“I’ve always been told, ‘You’re not going to be able to do the normal things that other people do.’ And I want to show them, ‘You know what? Are mistaken. No matter what your disability, you can do whatever you set your mind to,’” Ali, a 24-year-old soul-pop singer, proclaimed.
And Ali certainly accomplished that mission on Monday, the night of the third of The voice Season 23 Blind auditions.
Ali was born with “profound hearing loss,” which her musician father realized when he banged one of his drums very hard while Ali, who was a toddler, was nearby, and his daughter didn’t even flinch. “It was devastating,” Ali’s mom, sitting with Ali’s dad and talking to Voice presenter Carson Daly, he recalled. “All these things go through your head like, ‘How about music?’”
Turns out Ali’s mom and dad shouldn’t have worried. “My parents, they never really saw him as ‘broken,’” Ali explained. “We work around that. We work with it. Music is something I love a lot. As much as I doubt myself, I will. Even though I can’t really hear everything that’s going on, I can feel the music, what it means and what the lyrics are about, and I can also feel the rhythm. I can feel every little thing coming out of the speaker, and that’s how I can do the things that I do. That’s my superpower.”
Ali admitted that “it took me a long time to get this kind of courage to do something as big as this, but he seemed to have supreme confidence in the Voice stage, and like Season 16 winner Maelyn Jarmon, who also once described her own partial deafness as her “superpower,” had a beautiful, harsh yet round tone and surprisingly perfect pitch. After her beautiful version of Roberta Flack’s “Killing Me Softly With His Song,” she told the coaches: “A fun fact about me is that I have hearing problems. I wear two hearing aids. I was born deaf. I’m so blessed to be able to share this.” And they were understandably amazed.
“If you had lined up all the singers we’ve heard so far and then said, ‘Choose which one is hard of hearing,’ it would probably be the last one that I would say,” Blake Shelton said with a smile. “That voice was just amazing!”
“You’re amazing. Whatever kind of adversity you’ve had in your life, you’re just jumping over obstacles here, and it’s amazing to watch,” added Niall Horan.
As for the two trainers who actually became Ali, Kelly Clarkson and Chance the Rapper, Kelly marveled: “Their careers were so intricate and cool and different. That’s a gift. …Sometimes you hear a song that you know very well, that is embedded in you, and when some people change it, it can be a bit strange. But the changes you made, they were so you. I was like, ‘I need turn around and see who’s singing this!’”
Despite Kelly’s generous and sincere praise, I thought Ali would pick Chance when he mentioned that he works with an “incredible organization” called Definitely Dope that puts on ASL hip-hop performances for national music festivals. “I made a lot of friends from the deaf and hard of hearing community [through Definitely Dope], and I think it would be great if they could look at someone who loves music as much as they do,” Chance told Ali. “I think that’s super important and powerful, and naturally you have an amazing voice; all the choices you were making felt very moving. I’d love to hear you sing some gospel.”
The fact that Ali is also a gospel singer/fan seemed to give Chance an even bigger advantage, but eventually, Ali joined Team Kelly. I’m happy that Ali took this “leap of faith” and found a place in He Voice. “I’m excited to work with someone who experiences music on different levels than I do. She’s so bold and confident, and I’m looking forward to singing with her,” Kelly said of her new team member. “I want to know what it’s like feel music.”
Monday brought a few other featured singers who contributed sentiments. These were the other successful blind auditions of the night:
Ryley Tate Wilson, 15: “Dancing solo”
This bedroom pop prodigy and self-described weirdo delivered a candid and vulnerable version of Robyn that Chance described as “fire” with Niall exclaiming: “My head nearly exploded! That was the best audition we’ve seen here by a long shot.” Niall, who recalled being very nervous when he auditioned for a “similar show” as a teenager while undergoing a pubertal voice change, was astounded by Ryley’s maturity, poise and vocal control.
Who turned? Kelly (“light years ahead of everyone else!”) and Niall, followed by Blake and Chance.
Result: Team Niall. Apparently, Niall’s threat to “come to blows in the parking lot” with Blake over Ryley worked. But such threats probably weren’t necessary: though Ryley confessed that he had initially planned to join Team Kelly, even Blake knew that he was always Ryley’s “fourth choice.”
Jamar Langley, 36: “Try me”
Jamar has been waiting long time for his chance to “try” again: he started singing at 3, began writing “PG” love songs at 11, and formed a vocal group with his older brothers at 14. But then, Jamar had to put his music career on hold when he became a father in his early twenties. He seemed nervous about being on such a big stage, but maybe he’s finally ready for prime time.
