S13.E03: The Blind Auditions Part 3

[Guest]

Quote

The blind auditions continue.

[Caseysgirl]

Jennifer Hudson - stop it!! This show isn't all about you and your outsized ego.  

[susannot]

I really like Addison.

[MaryPatShelby]

Jennifer Hudson is just.....too much.  I don't need to hear her singing "I Will Always Love You", or any of the other singing she's done, during the blinds.  The focus here is supposed to be on the person auditioning and THEIR voice, not her.

And to think I thought Miley would be too much before her first season.  I had no idea what the possibilities were :)

[Jabu]

Well, the montages begin.

Current team rosters/cheat sheets:

Team Adam
Dave Crosby (3)
Brandon Showell (3)
Dylan Gerard (2)
Hannah Mrozak (3)
Adam Pearce (2)

Team Miley
Janice Freeman (2)
Brooke Simpson (4)
Ashland Craft (3)
Shilo Gold (2)
Addison Agen (2)
Moriah Formica (4)

Team Jennifer
Chris Weaver (4)
Shi'Ann Jones (2)
Lucas Holliday (1)
Maharasyi (2)
Davon Fleming (4)
Kathrina Feigh (2)
Alexandra Joyce (3)*
Eric Lyn (1)*

Team Blake
Mitchell Lee (3)
Esera Tuaolo (2)
Keisha Renee (4)
Red Marlow (2)
Adam Cunningham (2)
Noah Mac (2)
Anna Catherine DeHart (2)*

Names in bold indicate an artist who has newly been added to a team.  Numbers in parentheses indicate the number of chairs to turn for each artist.  An asterisk indicates that this artist's Blind was montaged.

[Star Aristille]

23 minutes ago, MaryPatShelby said:

Jennifer Hudson is just.....too much.  I don't need to hear her singing "I Will Always Love You", or any of the other singing she's done, during the blinds.  The focus here is supposed to be on the person auditioning and THEIR voice, not her.

And yet she's still a damn sight better to watch than Adam and Blake either bro-ing it up or trying repeatedly to outdo each other.

[Dots And Stripes]

I got a huge grin on my face when the Cantor's daughter made it through at the last possible second. Her voice may be a tad too raspy (or she was losing it) but I liked her and I was kind of thrilled to have a little balance to all Jennifer's church talk, even though I respect that church a big part of Jennifer's life and foundation. 

I really thought that young girl in the white dress (I don't know names) was great. I'm shocked no one turned for her.

Blake's pitch about how he wins the show is great. I honestly don't know why more artists don't go for him. He really is good at this show.

[Mr. R0b0t]

1 hour ago, Caseysgirl said:

Jennifer Hudson - stop it!! This show isn't all about you and your outsized ego.  

Every time she opens her mouth, it's about her.  

 

[Padma]

I can't stand her. It's not about wanting women to be quiet and polite either (as someone suggested last week). I'm generally turned off by loud, aggressive people, whether male or female, though occasionally, of course, someone will endear themselves in spite of it. Jennifer is always dialed up to 11, and then she gets excited and dials up to 15 or starts singing/upstaging someone.

She is always loud and aggressive in her pitches and in her banter. It's exhausting. She may have good coaching tips to give, but I'd get tired of her yelling and shrieking at me. I also get the feeling she has a temper--another turn-off.

For anyone who saw her in the U.K. show, was she like this? It seems like it would be even more out of place there. Was she really this loud and aggressive (and imo obnoxious) in TV-UK?   I like the show, but if I keep watching, this may be the season I get a DVR. If ever there was a time to fast-forward, this is it.

ETA: Thank you, Miley, for mentioning that "IWALY" was originally a Dolly Parton song, esp. as she wrote it as well as performing what, for me is the definitive version.  "J-Hud's" duet just made me feel there's a lot of over-singing ahead.

Oh, and please. If you love Jennifer, please enjoy her to your heart's content. But don't P.M. me as if I'm a hypocrite for finding her loud and obnoxious without saying the same for Adam. So far this season, he hasn't come close. But, jmo. I don't like her personality OR her singing and usually a coach will win me over on one, if not both of these.

I missed the second night, but #1 and #3 haven't given anyone I've been all that impressed by. Good voices, but I haven't seen that "unique" performer someone who really stands out as an "artist" that's bringing something new and different to the music. I haven't heard everyone, but what I have heard sound like very well done covers. And usually the blinds seem better for me musically than the later stuff. Hopefully, the best is yet to come.

