhile, Bublé used the final Coach Replay of the season, and McEntire quietly welcomed three more artists to her growing team.
Which singers advanced to the next round? The voice? Here are the standout musical acts from Monday’s episode.
Impressive four-chair turn
Non-binary queer singer Cameron Wright, who uses they/their pronouns, opened the episode. They immediately earned a four-chair turn with their cover of Barbra Streisand’s “The Way We Were,” which was dedicated to their late grandmother who raised them. Wright’s experience singing with Stevie Wonder and touring with their gospel singer mother was reflected in their powerful performance, which immediately earned rave reviews from the coaches. “You came in and just cut the air out of the room. Not a single moment wasn’t perfect,” said Stefani, while Bublé declared that Wright would “make the damn final.”
When Wright chose Team Bublé, the Canadian crooner was visibly surprised. It was Bublé’s feedback that led Wright to make the decision. “They were one of the greatest singers I’ve ever heard in my life. I mean, really,” Bublé said. “That voice is sensational.”
An honorable mention goes to Lauren-Michael Sellers, whose performance of Hillsong United’s “Oceans (Where My Feet May Fail)” scored a four-seat turn, moved McEntire to tears and lit a fire in Stefani, who spoke of her emotional connection to the worship song. Sellers chose Team Reba.
Dramatic twist in the last second
It seemed like Eliza Pryor wouldn’t make it to the Blind Auditions, but Snoop Dogg continued to live up to his “wild card” moniker and pressed his button at the last possible second. The rapper saw enough potential in the teen singer’s rendition of The Cranberries’ “Linger” to make her a member of Team Snoop. Pryor’s youth did not bother him. Instead, he saw what was possible for her musically. “I see that you can go to many different places with your voice.”
Bublé admitted that he did not press the button because he was unsure of Pryor’s range, and Stefani noted that she did not show her vocal power until the end of the performance.
Michael Bublé uses the latest Coach Replay
McEntire, Stefani and Snoop all used their Coach Replay powers, so it was up to Bublé to decide when to use his. The lucky candidate was folk singer Mark Shiiba, who was initially denied seat changes but was described by Snoop as “a triple threat” after impressing the panel with his harmonica and guitar playing. When he sang Bob Dylan’s “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right,” it was Shiiba’s unique “character voice,” as Stefani called it, that caused Bublé to reconsider his decision and ultimately use his one and only Coach Replay.
Once Bublé had put all his cards in Shiiba’s basket, he saw value in the singer’s distinct vocal style. ‘This man could be a star. This man just might be [one of] those unique Americana singers,” he said. “I knew I had made a mistake before the chair ever turned around. [He] got his second chance today.”
A deserved second chance
After not getting seat changes when she first auditioned in season 21, hopeful Camryn Brooks returned for a second time. The voice. With Maggie Rogers’ “Light On,” Brooks was proof that second chances exist, earning a four-chair turn. It was a full-circle moment for Brooks, who had developed a heart condition called myocarditis after her first appearance on television. The voice and trained with her doctors for three years to be able to sing a complete song.
In the coaches’ evaluation of her performance, Bublé said his favorite part was “you lose it because that’s so human,” referring to her visceral excitement midway through the song about the chair changes. Stefani praised Brooks’ “round,” “soothing” voice. In the end, Brooks chose Team Gwen.
Who spins us chair
It was an embarrassment of riches on Monday’s episode, but our pick goes to Kay Sibal, a Los Angeles-based Filipino-American singer whose Vote audition coincided with the three-year anniversary of her father’s death. Already emotional because of the timing of it all, Sibal put her own jazzy spin on Laufey’s “From the Start,” which Bublé immediately picked up on. He pushed the button with Stefani and Snoop, setting up one of the most intense coaching confrontations to date.
“You made that song so yours,” Bublé said, imploring Sibal to choose him as her coach because of his knowledge of the pop-jazz world. Stefani commented on her potential and positivity, which she said was evident in the performance, while McEntire complimented the “lightness” in her voice. Although it seemed like Sibal and Bublé were a match made in Heaven, she ultimately chose Stefani as her coach. “She was so excited, she was so hopeful and grateful to be here. I would like to work with those kinds of people.”
Quote of the evening
“You may be the mack daddy, but I’m the macaroni daddy,” Bublé joked while battling Snoop against contestant Mary McAvoy, who wowed both coaches with her rendition of Jessie Ware’s “Say You Love Me.” To compete with Snoop’s blinged-out Death Row necklace, Bublé brought out homemade paste jewelry to convince McAvoy to join his team. His attempt was unsuccessful. “Maybe we should rethink this,” Bublé said after putting on his edible necklace.
A preview of the next episode
The final evening of Blind Auditions is just around the corner, so expectations will be high now that the coaches’ teams are almost complete. For those keeping track, there are only a few open spots: Team Reba, Team Gwen, and Team Snoop each have two left, while Team Bublé has three. Which lucky singers will fill out the coaching teams? We will know within 24 hours.
The voice concludes Blind Auditions on Tuesday, October 15 at 8pm PT/ET on NBC.
