“The Voice” Season 30 has only just begun, but Queen Latifah is already making history. During her very first season as a Coach, Latifah became the first person ever to successfully use the show’s brand-new First-In Button, securing 16-year-old singer Mia Knight for her team.
Knight, a New Jersey native like Latifah, stepped onto the Blind Auditions stage with an ambitious choice: Sienna Spiro’s “You Stole the Show.” Despite being only 16, the young singer delivered the demanding song with enough confidence and vocal power to quickly capture the Coaches’ attention.
Before walking onto the stage, Knight admitted just how important the audition was to her. She explained that appearing before Coaches she had admired since childhood made the opportunity particularly exciting—and once she started singing, that excitement turned into a major Blind Audition moment.
Three Coaches ultimately wanted her. Kelly Clarkson, Queen Latifah and Riley Green all turned their chairs, while Adam Levine remained facing away. Normally, that would have meant Knight could listen to all three pitches before deciding which team she wanted to join.
Green immediately began making his case, praising what he had heard from the teenager. Clarkson had an especially strong argument of her own: she reminded Knight that she had previously won “The Voice” with a 16-year-old singer and said she enjoys working with young Artists because they can approach the experience without heavy expectations.
But Clarkson and Green soon discovered that their pitches would not matter. Latifah had been the first Coach to turn, which made her eligible to activate Season 30’s newest Blind Audition weapon—and she decided Knight was worth using it on.
Latifah pressed her First-In Button, instantly claiming Knight for her team. Under the new rule, the first Coach to turn for an Artist can use the advantage to automatically secure that singer, preventing the other Coaches from winning them over. Each Coach gets only one opportunity to use it during the Blind Auditions.
Latifah celebrated the decision with a perfect hometown connection, declaring, “This Jersey queen must be on Team Queen.” Just like that, Knight became a member of Team Queen without having to choose between Latifah, Clarkson and Green.
The moment also showed exactly why the First-In Button could dramatically change Season 30. In previous seasons, being the first Coach to turn was mainly something Coaches could mention during their pitch. Now, turning first can actually give them the power to eliminate the competition entirely.
Latifah’s confidence did not end with securing Knight. The first-time Coach has already been surprisingly successful during the Blind Auditions, with Clarkson admitting that the veteran Coaches lost a number of Artists to her. Latifah responded confidently by declaring, “I’m dominating the blinds.”
That confidence could make Latifah one of Season 30’s most interesting additions. She entered the competition alongside fellow newcomer Riley Green, facing two experienced Coaches in Clarkson and Adam Levine, yet the early Blind Auditions have shown that being new to the red chair does not necessarily put her at a disadvantage.
Team Queen Latifah
BigCountry
Marcus Ladden Jr.
Mia Knight (First-In button)
Team Riley Green
Joe Henley
Ferryn & Brinkley
Caroline Alexis
Team Kelly Clarkson
Hazel Gerson
Brianna Cameron
Team Adam Levine
Destinee Monroe
Owen Uffens
The Voice, Season 30, Episode 2, Tuesday, September 22, 8/7c, NBC
The Voice, Season 30, Episode 3, Wednesday, September 23, 8/7c, NBC
The Voice, Season 30, Mondays, 8/7c, NBC
For Knight, meanwhile, the audition could hardly have produced a more memorable result. At only 16, she earned three chair turns and became the Artist responsible for the first-ever successful First-In Button moment in “The Voice” history. And with Latifah already declaring that she is dominating the Blinds, Team Queen has officially announced itself as a serious force in Season 30.
