The Voice 7 - Live Blog and Recap - The Blind Auditions Premiere

By Nick Roman ·

Welcome to the live blog and recap of "The Blind Auditions Premiere" on The Voice 2014 Season 7! The contestants compete for a spot on one of four teams, as coaches Blake Shelton, Adam Levine, Pharrell Williams, and Gwen Stefani look to fill their teams with a wide variety of talented artists.

Add your thoughts in the comments below, and keep refreshing for analysis, thoughts, and videos of the night's blind auditions! Rickey will be posting individual videos as the night rolls on. So let's get this show on the road!

RECAP

-We open up with the judges talking about how important The Voice is. In particular, Gwen Stefani is anxious to share what she's learned over the course of her career, while Pharrell is excited to discover new talent. Gwen is intro'd as the lead singer of the "revolutionary band" No Doubt, while Pharrell is described as one of the best writers/producers in the history of American music. So much hyperbole, but then, I'm a sucker for hyperbole anyway.

COACHES' PERFORMANCE

-We kick the season off with a performance from the judges. They sing "Hella Good" by No Doubt, with Adam and Blake on guitar, and Pharrell on drums. It's actually a pretty good performance, as the song fits the vocal range of all four coaches without any of them sounding unnatural. Even country Blake sounds right at home with this. That said, I could do without that obnoxious "Ooo! Ooo!" call-and-answer bit that's straight outta the 70s. Still, I enjoyed this. Now onto the blinds!

LUKE WADE opens the show!

-Luke talks about growing up in his mother's dance studio, and how a love of dance transitioned into a love of music thanks to the record player his mother kept in the studio. He's been trying to make it in the business, but hasn't had much luck just yet. "It's a tough road trying to be a professional musician. I've been at it for 10 years," Luke says. And he's had other hardships in addition to his trouble with music, recounting how he lost the vision in his right eye following a paintball accident. But Luke says that experience helped him to realize how easily things could change, and how precious life can be.

-Luke sings "That's How Strong My Love Is" by Otis Redding, and within the first thirty seconds, all four judges have turned their chairs for him. It's an absolutely sensational vocal, full of soul and frit. I loved this. All four judges give him a standing ovation, to boot.

ADAM, BLAKE, GWEN, and PHARRELL turn their chairs!

-Adam says he could win The Voice with Luke, while Gwen randomly asks him if he's "a professional singer." She tries to sell him on her experience being in a band since she was 17, whereas Pharrell name-drops Justin Timberlake and Robin Thicke when making his case for why he's the perfect guy for a soul singer. Blake tries to make his argument, but Gwen interrupts and states that Adam and Blake are "prank calling it in" at this point, but Adam argues that all they do is win. For his part, Blake argues that he has three Voice trophies, naming all the artists he's helped win. Blake sings a little bit of "Happy" and says Pharrell will probably help them make a great record...after Luke wins the Voice with him (Blake). Of course, Luke must make a choice, so...

LUKE WADE chooses PHARRELL!

-This was a good choice for Luke. I think he'd get lost among the country singers on Team Blake, while I'm not sure Gwen or Adam would be the right fit.

CLARA HONG is up next!

-Her family emigrated here from Korea, and she talks about learning English from American music. She left school to pursue music, and she gets really emotional recalling her childhood, where many of her classmates saw her as dumb because her English wasn't that good. Music has been her outlet all her life, and her family has decided to support her. She chose to audition for The Voice because of the mentoring she could get from the four coaches.

-Clara sings "Chuck E.'s In Love" by Ricki Lee Jones, and this is a song I haven't heard since Carly Rae Jepsen did it on Canadian Idol damn near ten years ago (and it's kind of ridiculous that this is something I know at all). Clara has a really good voice, even though I wouldn't have chosen this song for her. But the coaches are immediately sold on her...

ADAM, GWEN, and PHARRELL turn their chairs!

-Pharrell calls Clara's tone "like silk," and she responds with, "YOU'RE like silk!" Adorable. In making her case for what she can teach Clara about stage presence, she gets onstage and sings (well, shouts) a bit of "Just A Girl", by getting the crowd to chant along. And this is kind of silly. But then, The Voice is no longer really pretending to be about anything other than the coaches, so I kind of appreciate the silliness. Adam is charming by speaking to her in Korean and then reading her a poem about what a perfect match they'd be. Pharrell then one-ups Adam by coming up with a poem off the top of his head! I'm sorry but this is AWESOME. Team Pharrell, Clara. COME ON! You know you want to!

CLARA HONG chooses ADAM LEVINE!

-Well...okay then. Backstage, Clara explains that she was going to choose Pharrell, but Adam's poem changed her mind. Honestly, either Adam or Pharrell would have been a good pick.

