Nina Howland made an unforgettable entrance on The Voice Season 30, earning one of the biggest reactions of the Blind Auditions after all four coaches turned their chairs for the 24-year-old New York performer.
Howland stepped onto the stage with Bonnie Raitt’s “Love Me Like a Man,” bringing a gritty, blues-influenced sound and confident stage presence that quickly caught the attention of Kelly Clarkson, Adam Levine, Queen Latifah and Riley Green. By the end of the performance, every coach had turned.
Kelly appeared particularly excited by Nina’s song choice, revealing that “Love Me Like a Man” is one of the songs she likes to sing herself.
“You know, people are like, what do you sing in the shower? That’s the song I sing in the shower,” Kelly told her before simply adding, “I love you.”
Adam Levine was equally impressed, praising Nina’s range and describing her as having a “big, beautiful voice” capable of handling different styles.
Queen Latifah, meanwhile, focused on Nina’s presence and control, telling her that she believed every part of the performance and praising the way she commanded the song from beginning to end.
Riley Green also joined the battle, telling Nina that winning over all four coaches was no easy accomplishment and congratulating her before she faced the difficult decision of choosing a team.
The four-chair turn quickly sparked reaction from viewers, with fans praising Nina for putting her own spin on the Bonnie Raitt classic rather than simply trying to imitate the original recording.
But Nina’s confidence onstage makes even more sense when looking at the career she had already built before appearing on The Voice.
She graduated from Berklee College of Music in 2024 and has worked extensively in musical theater. Her professional credits include appearing as a soloist in Hugh Jackman’s Live From New York With Love at Radio City Music Hall and touring with Shrek The Musical.
Nina is also currently part of the North American touring company of The Great Gatsby. According to the musical’s official site, she performs in the ensemble and serves as an understudy for Daisy Buchanan.
There is also a remarkable family connection behind that production: Nina’s father is composer Jason Howland, who wrote the music for The Great Gatsby and previously won a Grammy for his work on Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. The official Great Gatsby production site identifies Jason as the musical’s composer and notes that he is the father of Nina and Noah.
Nina has explained that although much of her career has involved performing as part of an ensemble, competing on The Voice represents an opportunity to establish herself more clearly as a solo artist and explore a different musical direction.
That background made her Blind Audition more than simply another strong performance. Nina arrived with years of professional training and stage experience but was suddenly standing alone in front of four superstar coaches with her own voice at the center of the moment.
And after turning all four chairs with just one performance, Nina Howland has given The Voice viewers another contestant to watch closely as Season 30 continues.
