Idol Chatter & Voice Views

The Voice kicks off Season 15 this evening (Monday, Sept. 24) and it sounds as though we’ll meet nine Season 15 cast members and one Comeback Stage contestant.

The Voice has already leaked two audition videos of talented teens. Sarah Grace turns three chairs at age 15; Kennedy Holmes turns four at age 13.

We just don’t know which team they went with.

Remember, we’re one season removed from Brynn Cartelli’s victory at age 14, making her the youngest winner ever on The Voice. So I won’t be surprised if there’s a bit of a youth movement in Season 15.

During breaks tonight, you might want to check out the contestant profiles at right, including those of the contestants we meet tonight. The show typically tells us a lot about its new contestants, but producers typically skip over the music they’ve already released. You can find out about that music in those profiles.

What to expect from The Voice Season 15
The Comeback Stage
Four past contestants the show should invite back in Season 15
2018 music releases from past contestants of The Voice
Battle round advisers announced
Season 16 coaches announced

A pretty cute opening to Season 15. Of course, Blake Shelton makes all of these comic segments work.

Sarah Grace, 15, Houston, Texas: She says she was born with a condition where her sense were cross-wired. But she sees loving colors when she listens to music she loves. She says she learned to play piano and trumpet as part of a family band. When first introduced to the blues, she thought it was for old people. Now she loves the colors of the genre. Yep, pretty dang impressive for 15, right? I mean, stage presence for days. And she winds up turning three chairs — Kelly Clarkson, Jennifer Hudson and Blake Shelton. Kelly compliments her stank face, which begins a debate over whether that’s a compliment. Jennifer calls her sassy, and Sarah says she likes that better. Blake compliments the grit and passion in her vocal. Sarah says she’d like to make a blues, rock, roots type album. And the gal Adam calls “a 4-foot-11, pint-sized wonder” choose Team Kelly.

Tyshawn Colquitt, 23, Cincinnati, Ohio: Tyshawn calls music his life and says he and his mom started a business called Pouds4Sounds. The pounds is his mom’s pound cakes. The sound is what he serves up when he delivers the treats. Tyshawn is the oldest of 10 kids and says he’s hoping his music is the path to financial freedom for his sometimes-struggling family. He’ll audition with Sam Smith’s “Like I Can.” Tyshawn shows off very good range, prompting a chair turn from Jennifer. Blake turns as well late in the performance. Jennifer calls his voice “limitless” and compliments the energy he brought to the stage. Tyshawn joins Team Jennifer.

Tyke James, 17, Laie, Hawaii: He loves living in Hawaii and says whatever happens, there has to be some point in the day when he gets in the ocean. Unfortunately, the music scene in Hawaii isn’t burgeoning. His biggest gig is at a taco truck. There are bigger venues around, Tyke says, “but I’m not there yet.” He feels like he brings something different as an artist, but isn’t sure it’s a good different. A button push would mean “it’s not a crappy different,” he says. He auditions with a unique version of “Perfect” by Pink. He prompts a chair turn from Adam, but no one else, which means Tyke joins Team Adam. Adam says he loves Tyke’s voice and adds that he thinks he’s an artist everyone will fall in love with.

Ayana Joni, 29, Yonkers, N.Y.: Growing up she was a child actor, who appeared in several commercials and print ad. She then was part of a girl band that released a pair of singles and opened for Ludacris. But at 18, she got pregnant and had her daughter. She stayed home to raise her daughter and put her music on hold. Now she calls her daughter “her best friend.” Now that her daughter is in school, she’s getting back into music as a wedding singer. She auditions with “Sorry Not Sorry” by Demi Lovato. Being honest, this is a bit pitchy, though Ayana is showing off lots of stage presence and a big voice. She doesn’t turn a chair. But there’s a silver lining. She’s the first artist picked for The Voice Comeback Stage.

Mercedes Ferreira-Dias, 17, Miami, Fla.: She pronounces she’s back. She auditioned in Season 14, but didn’t turn a chair. But she says Adam’s comments prompted her to come back and she’s done a lot more performing since then. Growing up, she says she had a lot of insecurities about her body and her personality. Her mother would videotape her, and she’d love the way she sounded, but wouldn’t watch the videos. Now she’s determined to “kick butt.” She also says she knows this is her last chance at The Voice. She auditions with the lovely “She Used to Be Mine” by Sara Bareilles. Great song choice, and Mercedes sounds really great on the chorus. She wanted to get a chair turn from Kelly. She wound up with chair turns from two coaches — Kelly and Blake. Both turn late in the song, prompting ears from Mercedes. Mercedes says she considers herself a pop artist. Blake says he hears Mercedes heart in her voice. Kelly says she has an angelic sounds and likes the “broken sound” in her voice. Mercedes opts to join Team Blake.

