Connor Closs had two coaches fighting for him following his Blind Audition on The Voice, but the 23-year-old New Jersey singer says his eventual choice was actually much easier than viewers may have realized.
The Middletown native performed Hozier’s “Too Sweet,” showing off the high register, falsetto and vocal control that have become important parts of his signature sound.
Adam Levine waited until Connor reached the song’s demanding chorus before finally turning his chair.
Riley Green later joined him, giving Connor a two-chair turn and setting up a battle between two coaches with very different musical backgrounds.
Riley was particularly impressed when he learned about Connor’s extensive experience as a live performer.
Connor previously spent a year singing aboard the Coral Princess cruise ship and currently performs with Jersey Shore cover band The Cliffs.
“If you can sing on a cruise ship, you can sing anywhere,” Riley told him, praising both his experience and his ability to handle the difficult Hozier song.
But Adam’s pitch immediately connected with Connor on a more technical level.
Adam explained that he deliberately waited for the chorus because he wanted to hear how Connor handled moving in and out of falsetto while singing in such a high register.
After hearing it, Adam told Connor that he had done a “masterful job” and said he recognized similarities between Connor’s singing style and his own approach to vocals.
For Connor, that comparison mattered.
He later explained that he had admired Adam’s voice for years, particularly his ability to navigate the upper part of his vocal range seemingly effortlessly.
Connor said Adam has mastered exactly the area of the voice that he himself frequently uses when performing.
That was ultimately the biggest reason he chose Team Adam over Team Riley.
Connor believes Adam understands the technical challenges that come with the kind of songs he likes to sing because the Maroon 5 frontman has spent his career working in a similarly high register.
There was another connection between them as well.
Before appearing on The Voice, Connor posted a cover of Aerosmith’s “Dream On” that gained significant attention online and eventually helped put him on the show’s radar.
Connor noted that Adam has also performed “Dream On” and other demanding songs with extremely high vocal sections, making him particularly excited about the possibility of learning from someone with that experience.
Connor’s road to The Voice had already included far more professional experience than viewers might have realized from his Blind Audition alone.
Before joining The Cliffs, he toured the country with Hits! The Musical, a production associated with music legend Dionne Warwick.
He then spent a year traveling around the world as a cruise ship performer — despite having never even been on a cruise before receiving the job.
There is also another interesting Voice connection in Connor’s past.
He previously performed with fellow Season 30 contestant Mia Knight during the Hits! The Musical tour in 2023. Mia is now competing on Queen Latifah’s team while Connor continues with Adam.
Connor’s parents, John and Jane, were also there for his major Voice moment, traveling with him to Los Angeles when the Blind Auditions were filmed.
Now that the Blind Audition is behind him, Connor says he wants viewers to discover that his music goes far beyond the high-energy rock and Hozier-style performances they have already seen.
He hopes to demonstrate greater versatility as the competition moves forward.
But if his decision between Riley and Adam seemed difficult from the outside, Connor’s explanation makes it clear why Adam always had a major advantage.
Both singers understand what it means to live in that difficult upper vocal range — and Connor believes Adam may be exactly the coach who can help him figure out how far that voice can really go.