Edited October 3, 2017 by Padma

[Wings]

Jennifer's speaking affect is beyond stupid. She flips in and out of it.  It's not cute or sassy.and I know she thinks it is

It is obvious Adam and Blake are having a hard time tolerating her.  I loved Adam baiting her to throw a shoe again!  Funny. He does NOT think that is adorable or cool. 

[Star Aristille]

Another good night of talent.  Shame we montages again, but hopefully, the show's YouTube channel puts them up the way they did last season.

Adam Cunningham: Damn!  He sounded great!  Country rock is rare on this show, so to hear an artist take on that genre and show such great power, accuracy, and control was definitely something to be seen (and heard)!  Although Jennifer gave it a great effort, Blake was really the only choice for him.

Hannah Mrozak: Hailee Steinfeld is really hard to take on, but I thought she did a decent enough job at it.  Not perfect, but decent.  I hope it wasn't some kind of crush that made her pick Adam, though.  I just have the worst feeling that he's going to do her dirty.  Jennifer or even Blake might've been better.  But what was that shit that Adam was spewing?  Hannah's not his first pop singer in a while.  He had Mark Isaiah and Hanna Eyre last season!  They were all pop, too!

Shilo Gold: I'm actually kind of surprised that she got any turns at all, because I did not think that that was good.  Her tone was good and a bit smoky and raspy, for sure.  But her vocals didn't sound as good.  Still, of the two who turned, I think she should've stuck with her gut instinct and gone with Jennifer.  Miley's a decent choice, but I just feel like Jennifer was more compatible.

Samantha Rios: Very, very shocked that no one turned for her.  Her voice was great, and her performance was very good, especially considering that she took on an Etta James song.  I wonder if the teams were actually close to being full at this point?  Oh, and for those of you who don't know, she was previously on The Voice Kids, although it wasn't seen by many, because the U.S. version of The Voice Kids is only for Spanish-speaking kids living in the States.

Noah Mac: I loved the performance.  I thought it was absolutely wonderful.  He definitely deserved the chair turns he got, and I think it was nice to sing a song not attempted on the show yet.  But I have to give him the side-eye for picking Blake.  He mentioned that R&B, soul, and gospel are his things, yet he passes over Jennifer?  Oh, Noah.  I think you're gonna regret that one.  On a side note, Miley saying he's hot, and then regretting it, was a titter-worthy moment.

Davon Fleming: Color me shocked that he did such a great job with an Amy Winehouse song.  That's not even in his genre!  It was a risk that definitely paid off, though I wasn't expecting all four chairs to turn, nor did I expect them to all turn as quickly as they did!  He deserved it, though.  Her voice was strong, clear, and powerful, and had so much control.  For a church-inspired singer, Jennifer was absolutely the right one for him.  I think she'll do right by him.  Also, for all the complaints about Jennifer singing, at least she gave Davon his moment of feature in their duet.

Kathrina Feigh: Amazing job to take on a Jessie J song and do it as well as she did, though I think India Carney did it much better in season eight.  Loved how strong her voice was, and how clear her tone was.  And I agreed with Miley that Jennifer had a similar enough tone to her.  So I totally agreed with the choice of Jennifer and think she'll do a great job with her.

Addison Agen: Oh, I liked her a lot.  Great vocals, very good tone, and she knew how to use dynamics very well.  And I dare say that she did that song better than Brendan Fletcher's way-too-overrated Blind in season eleven.  Of the two available, I, too, would've gone with Miley.  Might be a bit biased, though, since I can't stand Adam.

Adam Pearce: I'll admit it.  He did a better job with a better song choice compared to last season.  But I somehow still don't know how he managed even one turn, let alone two.  Still, his particular taste in rock generation made Adam the perfect choice.  Sorry, Miley, but you had no shot.  Still, I don't see him getting far.  A lot of the ones who've already made it through have seemed and sounded so much better.

Myles Frost: Eh, this was okay, but not quite consistent enough for my tastes.  Plus, he came off sharp at numerous parts.  I can see why no one turned.

Moriah Formica: Great way to end the night.  She had a nice, strong voice with great control.  I loved how big and mature she sounded in spite of being so young and small.  Being another rocker, I thought that Adam would get another member.  But I was so stoked to see her pick Miley, and Miley in particular looked shocked to be chosen by her.  I think they're a good match.

