The Voice: Kelly Clarkson Comes Out Ahead In Season 29 Premiere — Do You Like The Battle Of Champions Format?

Now that the Winter Olympics have come to an end, NBC is shifting its focus to the Olympics of singing competitions: "The Voice"! And just like every country sent their most promising athletes to compete in Milan, "The Voice" has assembled an all-star team of coaches to participate in Season 29 — aka the "Battle of Champions."

Kelly Clarkson, John Legend, and Adam Levine presided over the first round of Blind Auditions on February 23, each hoping to build a strong-enough team to secure another win for bragging rights. Clarkson has won four times, and while we're not willing to put money on it just yet, she's already off to a phenomenal start.

Additional commentary in the premiere was provided by comedian Druski and NBC Sports analyst Derek Fisher, who explained some of the season's new features. One of those is the "Triple Turn" bonus; whichever coach gains the most team members for whom all three coaches turned around will receive a special "Super Steal" in the Battles round.

Read on for a breakdown of the Season 29 premiere, including which lucky contestants got snatched up by one of the show's three all-star coaches.

JULIA GOLDEN, 19 | Delivering a performance as sweet as her song choice, Golden charmed her way into Kelly Clarkson and John Legend's hearts with her solid take on Deana Carter's "Strawberry Wine." The last-minute turnarounds left Golden in tears, but it was a live phone call between Clarkson and former "Voice" coach Reba McEntire that clearly convinced Golden to stick with #TeamKelly. How are you going to say no to the queen of country?! TVLine's grade: "B+"

ABIGAYLE OAKLEY, 25 | This one was really special — a Triple Turn before the show even had a chance to flash Oakley's name on screen! Her totally original take on Robyn's "Call Your Girlfriend" was spectacular, made even more memorable by the natural cry in her ethereal voice. She produces the kind of other-worldly sound that transports you somewhere else, and we enjoyed every second of our journey with her. Oakley pure magic, and Clarkson is lucky to have her on her team. TVLine's grade: "A"

JONAH MAYOR, 31 | Not to be confused with John Mayer (not that you could ever confuse the two), Mayor blew the coaches away with an entirely foreign-language performance of Jimmy Fontana's "Il Mondo." He sang right from his heart... and right into Clarkson's, as she turned around quickly. And that was before the chorus kicked in and Mayor's vocals took off soaring like a majestic eagle. Adam Levine eventually could no longer deny what Mayor was serving, but even his turn-around couldn't spoil Clarkson's private concert. We love the showmanship Mayor brings to the stage without veering into cheesy territory. It's an art! TVLine's grade: "A"

LIV CIARA, 16 | This was another major win for Clarkson. Ciara immediately had the coaches' attention with her sultry vocals on Ariana Grande's "We Can't Be Friends," which she turned into a full-blown belting ballad. And her falsetto? Gorgeous! Overall, this was a beautiful, emotional performance, and we don't blame Clarkson for standing up in sheer disbelief at some of Ciara's most impressive moments. TVLine's grade: "A-"

AARON LAVIGNE, 43 | After dominating Broadway in everything from "Rent" to "Spider-Man" to "Jesus Chris Superstar," this musical theater singer is ready to step out as a solo artist, which he proved with a solid take on "Feels Like the First Time" (which is technically a showtune, thanks to the Foreigner jukebox musical "Jukebox Hero"). Given LaVigne's theatrical tendandcies, we worried that his performance would be too corny, but he banished all doubts with that explosive "open the dooooor" moment, which is what convinced Clarkson to turn around in the first place. TVLine's grade: "A-"

ALEXIA JAYY, 31 | With her son watching proudly backstage, Jayy sang the heck out of Aretha Franklin's "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman." Kelly Clarkson turned her chair after only a couple of notes, and she was grooving alone the whole time, enjoying Jayy's chilling low notes and victorious, soaring high notes. There was so much attitude in Jayy's presentation; she's one of those people you can tell was just born to be performing on a stage. We weren't surprised to see her become the first "Triple Turn" of the season, but we were a little surprised when she chose to be on Adam Levine's team. We figured Clarkson had her on lock! TVLine's grade: "A+"

BAY SIMPSON, 26 | Just when it seemed like the coaches were going to let this Alabama rocker slip through their fingers, Levine turned his chair — after much whispered deliberation with Clarkson, we should note. We have to admit, we're intrigued by Simpson, whose confidence and comfortability suggests the making of a true artist, as heard in his performance of Tom Petty's "The Waiting." TVLine's grade: "B"

JEREMY KEITH, 40 | Now this is how you perform a love ballad. We were all feeling some type of way as Keith breezed through Freddie Jackson's "You Are My Lady" with confidence and charm. All three coaches turned around for him — as they should — and we were a little surprised that he ended up choosing Levine, especially after Legend joined him for an impromptu duet. TVLine's grade: "A-"

LUCAS WEST, 20 | After citing Billy Joel and Stevie Wonder as his biggest inspirations, we weren't at all surprised to see this charming pianist take the stage with Elton John's "Bennie the Jets," which he effortlessly crushed with smooth, soulful vocals and confidence for days. And are we ready to talk about that little wink to the audience? No one should have been able to make that look cool! That falsetto is nothing to sneeze at, either. This might be one of the best renditions of this song we've ever heard (second only to Haley Reinhart on "American Idol.") Adam Levine and John Legend both turned for West, and the former is very bitter about losing: "I'm so jealous," Levine admitted afterwards. "I love Lucas." TVLine's grade: "A"

AJ ROBINSON, 14 | We often hear contestants on this show who sound mature for their age, but Robinson was giving teenager through and through. And in this case, we think that's a good thing — even if he might want to choose more age-appropriate songs than Lainey Wilson's "Watermelon Moonshine" from now on. Robinson, who was born the year "The Voice" premiered, can't even legally drink for another seven years! Do we think Legend will regret being the only coach who pressed his button? TVLine's grade: "B"

Which contestants got your attention in "The Voice" premiere? Pick your three (3) favorites in our poll below, then drop a comment with your thoughts on the "Battle of Champions" format. Are you a fan?