The Voice Ends Blind Auditions With A Tie-Breaking Victory — Which Coach Won The Triple Turn Challenge?
We have a winner! The March 9 episode of "The Voice" marked the end of Season 29 Blind Auditions, filling all three three teams and revealing which coach would be named the show's first ever Triple Turn Champion.
The Triple Turn Challenge came to a close when Kelly Clarkson nabbed her final team member, at which point Carson Daly revealed that... it was a tie! Both Clarkson and Adam Levine ended the challenge with three Triple Turn recipients on their teams, which means it all came down to which of them had more double turns. And the winner is... Clarkson! In addition to bragging rights (and she will be bragging), the win also earned Clarkson a Super Save in the upcoming Battle Round.
With Clarkson's win secured and team complete, the rest of the episode was devoted to Levine and John Legend finding their own final singers — including one that left Clarkson "so mad" that she was no longer allowed to turn her chair around.
Read on for a breakdown of how all three coaches' teams filled out this week, then vote for your three (3) favorites in our poll below. When you're finished, drop a comment with your thoughts on the "Battle of Champions" thus far. Are you enjoying the show's new format?
Team Adam Levine
AZIZ GUERRA, 20 | The coaches didn't initially know what to make of Guerra, who opted to perform Jose Jose's "El Triste" in his native tongue. Of course, it didn't take a fluent Spanish speaker to recognize the gold mine that is Guerra's voice. The belting, the falsetto — Guerra pulled out every bag of tricks for this one, and it paid off. Adam Levine may have been the only coach to turn around, but even John Legend couldn't keep from shouting "major!" upon hearing Guerra's final run.
TVLine's grade: "A"
DREW RUSSELL, 32 | This full-time mom is cut from a musical cloth — her father was a member of the legendary group Take 6 — so she was putting a lot of pressure on herself with this audition. But it was her solid performance of Roy Orbison's "Blue Bayou" that put the pressure on the coaches to turn around, following a somewhat shaky start. Part country, part R&B, Russell is like the Mary Poppins of music, equipped with a bottomless bag of vocal tricks.
TVLine's grade: "A-"
JARED SHOEMAKER, 32 | Levine's final team member came in the form of this former Naval mechanic, who started singing to release endorphins while he worked on his ship. He certainly got our endorphins up with his performance of Zach Top's "I Never Lie," a perfect showcase for Shoemaker's pure country sound and soaring vocals. Levine loves the "subtle simplicity" of his voice, something his team was missing.
TVLine's grade: "A-"
Team Kelly Clarkson
HOUSTON KELLY, 20 | This bluesy, country fisherman followed his heart, choosing to perform Marc Cohn's "Walking in Memphis," a tribute to his hometown. Not only does he have the growl of a bear twice his age, but he also tickled the heck out of those ivories. Kelly Clarkson ended up being the only coach to turn around... and not a minute too soon. Honestly, we're pretty sure the song was over when she finally slammed her hand down. "I am sweating!" she told Kelly. "I have never waited that long."
TVLine's grade: "A-"
MIKENLEY BROWN, 19 | We were fascinated from the moment we saw Brown's sneakers hit the stage, and she maintained our full attention throughout her truly unique performance of Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream," which earned speedy turns from Adam Levine and John Legend, followed closely by Clarkson. Brown's signature rasp added a layer of maturity to the track, which she peppered with some really impressive runs. By choosing Clarkson, not only did Brown officially complete the coach's team, but it also earned Clarkson her third Triple Turn, tying her with Levine.
TVLine's grade: "A"
Team John Legend
KJ WILLIS, 35 | John Legend was the first coach to turn his chair for Willis' joyful delivery of Bobby Brown's "Toni." (Oh, you question the joy? Take it up with Legend, who's probably still giving Willis praise hands from his swivel chair.) As Willis proceeded to effortlessly cruise through the song, Kelly Clarkson could no longer deny the power of "the singing barber from Memphis, Tennessee." Willis choosing Legend as his coach was a foregone conclusion, but we give Clarkson kudos for trying.
TVLine's grade: "A-"
ASHLEY MARINA, 18 | Another young contestant, 18-year-old Marina (and those silver boots!) brought a heartbreaking rendition of Keith Urban's "Tonight I Wanna Cry," with which she became the first Triple Turn of the night. The range on this kid is absolutely insane. She belted out those high notes like it was nothing, capping off the beautiful performance with an equally impressive falsetto. Clarkson pointed out that Marina battled a touch of flatness after the coaches turned around, which we'll attribute to nerves, because we know this girl can sing. And Marina continued to be full of surprises by choosing Legend as her coach; we were certain she was bound for Team Kelly.
TVLine's grade: "A"
GRACE HUMPHRIES, 18 | With her late brother watching from the highest seat in the house, Humphries' blessed us all with a touching performance of Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now," an excellent showcase for her strong falsetto. That said, it was the rare moments of belting that had us wanting to hear more from Humphries, whose true potential has yet to be fully realized on that stage. We also heard a few shaky moments, but we're chalking those up to nerves. For Humphries' sake, we were disappointed that Adam Levine didn't also turn his chair around, but considering the powerful falsetto, Legend is probably the best fit.
TVLine's grade: "B+"
NATASHA BLAINE, 27 | This sauna worker had Legend sweating from the first few moments of Sade's "Kiss of Life," but as is the case with multiple singers this week, things got a little shaky once he turned around. We'll be honest, we wouldn't have spun our chair as quickly as he did — if at all — but we trust that he knows what he's doing. At least we hope he does, for his sake.
TVLine's grade: "B-"
SYD MILLEVOI, 23 | If Clarkson hadn't already completed her team, she would have joined Levine and Legend in immediately turning for this vocal powerhouse. A wedding singer with big dreams, Millevoi blew the roof off of the studio with an explosive performance of Jessie J's "Mamma Knows Best." And unlike some of her fellow contestants, who became more nervous after the coaches turned around, their support only further empowered her to bring the house down. Levine spoke for us all: "Did you just win 'The Voice'? Is 'The Voice' over?" And with that, Team Legend is complete!
TVLine's grade: "A+"