Montages:

From the little we got of her, I really enjoyed Alexandra Joyce, but I'm miffed that they montaged Taylor Swift's "Wildest Dreams" yet again, after doing so with Katherine Ho's Blind three seasons ago.  I took it by Miley's shock with her choice of Jennifer that she totally expected her to go with either Adam or Blake.  Still, I'm surprised a multi-chair turn got montaged.  It's usually throwaway one-chair turns who get that.  And then, Eric Lyn sounded decent, as well.  Decent enough for me to agree with Jennifer turning for him.  As for Anna Catherine DeHart, I would've loved to have heard her performance a bit more, because the little snippet we did get wasn't quite enough for me.  Still, it looks like Blake won her over Adam, so that alone makes me like her.  Even Jennifer looked happy that he won out over Adam.

Good episode.  Can't wait for tomorrow.:)

Edited October 3, 2017 by Star Aristille

[Star Aristille]

13 minutes ago, wings707 said:

I loved Adam baiting her to throw a shoe again!  Funny. He does NOT think that is adorable or cool. 

Yes, he does, given that he did the same thing out of desperation to win Chris Weaver over last week.

[Wings]

Too many country singers. 

[atlantaloves]

Oh I am all about Devon Fleming for the win, just clean him up a little bit. That guy CAN SING  ....They still don't have his video up anywhere, bless his heart.  He's my absolute favorite so far. Flawless pipes. Mixing Me and Mrs. Jones and Amy Winehouse, Fabulous! Terrific arrangement.  Jennifer drives me nuts too, but she will be a great coach for him. 

[Star Aristille]

Well, one step forward, two steps back.  Alexandra Joyce, Eric Lyn, and Anna Catherine DeHart's Blinds aren't up on full on the show's YouTube channel.  Only a montage video is there:

Pity, too, after finally putting up the montaged Blinds, Battle, and Knockouts last season.

[PhD-Purgatory15]

Too many country singers?

There was only the Midnight Rider guy (Adam Cunningham) and two others (Alexandra Joyce & Anna Catherine) who got like a combined 6 seconds of singing time...

Edited October 3, 2017 by PhD-Purgatory15

[Wings]

10 hours ago, Star Aristille said:

Yes, he does, given that he did the same thing out of desperation to win Chris Weaver over last week.

Damn, you are right.  

ETA.  That may be humor with Adam, though.  You have to find a way to be seen and heard with Jennifer sucking up the energy and time.   I have never liked her but I had no idea she was this bad!  Jesus.  

Edited October 3, 2017 by wings707

[Rachel RSL]

I must be tuning out or something when I watch because I honestly don't think Jennifer has been louder or more obnoxious than any of the other 3 coaches. Adam is always up and out of his seat or butting in even when he didn't push his button. And Miley just never stops talking. *shrug*

I really hate the way the judges are always looking at each other to see if anyone else is going to push the button. I feel like half the time they don't even want the person singing, they just want to "win" over the other coach who has pushed their button. It's annoying. 

Also annoying? The freaking sob stories! I know that's obviously a huge part of the criteria for even getting to audition but to hear them tell it, and then repeat it AGAIN for the coaches, is so irritating. I'm sorry your sister passed away or your dad left or you stubbed your toe this morning or whatever but, you know what? Everybody has a story that could break your heart...just shut up and sing.

Edited October 3, 2017 by Rachel RSL
Semantics - they're coaches not judges

[atlantaloves]

Thank you, I literally fast forward through the sob stories....God, give me a break.  Thanks for saying that Rachel, I've been wanting to say that for years and years. Kissy!

[Star Aristille]

7 minutes ago, Rachel RSL said:

I must be tuning out or something when I watch because I honestly don't think Jennifer has been any louder or more obnoxious than any of the other 3 coaches. Adam is always up and out of his seat or butting in even when he didn't push his button. And Miley just never stops talking. *shrug*

THANK YOU.  Jennifer is no better or worse than any of the others.  They're all trying to win the artists over in any way possible.  They all are.  Jennifer shouldn't be scrutinized just because she tries ways that are so different from Adam, Blake, or Miley.

