Connor Closs finally got the real The Voice experience after years of imagining himself on the show, and the 23-year-old New Jersey singer made sure his Blind Audition counted.
The Middletown native stepped onto the Season 30 stage with Hozier’s hit “Too Sweet,” a song that allowed him to show off the smoky tone, falsetto and higher range that have become important parts of his sound.
Adam Levine listened carefully through the opening portion of the performance before turning his chair when Connor reached the first chorus.
Riley Green eventually followed, giving Connor a two-chair turn and setting up a battle between two coaches with very different musical backgrounds.
Green was particularly impressed when he learned that Connor had experience performing on cruise ships. He told him that if someone can sing successfully in that environment, they can perform practically anywhere because of the demanding schedule and variety required from live entertainers.
That experience was only part of Connor’s background.
Before reaching The Voice, Connor had already spent years performing onstage. He is a singer and actor from New Jersey who became involved in performing during his later high-school years after previously focusing on basketball and track.
He also studied musical theater and continued gaining experience through professional performances before becoming the lead singer of Jersey Shore band The Cliffs, giving him regular opportunities to perform in front of live crowds.
That background appeared to help Connor remain comfortable on one of television’s biggest singing stages.
Levine was especially interested in the technical side of Connor’s voice. He praised him for handling the difficult Hozier song and described his voice as one of the more unique and efficient ones they had heard during the Blind Auditions.
Adam also pointed out similarities between their vocal ranges, arguing that his own experience singing in a high register could make him particularly useful as Connor’s coach.
In fact, Levine seemed surprised that only two chairs had turned, openly questioning why the entire coaching panel hadn’t responded to Connor’s performance.
Green still made a serious attempt to recruit him, explaining that although his team already contained several country singers, he wanted someone with Connor’s different style and vocal approach.
But when Connor finally had to choose, Adam Levine won the battle. Connor joined Team Adam, giving Levine another distinctive male vocalist as the Season 30 teams continued filling up.
For Connor, the audition showed why years of performing before The Voice mattered. The two-chair turn was his breakthrough on national television, but the confidence behind it had been developing long before he ever stepped onto the Blind Auditions stage.