Radha, 19, N.J.: She’s a first generation Filipino-American. Her dad used to be in a band when Radha was younger; he played guitar. He won her first competition, and it convinced her to pursue music. She’s a full-time college student, but has written lots of songs and says her family has been very supportive. Radha says she started singing when she was 4 and wrote in her high school that one day she’d be on The Voice. She auditions with “Mama Knows Best” by Jessie J. Dang, she digs into the song on the first note and prompts an early chair turn from Adam Levine. Talk about a big voice. Speaking of sass, this young lady has a healthy supply. She finishes with an impressive run that prompts chair turns from Jennifer and Blake. But Jennifer quickly discovers she’s been blocked. Apparently, Adam was the culprit. Adam compliments Radha “control and maturity.” Jennifer says Radha “outdid” herself. Blake says Radha “kicked the door down” with her beginning. Radha joins Team Adam.

Kameron Marlowe, 21, Kannapolis, N.C.: He works for a car dealership and sells car parts all day. Music, he says, is something he’s always been drawn to. He formed a rock band in high school, but says they “were atrocious.” Now he’s focused on country music and says Blake’s music was “95 percent of what we listened to.” Working with him, he says, would be a dream come true. Kameron auditions with Luke Combs “One Number Away.” He has a nice deep tone. Kameron hasn’t even hit the chorus and he already has chair turns from Kelly and Blake. They wind up being the only chair turns. Kameron picks Team Blake, though Blake didn’t even have to make a pitch.

Mikele Buck, 39, Big Chimney, W.Va. He was 19 when he joined the reserves, and he was sent to Iraq. He was part of a squad that looked for bombs. He says a guitar helped him get through that time. “When you return from war, you can drown in the bad. Or you can embrace the good and move forward with your like,” Mikele says, after relating the story of a friend who committed suicide after returning home. Mikele says music helped him embrace the good. So did the fact that he returned hom a father; he learned he would become a dad just as he was being deployed. He sings country music and auditions with “She Used to Be Mine” by Brooks and Dunn. At the very last note, both Kelly and Blake turn. Blake compliments Mikele’s “rough-around-the-edges” sound. Kelly touts the fact that she loves country music and plays up her connection with Jason Aldean and her Season 14 contestant Kaleb Lee. And his family is pushing for Kelly. Mikele, in fact, joins Team Kelly.

Sam Hastings, 23, Portland, Maine: He apparently threw up the first time he performed, a story his mom shares. “He was always terrified,” she says, adding that she encouraged him to keep performing. His Voice audition marks the first time he’s coming out as a musician, not just someone who does open mics, Sam says. He auditions with “Angela” by the Lumineers. He still seems a bit up tight performing on The Voice stage, though he does cut loose vocally on the chorus. Unfortunately, he doesn’t turn a chair. Blake says he would have liked to have heard a song that showed off more of what he could do vocally.

Patrique Fortson, 38, Atlanta, Ga.: He calls himself the Clark Kent of music. He’s a claims adjuster for the insurance industry, but thinks about music all day. After work “I put my cape on and do my thing.” He got into gospel music when he was young. He was signed at age 6, released an album at age 7. From 7 to 10, he was doing well in gospel music. But then his label folded when he was working on his second album and he eventually took a 9-to-5 job to make ends meet. He’s auditioning with Oleta Adams’ “Get Here” and immediately shows off the most power, on-point male vocal we’ve heard so far tonight. He gets a quick chair turn from Jennifer. Then he holds a note forever, prompting a chair turn from Adam as well. Adam says he had to turn because not turning for Patrique would have been “an insult to singing.” Jennifer says when his voice opened up, the gates of heaven opened up. Patrique decides to join Team Jennifer.

Kennedy Holmes, 13, Florissant (St. Louis) Missouri: She says she started dancing when she was 10. She did all types of dance and says it helped her get comfortable with being on stage. Carson calls her the youngest in this competition at age 13. The Voice hasn’t had a 13-year-old contestant since Season 12. Her mom recalls that Kennedy’s first performance was a cover of Jennifer’s “I am Changing.” Kennedy also plays volleyball and turns track. She auditions with Adele’s “Turning Tables.” Kennedy immediately shows off a very nice tone. Not to mention plenty of vocal power. About two lines in, Adam turns his chair. By the time Kennedy completes the first run-through of the chorus, she has a four-chair turn, the first we’ve seen in Season 15. As the coaches begin to talk, Kennedy says it’s been her dream of singing with Jennifer. Quess what? Someone from the stage crew hands Jennifer a mic and they duet on “I am Changing.” Blake calls her “the best vocalist who has auditioned this year” and adds that her voice already seems seasoned. Jennifer calls her “amazing.” Adam says she could be the biggest thing “to come from this show.” Not surprisingly, Kennedy decides to join Team Jennifer.