Who turned? Chance and Blake, who decided to give Jamar a “test” at the last minute. “That was a perfect example of not giving up, because [your performance] It didn’t start out perfect, but then it got really good, and then it became excellentBlake stated. “It’s always great to see someone who really wants it, do it,” Chance agreed.
Result: Team Opportunity.
Allie Keck, 28: “Paris (Ooh La La)”
Ooh la la la la, really! This grumpy, Nashville-based American powerhouse went off the deep end with her fierce and oh-so-sexy version of Grace Potter, which Kelly described as “Janis and Ann Wilson all at once.” Chance said that Allie sounded like a human electric guitar. Blake yelled:That is what I’m talking about: someone on this show who rocks!”
Who turned? Blake and Kelly. Niall confessed that he regretted not converting, and he should, because this was a real missed opportunity. As Kelly and Blake pointed out, Allie will be occupying her own lane this season.
Result: Team Kelly, which was clearly the right call. Together, these dynamite ladies will take Season 23 by storm, for sure.
Walker Wilson, 24: “Hurricane”
This old-school southern rocker’s day job (or night, technically) is working as a bouncer at a Nashville bar, but he has aspirations of making a real name on Music Row. Blake was already thinking of versions of Waylon and Willie for Walker to do, and I think Walker could be a favorite with Voice usual if Walker is in that lane.
Who turned? Just Blake, but let’s face it, there wasn’t another coach who had a chance anyway. Kelly even admitted that’s why he didn’t bother to push the button on him. “By the time you started, [Blake] it was everywhere. You guys are a match made in heaven,” Niall said.
Result: Team Blake. “I’m very proud to have you on my team,” Blake told Walker.
Manasseh Samone, 22 years old: “Get up”
This classically trained opera singer tried out last season but turned no chairs, and coach John Legend advised her to work on controlling her prominent vibrato. This time, she sang for three coaches who had never heard her before (John won’t be around this season, while Kelly took the season off). And one of the season 23 rookies, Chance, was impressed by Manasseh’s new and improved “unique and specific” tone in her Andra Day anthem, even comparing her to a young Jennifer Hudson.
Who turned? Only Chance, who enthused that having this diva to himself was his “biggest blessing of the season so far.”
Result: Team Chance, obviously.
Jerome Godwin III, 20: “point of view”
This dental student with the superstar smile said he was at a “crossroads” in his life, wondering if he should pursue his real dream career instead of his safer plan B. Well, I guess he’ll have to take at least a semester off. from dental school! While it took Jerome a while to turn the chairs, as Chance noted, he had some tone issues, his “super soulful” runs, his lower register command and sheer passion finally made two coaches smile.
Who turned? Niall and Kelly.
Result: Team Niall.
EJ Michels, 31: “Easy with me”
In a classic TV moment where the face doesn’t match the voice, everyone’s jaws dropped when he turned around to see a high-pitched piano. man, not a Carole King-style singer, on stage. This former frontman of the pop-rock band Foreign Figures, who grew up in talkative Utah but eventually found the courage to come out as gay and present her true and authentic self on the Voice stage, she poured all her passion and pain into Adele’s “Easy on Me,” which isn’t easy to pull off. Blake said the break in EJ’s “so raw and honest” voice “created an angst” that “emotionally put me on edge”, joking that if only EJ could have that effect on the “most insensitive person in the music industry” the music that has been sitting here for 23 seasons” would surely be unstoppable.
Who turned? Chance and Blake.
Result: team blake! That was another EJ curveball. I thought Chance had this one in the bag when he praised EJ’s “heady upper register” and suggested neo-soul covers by D’Angelo and Maxwell, which I think In fact I would have worked for EJ. Oh good. “I can’t wait to hear EJ in the next round, doing something by Tim McGraw or something,” Chance complained sarcastically.
Laura Littleton, 26: “Sign of the times”
This bluegrass singer from Tennessee had an interesting, iconoclastic style—Kelly described it as “Dolly Parton meets Florence & the Machine”—but I thought Harry Styles’ space ballad was too big for her fluty tone. However, Laura’s creative arrangement of the song and her bright personality more than made up for it. This girl was so nice, even the only trainer that No It was her turn, Chance, finally hopping onstage to give her a big hug.
Who turned? Kelly, Niall and Blake, but Kelly blocked the last trainer, her longtime rival.
Result: Team Niall! I have a feeling Laura would have chosen Blake if she had that choice, because she sweetly said that she was “so honored” and “grateful” to be a part of Blake’s final season. That comment initially made Kelly feel “really horrible” for robbing Laura of a Team Blake opportunity, but she soon felt shape most horrible about No blocking Niall, the trainer with the obvious connection to the original “Sign of the Times” artist and the new rival being groomed to be The New Blake. oops.
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