Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Her audition: Nina Howland, 24, New York, N.Y., “Love Me Like a Man” by Bonnie Raitt: Wow, Nina’s opening screamed soul and sass and performance know-how. Her first belted line had Kelly Clarkson and Queen Latifah turning chairs with gusto. And Nina sure performs with gusto, like she owns The Voice stage. Her big ending got Riley Green and Adam Levine to turn too. My only question: What took them so long? Riley said he’s seen a lot of great auditions, but Nina’s delivered the most attitude, by far. Kelly gave Nina the hard sell, reminding Nina of her history of singing show success. Adam complimented Nina on a big, beautiful voice capable of anything. Queen Latifah loves her command of the song and the performance. Nina opted to join Team Kelly. (Watch her audition below)

Here’s more about Nina:

* She’s a classically trained singer, dancer and actress from New York, known for her soulful tone.

* She attended the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music and Performing Arts in New York and is a 2024 graduate of the Berklee College of Music, where she studied songwriting and music production.

* Her interest in music is hardly surprising. She’s the daughter of Grammy-winning composer Jason Howland. He won the Grammy in 2015 for best musical theater album (“Beautiful: The Carole King Musical”).

* He also wrote the music for “The Great Gatsby: A New Musical” that is touring the country with dates scheduled through next summer. And Nina is part of the cast, playing the role of Daisy Buchanan.

* Writes Nina on social media: “I’ve been singing my dad’s music since I was three years old, long before I knew what a national tour was or what it meant to build a career in this industry. Getting to sing it on stages around the country as a part of this company feels full circle in the best way.”

* Nina also had a pretty notable first professional gig, performing in Hugh Jackman’s Live from New York with Love show at the Radio City Music Hall in New York in the summer of 2025.

* Nina’s job: Perform “Never Enough” from “The Greatest Showman.” The song recorded by former Voice contestant Loren Allred. Check out Nina’s version on her social media. Let’s just say she sings a very impressive cover of that song.

* As for her own music, her web bio says she “she enjoys exploring a range of musical styles.” She hasn’t released music, but has an excellent original called “Secretly” on YouTube that you can check out below.

* Nina also works as a personal trainer and coaches girls soccer, according to that bio.

Nina on social media:
Instagram
TikTok
Facebook
YouTube