Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Mike Jerel. 31, of Ashburn, Ga., performs during his blind audition on The Voice Season 18. (NBC Photo)

The 31-year-old from Ashburn, Ga., did it with a performance of “It’s a Man’s, Man’s, Man’s World” by James Brown.

In fact, John Legend and Nick Jonas were so impressed, they turned within the first 10 seconds of his performance and continued standing to cheer Mike on.

Eventually, Kelly Clarkson and Blake Shelton turned as well.

Mike opted to join Team Legend. Here’s what he told Voice Views about the blind audition experience.

Voice Views: How did you wind up auditioning for The Voice Season 18 and what prompted you to do it?

Mike: I was contacted through Instagram about auditioning for The Voice. In the middle of everything I had going on being a cruise ship entertainer, I was a little hesitant, because I had auditioned a few times before. This would be my third attempt at The Voice, and I figured I should give it another shot! I’ve heard that the third time is a charm… I’m so glad I decided to trust my gut.

Voice Views: Why did you choose “It’s a Man’s, Man’s, Man’s World” for your audition song? What’s your performance history with that song (for instance, is it one you’ve played often)?

Mike: I chose “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World” first because I’m a James Brown fan. I used to perform a house gig on Monday Nights, called Mellow Mondays, and it was a crowd favorite. Finally, it’s a song that pays honor to EVERY woman in the world. It truly is a man’s world, but it wouldn’t be A THING if it wasn’t for the WonderWomen in our lives. I relate to this song because of the strong women in my life.

Voice Views: Did you have a coaching preference heading into the blind audition? Why did you decide to go with John Legend as your coach?

Mike: Of course, I had a preference going into my blind audition. I, for certain, wanted to work with John Legend, but I would’ve been honored to work with any coach on The Voice this season. All of them are amazing.

Voice Views: What was it like performing and watching the coaches turn so quickly for you? You had two chairs facing you in a heartbeat. What was that blind audition experience like?

Mike: It was a huge rush of adrenaline having the coaches turn for me so quickly. It was also a humbling experience when John turned first, and so quickly. He had to know who I was. It was dope seeing Nick and John react to my voice, standing and cheering me on. It almost felt like a roller coaster ride. It was pretty intense, but I knew I needed to hold it together and make it to the end of the song before I could relax too much.

Voice Views: How would you describe your original music and what are you hoping to accomplish during your time on The Voice?

Mike: I feel that my original music is music for the soul. I believe that it’s relatable and it speaks to the listener to some capacity.

For more about Mike, the music he’s already released and his social media links, head here.