Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Lennon Vanderdoes listens to feedback from the coaches on The Voice Season 24. (NBC Photo)

The Voice introduced fans to the final nine artists to land spots on Season 24 Monday night.

And for a night at least, the guys stole the show.

Huntley and Dylan Carter turned the chairs of all four Voice coaches. Lennon Vanderdoes surely would have if Reba McEntire’s team wasn’t already full when he auditioned.

Tuesday night, the battle begin. But according to my TV listings, the first hour of The Voice that airs Tuesday will be a blind audition recap, followed by the start of the battles at 9 p.m.

Here’s a recap of Monday’s final audition episode, with my picks for the night’s best performances.

BEST OF THE NIGHT

1. Lennon Vanderdoes, “The Night We Met” by Lord Huron: His unique tone enticed immediate chair turns from Gwen Stefani and Niall Horan. John Legend soon followed. They were the only three coaches with spots remaining when he auditioned. Lennon delivered tons of emotion too. Niall said he couldn’t turn quick enough when Lennon started singing. He said Lennon has one of his favorite voices on the show. John said he has a bright future thanks to his unique sound. Lennon decides to join Team Niall.

2. Huntley, 33, Fredericksburg, Va., “She Talks to Angels” by The Black Crowes: Huntley’s deep, raspy vocals prompted almost immediate chair turns from all four judges. Niall called him a really exciting prospect in the competition and said he could tell the music came from his soul. John praised Huntley for his polished vocal. Reba compared him to Chris Stapleton. Huntley had his 6-year-old daughter Stella help him pick a coach. And he chose to join Team Niall.

3. Brailey Lenderman, 33, Nashville, Tenn., ” If It Makes You Happy” by Sheryl Crow: Loved the tender opening to Brailey’s audition, followed by the way her vocals exploded when the music swelled. Apparently so did Gwen Stefani and Naill Horan, because they turned simultaneously. Gwen loved her tone. Niall loved her challenging song choice and her handling of it. Brailey opted to join Team Niall.

ALSO MADE THE SHOW

Claire Heilig, 30, Virginia Beach, Va., “Tennessee Orange” by Megan Muroney: Claire shows off a lovely voice and a nice rasp. And she gets a chair turn from Gwen Stefani, the coach she was hoping for. And Gwen winds up being the only coach to turn. Gwen loved the grit in her voice and said she’s lucky Reba’s team was full when Claire auditioned.

Dylan Carter, 20, St. George, S.C., “I Look to You” by Whitney Houston: Dylan’s earnest vocal earned a quick chair turn from Gwen Stefani. The other coaches followed. In truth, Dylan hit some bum notes after that, perhaps in the excitement of the moment. Reba said she felt the emotion in the performance and loved the way he touched people’s hearts. Niall called the performance “spectacular.” Gwen said she loves Dylan’s warm and textured vocals. Dylan opted to join Team Reba.

Azan, 28, Dallas, Texas, “Golden” by Jill Scott: As soon as Azan reached the point where the song went into rapid-fire lyrics, Reba McEntire turned, followed quickly by John Legend. Azan showed off bit of a growl and nice range as well. But no one else turned. John praised her soulful delivery and her version of the Jill Scott tune. Reba loved her positive energy. Azan joined Team Legend.

Eli Ward, “Bruises” by Lewis Capaldi: Eli shows off an interesting tone and gets a chair turn from Gwen Stefani. Some pitch issues follow, but so does a chair turn from Reba McEntire. Reba said she loved his song and his voice. Gwen loved the opening to her performance and said coaching could help calm his nerves and lead to a more consistent performance. Eli opted to join Team Gwen.

Taylor Deneen, “Redbone” by Childish Gambino: Her sultry opening got a quick chair turn from John Legend. Gwen Stefani turned just a couple of lines later. Both Niall Horan and Reba McEntire said they would have turned if they had spots on their teams left. John said the performance kept getting better and better. Taylor also said a new theme for The Voice she wrote. Gwen loved the refreshing feminine tone in her voice. She opted to join Team Legend. John called her the best soul singer on Season 24.

Calla Prejean, 22, Nashville, Tenn., “You’re So Vain” by Carly Simon: Her opening enticed an almost immediate chair turn from Gwen, the only coach with a spot left on her team. Gwen loved her rich, warm tone and said she has the potential to do very well on the show. John Legend and Niall Horan said they would have turned too if their teams weren’t full.