[Rachel RSL]

I like her ways better, to be honest. Jennifer seems to give actual comments about how to improve, she basically coaches them. Blake says crap like "We'll have a blast". I think Jennifer probably has a lot of knowledge to share with the singers, especially the younger ones, the problem is that she hasn't seemed to learn the art of the "woo" yet. Adam is great at faking a personal connection and Blake comes across as a buddy you want to hang out with, Jennifer just needs to find ways to counteract that.

[WendyCR72]

17 hours ago, Star Aristille said:

Moriah Formica: Great way to end the night.  She had a nice, strong voice with great control.  I loved how big and mature she sounded in spite of being so young and small.  Being another rocker, I thought that Adam would get another member.  But I was so stoked to see her pick Miley, and Miley in particular looked shocked to be chosen by her.  I think they're a good match.

Gotta root for Moriah since she is from around my neck of the woods. (Upstate NY; I believe she is from Latham and she has been all over local news here - just as Sawyer Fredericks, another local, was a few years back. ) And you can't go wrong with a Heart song to start off with!

[bluepiano]

My brother lived in Latham many years ago. But sorry, I was not impressed by Moriah. That Heart song is a very showy one, but I want to hear a singer do more than scream. (Even if she did scream on key). So I'll take a wait-and-see attitude. Same with the guy who did "Hot Blooded." I hate that song (and that whole rock era) with a passion, so I'll see what else he has.

I was just noticing last night how many of these young singers have parents who have incredibly supportive, including financially, building them their own studio. Not to mention the guy who owns the record store who built a stage in his store so his daughter can perform. It's probably not that different from how a lot of parents overindulge their kids now, but it kind of does in the whole tradition of music as a form of rebellion against your parents' generation.

Ditto to the comments about how overbearing "JHud" has been. I do not want to see any judge stage taking the stage to showcase his/her own vocals during the auditions. The taped coaching segments give them plenty of opportunity to put themselves in the spotlight. The auditions are not the place to do that!

I'm still waiting to hear a deep, powerful male voice. All the male soul singers seem to focused on falsetto. I'm also waiting for this season's first contestant who is a strong instrumentalist (guitar or piano) as well as singer, and also the first contestant with some jazz vocal chops. Those are the performers who bring much needed variety to this show.

Edited October 3, 2017 by bluepiano

[Star Aristille]

22 minutes ago, bluepiano said:

I'm still waiting to hear a deep, powerful male voice. All the male soul singers seem to focused on falsetto.

Chris Weaver focused more on his deeper register than his higher one, so you might've missed him.

[SnarkyTart]

18 hours ago, atlantaloves said:

Oh I am all about Devon Fleming for the win, just clean him up a little bit. That guy CAN SING  ....They still don't have his video up anywhere, bless his heart.

I really liked him a lot, though I don't think I'd want them to clean him up.  Oh, here's a youtube of his audition:

I also liked Addison Agen a lot.  That's a lot of talent inside a 16-year-old package. 

Okay, Miley bugged me so much the last season she was on that I almost tuned out just to avoid her mugging and attention-seeking during the contestants' performances.  Now she looks almost sedate compared to Jennifer's overblown ego on display during her pitches.  I don't want to hear her sing anymore.  At all.  And I don't want to see her feet again.  Ever.  *invisibility cloaking on* I've always enjoyed Adam and Blake, both individually and in their faux bromance and faux fighting.  Oh, and I still miss Shakira...and Usher.

Edited October 3, 2017 by SnarkyTart
edited to correct link

[viajero]

That was much better overall than last week.  I liked pretty much everyone who got through to at least some extent and thought several performances were among the best we’ve heard so far this season.

I particularly liked Devon, Addison, Hannah, Noah, and Adam (in roughly that order).  But my favorite was Moriah.  What a fantastic voice.  Power, range, control - it was all there.  That’s a crazy hard song to sing and she more than did it justice.  If she doesn't go far on this show, it will be because rockers rarely do well.

 

57 minutes ago, bluepiano said:

I was just noticing last night how many of these young singers have parents who have incredibly supportive, including financially, building them their own studio. Not to mention the guy who owns the record store who built a stage in his store so his daughter can perform. It's probably not that different from how a lot of parents overindulge their kids now, but it kind of does in the whole tradition of music as a form of rebellion against your parents' generation.