BRYANA SALAZ is up next!

-16-year-old Bryana was born in Orlando, but has moved practically every year of her life due to her father's career in the military. She recalls falling in love with music after getting signed up for a singing competition as a little girl. She wishes her father could be here, but he's sick, and so she's partially doing this for him.

-Bryana sings "Problem" by Ariana Grande, and...well, this was kind of average, honestly. She had some nice runs, but I just don't like the tone of her voice. It honestly sounds like she hasn't been singing that long at all, actually. It's not a bad voice, it's just kind of plain. But the coaches seem to like it since...

ADAM, GWEN, and BLAKE turn their chairs!

-We get a lot of bickering from the judges, with Gwen arguing she has the longest career of the judges, Adam saying it would be a shame to lose her, and Blake stating he has the best track record with "younger people" in this competition than any other coach. Gwen plays "the girl card", prompting Adam to lament that none of the other coaches can do this, prompting Blake to note that, well, Adam can (burn! I guess...). Pharrell suggests she pick Gwen, and that's exactly what she ends up doing, to Gwen's delight and surprise.

BRYANA SALAZ chooses GWEN STEFANI!

-And with that, we have our first member of Team Gwen. I'm not that impressed with her, but there's definite room for growth with Bryana.

WATCH: Bryana Salaz sings 'Problem' on The Voice 2014 (VIDEO)

DENNIS BELL is up next!

-Dennis is a 52-year-old contractor who started singing when he was four. He won a talent contest as a young man, and was a regular on Louisiana Hayride in the 80s until it closed. He gets emotional in his backstage interview with Carson Daly, recalling how he had to give up music following his father's heart attack since he had to take up the role as provider for his family. He feels this is his chance to finally do something he wants to do with his life, and already, I'm desperate for him to be good, because I like him. I like him a lot.

-Dennis sings "She Used To Be Mine" by Brooks & Dunn, and...well, it's okay. It's not bad, it's not great, it's comfortably in the middle. Honestly, Blake has turned around for worse. Yet he doesn't here, nor do any of the other three coaches. A shame, but I understand it.

-Blake asks Dennis about his country music career, and he relates his story about his father. Blake says Dennis has a true country music voice, but simply sounded out-of-practice. Adam says he could hear the passion and pain in Dennis's voice, and says it's a talent. Gwen and Pharrell are equally positive on him. Ultimately, Adam regrets not turning his chair for Dennis, saying he would have been "a breath of fresh air" for his team. Ah well, can't win'em all. At the very least, Dennis is taking it all in stride, expressing how happy he'll be to go home and see his grandkids.

DAMIEN is up next!

-Damien works for TSA at LAX, and he recalls the shooting at LAX that made national headlines. He recalls watching his partner get shot in the leg, while another co-worker lost his life. He sang at the funeral (and we get a clip, a rather lovely performance of "I Believe I Can Fly"), and he breaks down recalling how hard it was. Well, at the very least, from the brief clip we saw, we know he's good.

-Damien sings "It's So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday", and it's the best performance of the blinds so far. He gets every chair but Blake to turn within the first twenty seconds. And it doesn't take much longer for Blake's to turn around. Damien breaks down into hysterical sobs upon seeing the four chair turnaround.

ADAM, GWEN, PHARRELL, and BLAKE turn their chairs!

-Damien explains that he's so used to hearing "no" that it simply feels good to see them turn around for him. Pharrell tells him to see this as "four confirmations" of his talent. Adam tells Damien his TSA career is over, since now he's a professional singer. Gwen pleads her case, and says that she's been around talented guys all her life, and that they both can learn from each other. Adam, meanwhile, says he loved the emotion Damien expresses, and pleads with him to give a "yes". Blake compares Damien to Bill Withers, and that's actually quite a great comparison. "I love you, please pick me," Blake says, desperate to get the first member of his team set in stone. Pharrell wants to reiterate that Damien really does deserve four chairs, but it's finally time to pick...

DAMIEN chooses ADAM LEVINE!

-I can't really fault this choice, since he tends to be pretty good with soul singers.

WATCH: Damien sings 'It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday' on The Voice 2014 (VIDEO)

ALLISON BRAY is up next!

-Allison talks about failing to turn any chairs in Season 6, and how it just wasn't her time. Carson plays her failed blind audition from last season for her backstage, which I'm sure is a great motivator. She then talks about forming a band in the time since she got rejected, which has helped her to gain valuable experience. Of course, she would be crushed not to get a chair turn.

-Allison sings "Merry Go Round" by Kacey Musgraves, and this is about a thousand times better than her blind audition from last season. Again, it's a case of song choice, as it allows her to really show off the tone and subtlety of her voice. I thought this was terrific.

