Lance Tenazas walked onto The Voice stage with one of the toughest challenges of the final Season 30 Blind Auditions: performing a Bruno Mars song while still finding a way to sound like himself.
The 22-year-old singer and hip-hop dancer chose “Risk It All,” bringing out his guitar and delivering a softer singer-songwriter interpretation of the track.
Rather than attempting to copy Bruno Mars’ polished vocal style, Lance leaned into the qualities that make his own voice different — particularly a light rasp, breathy phrasing and an impressive upper register.
For a while, however, none of the coaches turned.
Then Kelly Clarkson pressed her button.
Not long afterward, Riley Green followed, giving Lance a two-chair turn and guaranteeing him a place in the competition.
Kelly immediately explained what had caught her attention.
She praised the “urgency” in Lance’s voice and specifically pointed out the rasp that appeared when he reached the top of his range.
Kelly was also impressed by the softer work in his verses and his ability to control his breathing throughout the demanding performance.
She jokingly told Lance that he seemed to have “two sets of lungs” before describing what he had done as different from anything else she had heard during the auditions.
That individuality became especially important because Kelly had only one position left on her team.
She told Lance she was searching for someone who felt special and unique enough to complete her Season 30 lineup — and believed his voice could fit that description.
Riley Green heard something valuable in Lance as well.
He praised Lance for accompanying himself on guitar and, more importantly, for putting his own identity into a song already closely associated with one of the biggest singers in pop music.
“You made that your own,” Riley told him.
Riley also pointed to Lance’s recognizable vocal tone, describing that quality as something extremely valuable for any artist trying to stand out.
That may have been the most important part of Lance’s Blind Audition.
Singing a Bruno Mars song naturally invites comparisons, but Lance didn’t try to become another version of Bruno. His rougher vocal texture and stripped-back approach gave “Risk It All” a noticeably different personality.
Lance also entered The Voice with an interesting performance background.
He has experience as a hip-hop dancer, but came to the competition hoping to put his singing at the center of attention and show viewers another side of himself.
With two coaches available, Lance then faced his final decision.
Riley had praised his individuality, but Kelly had made it clear that she believed his unusual voice was exactly what her team was still missing.
Lance ultimately chose Kelly Clarkson.
The decision officially completed Team Kelly’s 12-person roster as the Blind Auditions came to an end and the competition moved immediately into the Battle Rounds.
Lance didn’t earn all four chairs, but his audition demonstrated why chair count doesn’t always tell the whole story.
Two coaches heard enough individuality to fight for him, and Kelly heard something distinctive enough to use her final team position on him.
Now the bigger question is whether Lance’s raspy, recognizable sound can become even more memorable once Team Kelly enters the Battles.