There are plenty of young artists around who very rebellious in their music and/or lyrics, including some very good ones.  You just won't see them on The Voice.  Not only do they tend to sing in genres that are almost never represented on this show (and wouldn't do well if they were), but because they'd pretty much lose all credibility if they went on a singing competition like this one.

[Jabu]

20 hours ago, Padma said:

ETA: Thank you, Miley, for mentioning that "IWALY" was originally a Dolly Parton song, esp. as she wrote it as well as performing what, for me is the definitive version.

I'm pretty sure that's always been Whitney's song.

[Jabu]

15 minutes ago, viajero said:

I particularly liked Devon, Addison, Hannah, Noah, and Adam (in roughly that order).  But my favorite was Moriah.  What a fantastic voice.  Power, range, control - it was all there.  That’s a crazy hard song to sing and she more than did it justice.  If she doesn't go far on this show, it will be because rockers rarely do well.

Which Adam?  There were two -- Cunningham and Pearce.

[MaryPatShelby]

1 hour ago, bluepiano said:

Ditto to the comments about how overbearing "JHud" has been. I do not want to see any judge stage taking the stage to showcase his/her own vocals during the auditions. The taped coaching segments give them plenty of opportunity to put themselves in the spotlight. The auditions are not the place to do that!

To me, this is how she differs from the other coaches - they don't sing hardly ever during the blinds. Hudson has done it numerous times, and if she wants to showcase her voice, she needs to be on a different show.  And the rest all talk in the same voice with the same accent, and she switches hers constantly.

[Padma]

4 hours ago, Jabu said:

I'm pretty sure that's always been Whitney's song.

Miley's pretty reliable on this. She's Dolly Parton's goddaughter.

From Wikipedia:

"The song, 'I Will Always Love You' was originally written and recorded in 1973 by American singer-songwriter, Dolly Parton.  Her country version of the track was released in 1974 as a single and was written as a farewell to her one-time partner and mentor of seven years, Porter Wagoner, following Parton's decision to pursue a solo career.

Parton's version of "I Will Always Love You" was a commercial success. It reached number one on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart twice. .... Whitney Houston recorded her version of the song for the 1992 film The Bodyguard. Her single spent 14 weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart making it one of the best-selling singles of all time."

[atlantaloves]

You are right, and both versions were big hits....and Dolly is still making a fortune off that song. Listen to Dolly sing the hell out of that sucker sometime and you will see what I mean.  I hate country music, but honey I love me some Dolly! 

[Rachel RSL]

I like Dolly's version way better. But that goes back to me not being a fan of big belter singers. I remember seeing her interviewed back in the early 90s and they asked her if she was envious of Whitney's success with the song and she basically said something like: "Are you kidding? You should see the royalties I'm getting!"

[TheGreenKnight]

I like both versions of the song, but I always appreciate Dolly getting recognition for writing it.

[Humbugged]

14 hours ago, atlantaloves said:

You are right, and both versions were big hits....and Dolly is still making a fortune off that song. Listen to Dolly sing the hell out of that sucker sometime and you will see what I mean.  I hate country music, but honey I love me some Dolly! 

[atlantaloves]

Thank you Honey for posting this, cried like a baby, always do when I hear her sing this. Ahhhhhhhh.....those damn onions on my keyboard again. She has such a sweet pure voice. No auto tune for Mrs. Dolly. 

[Wings]

7 minutes ago, atlantaloves said:

Thank you Honey for posting this, cried like a baby, always do when I hear her sing this. Ahhhhhhhh.....those damn onions on my keyboard again. She has such a sweet pure voice. No auto tune for Mrs. Dolly. 

This makes me cry too.  

10 hours ago, Rachel RSL said:

I like Dolly's version way better. But that goes back to me not being a fan of big belter singers. I remember seeing her interviewed back in the early 90s and they asked her if she was envious of Whitney's success with the song and she basically said something like: "Are you kidding? You should see the royalties I'm getting!"

I remember that!  

[viajero]

As a non-country fan, I wasn't even aware that it was a Dolly Parton song until Season 1 of The Voice,  when Casey Weston did a version that was closer to Dolly's than Whitney's.  I can't find a video of Casey's performance on YouTube, but they did have one of when she did a reprise of her performance during The Voice live concert:

 

On 10/3/2017 at 6:16 PM, Jabu said:

Which Adam?  There were two -- Cunningham and Pearce.

I meant Adam Cunningham