ADAM, GWEN, and BLAKE turn their chairs!

-The coaches do the whole "You look familiar to me!" bit, and Allison recalls her past audition. Blake says this is the most excited he's been to be sitting in his coaches' chair in a long time, while Pharrell explains that he didn't press his button because he felt like she was destined to be with Blake anyway. Of course, I kind of hate the mentality that all country singers should go to Blake by default. It would be smarter to pick a team that's less likely to be clogged by singers exactly like you, yet country singers keep choosing Blake. I mean, I get why, but you'd think some of these singers would be better served by going outside their comfort zone. Adam knows he has no chance, but Gwen argues that writing with Pharrell produced "Hella Good", meaning that sometimes working with people you don't expect can produce great things. Yet the argument doesn't exactly work...

ALLISON BRAY chooses BLAKE SHELTON!

-And just like that, every coach has at least one singer on his or her team.

WATCH: Allison Bray sings 'Merry Go Round' on The Voice 2014 (VIDEO)

MEGG is up next!

-Megg talks about her musical theater background, and how she was accepted into an exclusive program for theater performers. She goes on to describe her band, Party For One, and how big an influence Gwen Stefani was on her career and her sound. She's nervous to be singing in front of one of her idols. I don't know why, but from the outfit alone, I just get this vague sense that punk rock isn't who Megg really is.

-Megg sings "Celebrity Skin" by Hole, and while she has a good voice, this was a TERRIBLE song choice. She's doing all these overly silly vocal inflections, and we're not really getting any sense that she has uniqueness of her own. She just sounds like she's putting on a character. None of the judges turn their chairs.

-Blake says he wishes her enunciation had been better, adding that it was too "dramatic" for his tastes. Pharrell says he wishes there had been more subtlety to her performance, since a singer like Gwen can do hard rock but also transition to sweetness at the drop of a hat. Gwen thinks Megg is adorable, and says that if they'd had the visual to go along with the sound, they might have understood Megg better. But alas...

-Megg says she's going to keep working with her band, while Gwen states that although she liked Megg, she's holding out for someone with more of a unique sound. And I agree. Nothing about Megg felt particularly original. She can sing, but so much of it felt like an act.

TAYLOR JOHN WILLIAMS is up next!

-Taylor says music has always been his first love, but it doesn't pay the bills, so he works at the Sniff dog hotel...where he also plays music. He feels if he can get the attention of the customers hanging out at the hotel, he can get the attention of the coaches (which is in no way the same thing, since I don't imagine there are other guys who play guitar at the hotel, whereas the coaches have probably heard a thousand guys like him already. That is, if he's average. If he's great, then I'll happily eat my hat). Taylor says he has no Plan B, so let's hope he can translate that desperation into his performance...

-Taylor sings "Heartless", and it's not great, but it is one of the more distinctive performances of the blind auditions so far. He has good tone and solid artistry to make this sound different from the litany of other acoustic versions of "Heartless" that exist out there. I like him, so I guess that means I should start preparing my hat to be digested.

ADAM and GWEN turn their chairs!

-Adam is excited to get Taylor on his team, whereas Gwen admits Taylor is actually making her hot. Pharrell says he didn't turn because he felt Adam has this on lock. Then again, he says while Adam understands Taylor's voice, Gwen understands his future. An interesting argument, yet I feel like Pharrell is already stumping for Gwen too much. That said, I do like how selective Pharrell is being. So Taylor makes his choice...

TAYLOR chooses GWEN STEFANI!

-Gwen gives Taylor a Team Gwen shirt, as Adam expresses his disappointment. However, Taylor simply feels that Gwen gets him. As with many of tonight's choices, I felt like this was a case where either coach would have been a good fit. That said, I imagine Gwen Stefani's team will probably be less crowded than Adam's, since Adam is the default choice for a lot of really good singers.

WATCH: Taylor John Williams sings 'Heartless' on The Voice 2014 (VIDEO)

ELYJUH RENE is up next!

-Elyjuh began singing in church at age 3, and he's been into music ever since. Music became his outlet, in particular, following his parents' separation as a kid. He's entered singing competitions and has made music his personal goal. Elyjuh says this is for him, but it's also for his mother, who has supported him all his life, and with whom he shares an absolutely adorable mother-son relationship. I'm really, really hoping Elyjuh is good.

-Elyjuh sings "XO" by Beyonce, and this is really good. It's a confident vocal, and completely free of nerves or hesitation. Elyjuh knows he's good, and it shows. Naturally, it doesn't take long for him to start getting chairs to turn.

ADAM and PHARRELL turn their chairs!

