The Voice Season 26 Premiere Recap: Who Let Snoop Dogg Out? We Need to Know So We Can Thank ‘Em
Monday’s Season 26 premiere of The Voice did many things. It introduced nine singers who will be vying for the title. It offered Michael Bublé a seat on the coaching panel. It returned Gwen Stefani and Reba McEntire to theirs. But let’s be real. The most important thing that it did was install Snoop Dogg as a coach. And he is, in short, a [bleeping] gift, alternately shrewd and sensitive and, as if we had any doubt that he would be, delightfully funny. “My jaws are hurting,” Reba exclaimed at one point, “I’ve laughed so much.” Read on, and we’ll go over all of the episode’s Blind Auditions.
Jake Tankersley (Team Snoop), “Something In the Orange” — Grade: B | The moment this country boy opened his mouth to reveal a fantastically haunted, low vocal, he had Snoop and Gwen eating out of the palm of his hand. By the time the affable family man was through demonstrating that his voice could deliver a gravelly rasp as well as a moody whisper, he’d earned himself the season’s first four-chair turn.
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Sofronio Vasquez (Team Michael), “I’m Goin’ Down” — Grade: A | Even more quickly than Jake had, this Filipino-American showman got all four coaches’ chairs swiveling with his beyond-confident rendition of Mary J. Blige’s smash. Sofronio was smooth, charismatic, powerful — so good that he left Michael “trying to swallow, ’cause I’m emotional” and Gwen declaring, “I want a piece of you.”
Jan Dan (Team Gwen), “Almost Doesn’t Count” — Grade: B- | This Jersey boy, whose mom is R&B singer Fundisha, wowed Gwen and Michael from the start with his soulful vocal. But the longer he went on, the more he gave the sense that we’ve heard his tone a million times before. A performance that was as lovely as it was forgettable. Gotta say, though, he was more compelling after a little of Gwen’s in-the-moment coaching.
Danny Joseph (Team Reba), “I Put a Spell On You” — Grade: A+ | This British-born busker would have turned my chair before he was done with the first verse of Screamin’ Jay Hawkins’ classic (or Annie Lennox’s, if you were to ask Reba). He was just one of those contestants who doesn’t so much sing as explode. And maybe it isn’t to everyone’s taste, but I am a sucker for a rasp like the four-chair turn’s.
Torre Blake (Team Snoop), “On & On” — Grade: C+ | This Texan swayed Snoop and Gwen with her uber-chill Erykah Badu cover. But as rich as Torre’s voice may have been, it was hard to imagine her getting far in this particular sing-off if that’s the lane down which she wants to go. This show likes country, ’80s covers, Whitney. Torre may be too cool for the room? TBD. But if any coach could help her go the distance, methinks she picked the right one.
Kendall Eugene (Team Reba), “Don’t Think Jesus” — Grade: C | On onetime Team Adam Levine singer Morgan Wallen’s ballad, Kendall failed to turn a single chair. Kinda understandable, really, considering how overwrought his performance was. But he showed potential, at least — enough that Reba was inspired to use her one and only Replay to pick up Kendall after the clock had already run out.
Kiara Vega (Team Michael), “Amor Eterno” — Grade: A | This camera-ready 18-year-old twin from Florida turned three out of four coaches’ chairs with a passionate vocal that absolutely never faltered. “I loved every moment of that,” exclaimed Michael. Same. Gwen explained that she hadn’t turned because she’d heard some tuning issues. But Kiara had enough star quality and oomph to overcome them… if you ask me, anyway.
Chrisdeo (Team Snoop), “I Won’t Give Up” — Grade: B+ | This teenager from Queens — whose neighbor loathes her piano-playing and says, “People laugh at me when I sing” — turned out a preposterously sweet take on Jason Mraz’s inspiring ballad. Truth be told, she made it sound like an altogether different song. Was she the strongest of the night? Probably not. But she was feeling it so deeply that she more than deserved her two-chair turn.
Sydney Sterlace (Team Gwen), “drivers license” — Grade: A | Nope, couldn’t find a fault with this 15-year-old’s emotional take on Olivia Rodrigo’s hit. Hell, the four-chair turn even made Snoop take off his glasses, she was so good! “Lord have mercy,” he exclaimed. “You captivated me like I was in church.” In the end, though, Gwen needn’t have used a kitten as a prop (and please no more animals as “props” — ever). Sydney was “no doubt” predisposed to go with the star who’d eventually become her coach.
So… your take on the new coaching panel? The talent on display? Sound off in the comments after grading the premiere below.
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