‘The Voice’: Coaches Become Selective on Fifth Night of Blind Auditions

The Blind Auditions continued Monday night on NBC’s The Voice. Coaches Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, Kelly Clarkson and John Legend had all used their blocks already, so everyone was in play when it came to snatching up talent.

Beth Griffith-Manley was up first, singing “Til You Come Back to Me (That’s What I’m Gonna Do).” She is the daughter of Motown musician Johnny Griffith and has been working as a background singer, but came to the competition in order to take her solo career to the next level. She got turns from Legend and Clarkson. Clarkson praised the song choice, and Griffith-Manley ended up on Team Kelly.

An artist named Selkii was up next, singing “I Try” by Macy Gray. She played guitar and showcased a soulful voice with a warm tone. She hit some high notes and got turns from Levine and Shelton. Shelton said she had the complete package, and Selkii indeed went with Team Blake.

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Jae Jen was up next, but he did not turn any chairs. Denton Arnell followed with a performance of “Hold On We’re Going Home” by Drake, putting some of his own twists on it in a way that immediately piqued Legend’s interest. He was the only one who turned, though, so Arnell landed on Team John by default. 

Singing Demi Lovato’s “Tell Me You Love Me,” Ciera Dumas shared that she was voted “most likely to win The Voice” in high school. She got turns from Levine and Legend, who praised the power behind her voice. Dumas chose Team Adam.

Andrew Sevener next sang “Honky Tonk Woman” by The Rolling Stones. He played electric guitar and gave a solid country-rock performance. The guitar-playing stood out more than his voice, though, and Shelton was the only coach to turn, so Sevener ended up on Team Blake.

Mari Jones auditioned with “Boo’d Up,” and she brought energy and creativity to her performance, making for one of the strongest auditions of the evening. Legend, Levine and Clarkson turned, and they all fought passionately for her, but Jones ultimately chose Levine.

Crystal Rose failed to turn any chairs with her performance of “Wicked Game,” but she was followed by Abby Kasch, who sang “Here for the Party” by Gretchen Wilson. She has been singing country music from a young age, and it showed. Shelton said he was waiting for a big note, and then it came. He turned along with Clarkson. Kasch surprised by choosing Team Kelly.

Mikaela Astel next sang “Electric Love” by Børns. She is only 14 years old but showcased musicality beyond her years. Clarkson and Legend both turned for the impressive young artist, and Astel chose Team Kelly, which was the right call.

In montaged auditions, Anthony Ortiz landed on Team Adam for his performance of “What Makes You Beautiful” by One Direction, and Oliv Blu landed on Team John for her performance of “On and On.”

Kayla Seever did not turn any chairs with her performance of “…Baby One More Time,” but both Seever and Crystal Rose were chosen to compete on Bebe Rexha’s The Comeback Stage.

The last artist of the night, Shawn Sounds, sang “All My Life” by K-Ci & JoJo. He brought emotion and technical skills to his singing. All four coaches turned by the end. Clarkson praised his range and runs, and Shelton was particularly impressed with the end of the performance when Sounds really came to life. In the end, he went with Team John.

The Voice season 16 continues next Monday.