-Gwen loves Elyjuh's passion while Pharrell feels Elyjuh's story in everything he sang. Adam fights for Elyjuh, saying he can't lose him. However, Pharrell says that while Elyjuh has had to fight all his life to get where he is, he just sang on The Voice stage. Ultimately, Elyjuh makes his choice...

ELYJUH RENE chooses PHARRELL!

-Elyjuh sings a line or two from "Happy" when expressing how overjoyed he is to be on Team Pharrell, and already I'm kind of over the use of "Happy" with regard to everything related to Pharrell, whether it's Blake singing it during a critique or a contestant singing it in a backstage video. Yet I feel like we're far from finished with its overuse. Still love the song, but find the puns really, really corny. Yes, I'm just an old man like that.

WATCH: Elyjuh Rene sings 'XO' on The Voice 2014 (VIDEO)

BIANCA ESPINAL is up next!

-Bianca's father migrated here from the Dominican Republic, and has played in a number of Latin bands. Once he discovered his daughter could sing, they began playing together. They currently busk in New York City, and while she's nervous about her audition, she seems fairly confident in her abilities. And her father has absolutely no worries about her whatsoever.

-Bianca sings "Foolish Games" by Jewel, and I'm not sure she could have chosen a more underwhelming song for her voice. It really only gets good towards the end. Her big glory note at the end is impressive, but the performance surrounding it was underwhelming. And I think she realizes this, as she fights back tears as the song nears its end, seeing that no one has turned their chairs.

-Gwen praises Bianca for her bravery in performing on the stage, while Pharrell asks her how she felt about the performance. Upon hearing that she thought she could do better, Pharrell pinpoints this as her problem, since "What you didn't feel, we didn't feel." He argues that if she conveys a feeling of having had a great time, they'll feel it and turn their chairs. Bianca understands, but she still breaks down into tears. Pharrell comes onstage to comfort her, letting her know she's talented and adding, "It's not about our chairs, it's about your great time." He tells her she just sang for the world, and gives her a kiss on the cheek. Such a sweet moment, and it allows Bianca to leave on a high note, as she gushes over getting a kiss from Pharrell Williams. Honestly, Bianca really wasn't bad at all. She was just bland. And I think that was more due to song choice than any lack of ability on her part. I think if she comes back next season with a livelier song choice, she could be a shoo-in for a spot.

JAMES DAVID CARTER closes the show!

-James talks about how football was going to be his career path until an injury took that away from him. While recuperating, he started writing songs and eventually grew his musical talent to the point where he began working as a musician at a local club, opening for such acts as Dwight Yoakam, Trace Adkins, Brad Paisley, and others. He wonders if maybe he made a mistake in not going back to school, but he wants to give music a real shot.

-James sings "Nobody Knows", and within 15 seconds, he's turned ALL FOUR CHAIRS! And I'd argue he deserves it. This was an absolutely killer vocal. Dude already sounds like a total country star. All four judges offer him a standing ovation while Adam stands up on his chair. Gwen tries to outdo Adam by standing on the back of her chair, and Adam quickly follows suit.

ADAM, GWEN, PHARRELL, and BLAKE turn their chairs!

-Pharrell, who doesn't sit down, says there wasn't a nervous moment in his performance. He calls James "the total package". Gwen reads my mind from earlier, and says that James should join her team since she has no one like him, whereas Blake will have tons of country artists. Blake declares James's audition to be the best country audition he's ever seen, and says the other judges just don't know country music like he does. James reveals he actually opened for Blake once back when he had a mullet, which Blake says wasn't that long ago. Kind of strange that this didn't come up in James's background package. Adam makes the argument for James by GUARANTEEING him victory, and man, don't be writing checks like that, Adam! Of course, Adam won't actually have to follow up on his guarantee...

JAMES DAVID CARTER chooses BLAKE SHELTON!

-Well, I can't say I'm surprised. I also can't say that he necessarily made the wrong choice either. He's already a frontrunner, so I think he'll have to pretty much bomb to keep from getting to the live shows. Either that, or Blake's team would have to be so absolutely stacked that he'd get lost in the shuffle.

WATCH: James David Carter sings 'Nobody Knows' on The Voice 2014 (VIDEO)

-And that's a wrap on night one of the Blind Auditions! To recap...

TEAM ADAM: Clara Hong, Damien

TEAM GWEN: Bryana Salanz, Taylor John Williams

TEAM PHARRELL: Luke Wade, Elyjuh Rene

TEAM BLAKE: Allison Bray, James David Carter

So what did you think of tonight's show? Were there any choices you'd have made differently? Sound off in the comments! Until tomorrow night, thanks for joining me for the recap and live blog!

GOODNIGHT!

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