NBC The Voice coaches
NBC‘s hit singing competition reality show “The Voice” returned for season 21 on Monday, September 20 with a two-hour episode of Blind Auditions during which each coach attempted to get the best artists to join their team.
Coaches Blake Shelton, Kelly Clarkson and John Legend returned for the season, and they were joined by first-time coach Ariana Grande, who gave them a run for their money throughout the night.
The first four-chair turn of the season was also the very first Blind Audition that aired during the episode.
Grande & Shelton Both Hesitated to Turn Around
The performance came from a group called Girl Named Tom who was singing “Helplessly Hoping.”
The performance started with Blake Shelton begging for a country performance and holding his hand out over his big red button. When the performance started, there were a few notes on an acoustic guitar that pointed that way, though Shelton did not turn around at first.
Once the trio started singing, Clarkson was the first to hit her button, standing up and smiling at the three people performing on the stage.
Grande looked incredibly impressed but took some time before she could decide if she wanted to turn or not.
Legend was ultimately the second to turn his chair for the trio, and later they enticed both Shelton and Grande to turn around.
The Coaches Fought to Get Girl Named Tom to Join Their Team
The coaches were very impressed with Girl Named Tom’s performance, and Clarkson was especially impressed when she learned that the group members were siblings.
“I love harmonies so much, it was so beautiful,” Clarkson told them. “This is God, you should pick Kelly,” she added, covering her mouth.
Legend then jumped in with, “God is a woman, after all” in a reference to Grande’s song.
Clarkson’s strategy was to talk about how she really wanted to work with the trio and how she immediately turned around and every other coach hesitated.
“I don’t know why being a spaz with the button was a great thing,” Shelton said. “I was waiting for someone to step out and sing by themselves.”
The group said that though the woman’s name was Becca, it was called A Girl Named Tom because when she was a baby, her brothers called her Thomas.
“I’ve worked with all kinds of artists and had success,” Shelton informed the group. “I would be damn proud to represent you guys on season 21 of ‘The Voice.'”
Grande said she was “obsessed” with the group’s performance.
“I grew up singing with my family in Ohio,” Legend said, and then he added that he could hear the Bon Iver in their performance.
“When Kelly asks you to do Ice, Ice Baby which one of you will take the lead?” Shelton added, then asked if they’d sing “Baby Shark.”
Grande also added that she loved each of them individually.
The trio ended up going with Team Kelly.
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