The Voice Coaches Clash Over Potential 'Frontrunner' On Blind Auditions Night 5 — Is Teo Ramdel The One To Beat?
Proving once again that music is a truly universal language, The Voice coaches went all-in on Monday's final contestant — even though only one of them knew what he was saying.
Tijuana-born Teo Ramdel sauntered onto the stage as the last Blind Audition of Night 5, instantly grabbing all four coaches with his seductive, laid-back rendition of "Historia De Un Amor," an oft-covered song that Ramdel sang like he wrote it himself. Solid vocals aside, there was an effortless showmanship and natural storytelling ability in his performance (TVLine grade: A) that set him apart from everyone else we'd heard on Monday.
The coaches clearly agreed, because all four turned their chairs and were fully prepared to throw down. Ultimately, it was Michael Bublé's connection to the Latino community — he's married to Argentine model/actress Luisana Lopilato, and he speaks Spanish — that won Ramdel over to his team. Snoop Dogg attempted a bit of the foreign tongue, but Niall Horan was right to cringe at his efforts.
"I'm going to really shock you when a Chinese artist gets up and I start speaking Chinese," Bublé told his fellow coaches, each of whom lamented not drafting Ramdel. Reba McEntire called it a "big win" for Team Bublé, with the coach himself declaring that Ramdel "could be a frontrunner" in Season 28.
Read on for a breakdown of the nine other singers who landed on one of the coaches' teams on Monday night:
Dustin Dale Gaspard (Team Niall), "Bring It On Home To Me" — Grade: A- | This guitar-strumming, harmonica-blowing country guy has a voice as unique as his hometown (Cow Island, La.?!), which fit well with this Sam Cooke classic. It was Gaspard's clever decision to start singing in French that finally got the judges to turn around, at which point he really let loose with a ferociousness we frankly didn't expect.
Kanard Thomas (Team Snoop), "Whip Appeal" — Grade: B+ | Following his disappointing experience back in Season 16, Thomas returned with a vengeance — not that you'd know it from the easygoing vocals on his laid-back performance of Babyface's R&B tune. It was simple, it was emotional, it was romantic and, most importantly, it worked!
Shan Scott (Team Reba), "Wish I Knew You" — Grade: B | We won't lie, we didn't think any of the coaches were going to turn around for this one, and Reba certainly took her time. Still, there was something pleasant about the ethereal quality to Shan's voice on this Revivalists song.
Carly Harvey (Team Bulbé), "It Hurts So Bad" — Grade: A | This was the first performance of the night that we loved. Like, with a capital "L." Heck, capitalize the whole word. Harvey wasted no time launching into her sultry, seductive performance, in which she exhibited incredible control and personality in her voice. The self-proclaimed "Voodoo woman" used a petrified wooden pendulum to decide her own fate, which only made us want to see more of Harvey — even if it freaked Snoop the heck out.
Vinya Chhabra (Team Reba), "Ironic" — Grade: A- | At just 14, this powerhouse singer has a voice (and a musical taste) beyond her years, which she proved with a youthful, lighter spin on the classic Alanis Morissette rage jam. We're still waiting for the police to show up after hearing her kill so many of those high notes. She has our respect and our attention.
Conrad Khalil (Team Reba), "Caught Up" — Grade: A- | We didn't get to spend too much time with Khalil, but we'd definitely like to after hearing a bit of the emotion and range he brought to Usher's "Caught Up," a song we weren't expecting to hear on The Voice anytime soon. Then again, we also weren't expecting him to land on Team Reba.
Liam von Elbe (Team Niall), "Slow Dancing in a Burning Room" — Grade: A- | What began as a simple countrified version of a John Mayer song turned into something else entirely when Von Elbe suddenly busted out this terrific rock voice, proving himself an unpredictable threat in this competition. Plus, the guy's a professional audio engineer, so he knows music.
Lauren Anderson (Team Snoop), "Midnight Train to Memphis" — Grade: A- | We were hooked from the first notes out of this scream queen's mouth, which she used to put her own spin on a Chris Stapleton song. It came down to the wire, and we were starting to wonder if anyone was going to turn around, but Anderson was able to scream her way into Snoop's heart at the last minute.
Ava Nat (Team Niall), "I Love You, I'm Sorry" — Grade: A- | This Gracie Abrams ballad held a special meaning to Nat, as she dedicated her performance to her late sister. The vocals were strong throughout, but we were won over by Nat's clear grasp of the song's message and her ability to convey every beat without ever crossing into to theatrical territory. We all need a good cry sometimes.
Which singers from Night 5 of the Blind Auditions got your attention? Vote in our poll below, then drop a comment with your thoughts on Season 28 thus far.