The Voice Season 30 is approaching the end of its Blind Auditions, and Kelly Clarkson, Adam Levine, Riley Green and Queen Latifah have already discovered several singers who convinced every coach to hit their button.
With the final Blind Audition episodes airing October 5 and October 6 before the Battles begin October 12, the teams are nearly complete — and several early contestants have already separated themselves from the field.
The season’s first four-chair turn belonged to sisters Ferryn and Brinkley Wright. The Tennessee duo performed Linda Ronstadt’s “When Will I Be Loved,” surprising the coaches with their harmonies before ultimately choosing Team Riley Green.
Then came Koumba Diallo, just 15 years old, whose powerful performance of Demi Lovato’s “Stone Cold” convinced all four coaches to turn. Riley called it one of the strongest performances he had heard, but Koumba ultimately selected Kelly Clarkson.
Lexi Stephens followed with another huge moment. Her performance of Sienna Spiro’s “Die on This Hill” turned all four chairs and sparked an intense recruiting battle. Adam Levine went particularly far with his praise, suggesting Lexi had the ability to win the entire competition. She eventually joined Team Adam.
Adam landed another four-chair singer when Amanda Mikkel performed “Moon River.” Her audition impressed every coach, but Adam had an advantage: because he had turned first, he used his new First In Button to automatically secure Amanda for his team before she could make her own selection.
The same episode also introduced Kyle Davis, who earned four chair turns with Peter Gabriel’s “In Your Eyes.” The coaches praised the difficulty of the song and Kyle’s distinctive sound, but Kelly Clarkson ultimately won the battle for him.
Cade Mower created another major moment when he performed Zach Bryan’s “Something in the Orange.” The reaction came almost immediately, with all four coaches turning early in the performance. Cade eventually became another important addition to Team Riley.
Then Chari delivered one of the most talked-about auditions so far with Oleta Adams’ “Get Here.” All four coaches turned, and Adam Levine was so impressed that he remained standing through much of the performance. Despite Adam’s passionate pitch, Chari chose Queen Latifah.
There is also another four-chair turn already being teased before the final Blind Audition episodes. Nina Howland, 24, performs Bonnie Raitt’s “Love Me Like a Man,” and previews confirm that Kelly, Adam, Riley and Queen all turn for her. Her full audition is part of the upcoming stretch of Blind Auditions.
But four-chair turns aren’t the only contestants generating attention. Joe Henley, the 19-year-old Alabama country singer who performed Travis Tritt’s “Anymore,” received only two turns — from Kelly and Riley — yet became one of the season’s most discussed singers. After Joe chose Team Riley, Kelly even told Riley that Joe could potentially win The Voice for him.
Other singers including Mia Knight, BigCountry, Bryan Jaymes and several of the coaches’ First In selections have also helped make the Season 30 teams unusually competitive.
Once the Blind Auditions conclude, the format changes dramatically. During the Battles, coaches will pair singers from their own teams to perform against each other, forcing them to decide which artist continues in the competition.
And surviving a Battle will only be the beginning. Season 30 later introduces Cut Week, where each coach sends two singers directly to the Live Shows while five more compete for only one remaining team position. America will then vote one additional eliminated artist into the Lives, creating the Top 13.
With four-chair singers like Ferryn & Brinkley, Koumba Diallo, Lexi Stephens, Amanda Mikkel, Kyle Davis, Cade Mower and Chari already in the competition — and Nina Howland preparing to join that list — the Battles could force some of the strongest singers of the season against each other much earlier than fans might expect.
Getting four chairs was the first major victory. Now those singers have to prove that the huge expectations surrounding their Blind Auditions can survive the next stage of The Voice.
