‘The Voice’: Deanna Johnson Returns, Covers Kodaline & Earns Turns Four Chairs
For anyone playing Voice bingo, or – let’s be real – a Voice-centric drinking game, there were plenty of boxes to check and drinks to be had on Tuesday night: A returning contestant (drink!); Christina Aguilera giving an unsolicited mini-performance (drink!); Adam Levine promising a contestant they’ll win (drink!); Pharrell being way too nice to his fellow coaches (drink!); Blake Shelton using geography as the main argument for why a contestant should join his team (drink!); Carson Daly engaging in awkward backstage conversation with families (drink!); Christina Milian crashing the show to protest being stuck on E! (drink all the drinks!).
Just kidding on that last one – she’ll wait until the lives, of course. But it was a doozy of Voice clichés on Tuesday night. Everyone who may have actually tried to drink their ways through all of this certainly did not make it into the second hour. Don’t worry — we’ve got you covered.
Anthony Riley, 27 – Pennsylvania
Street performer Anthony Riley was once arrested for disturbing the peace, but fought for, and won, the right to keep up his act. With the goal of taking his performances off the street, however, Anthony opens up the second night of the Blind Auditions with a performance of James Brown’s “I Got You (I Feel Good).”
All four chairs turn immediately, which gives the coaches a chance to catch Anthony’s fancy footwork and impressive crowd work.
“I haven’t been this entertained this season,” says Blake. “Absolutely perfect singing.”
“It’s one thing to have the voice, but it’s another to know how to work the audience,” says Christina, who is perhaps vying for The Audience spinoff. “I know that we could do magical things together.”
“That was electric, man,” says Pharrell. “I just feel like you have a big spirit.”
“The hardest thing to do is going to be staying hot throughout the whole season,” says Adam. “I have a plan for you.”
“Adam wants to completely change what you do and what you represent. Pharrell and Christina: that would be like mixing water with water. I would be like putting whiskey in your water,” says Blake.
Not looking to taint his water, Anthony joins Team Pharrell.
Gabriel Wolfchild, 26 – Washington
When hippie parents gave this next contestant the opportunity to choose his own name, he chose Wolfchild. File this, along with fear of an entire generation of Elsas, under the category of why naming rights should really stay with the adults.
Anyway, indie-folk performer Gabriel Wolfchild performs Bob Dylan’s “Don’t Think Twice.” He’s got an interesting tone, but the performance is a bit of a snooze. Adam, Blake and Christina disagree, turning around to fight for (seriously) Wolfchild.
“This really just does feel like it belongs here,” says Adam. “I love you.”
“You can tell when somebody gets on this stage and they’re a creator, and that’s what you are,” says Blake, adding, “Teach me.”
“You’d be a one of a kind for me,” says Christina. “What I would be able to do with you would be very specific and catered to you and your sound.”
Without the opportunity to select his first pick, Pharrell, Wolfchild joins Team Christina. Stay tuned for her name change to “Lotus Flower Princess Boss.”
Brooke Adee, 16 – Florida
Sixteen-year-old Brooke Adee was inspired to sing by the musical Annie (to clarify: not the Razzie-winning Cameron Diaz one). She overcame the real struggle of having curly hair in humid Florida to make it to The Voice, where she sings Bon Ivar’s “Skinny Love.”
Her voice has a soul beyond her 16 years, and leads to a battle between Adam and Blake.
“I loved your pitch. I loved your little yodel, the little break that you have in your voice,” says Blake. “I think I’m looking at a future star right now.”
“You have a great presence on stage, and you’re so emotionally connected to what you’re doing and you’re so passionate,” says Adam. “I think that you 100 percent could win this,” he adds.
Either swayed by the crowd chanting in support of Blake, or skeptical toward Adam’s regular promises of “100 percent” victory chances, Brooke picks Blake.
Tonya Boyd-Cannon, 35 – Louisiana
Carson Daly: If you are reading this, please think of a better way to identify Tonya Boyd-Cannon than she identifies herself. Though announcing, “And now a performance from Mississippisouisianian Tonya Boyd-Cannon,” weekly would lead to some amazing goofs…actually, scratch that: go with Mississippisouisianian.
Mississippi slash Louisiana native Tonya leads a choir in a correctional facility, which feels like a reality show in and of itself. For her Blind Audition, she sings “Happy.” Wonder who the favorite is when Adam, Christina and Pharrell turn their chairs?
“I kind of felt like I don’t have a shot because it is Pharrell’s song, but you are awesome, and I’m ready,” says Christina.
“You started taking chances, and those are the people that really do it for me,” says Pharrell. “It would be awesome to work together.”
Adam turns on the reverse psychology. “It makes no sense at all to go with me, which is exactly why I think you should.”
Wouldn’t you know it: the reverse psychology works! Tonya picks Adam, becoming the first member of his Season 8 team.
Joe Tolo, 21 – Sacramento, California
American Samoa native Joe Tolo made it to the Blind Auditions via Extra’s Voice Boot Camp Experience (thanks, Mario Lopez!). He hits one helluva high note at the end of “To Love Somebody” by The Bee Gees, delighting Blake and Christina.
“You and me can do things together,” says Christina, who then matches his high note with one of her own. “I think we’re a match made in heaven.”
“She hasn’t won this thing,” says Blake, who has a slightly better track record.
Forget history: Joe picks Christina!
Mia Z, 15 – Pennsylvania
If you ever want to make Christina Aguilera sound void of runs, compare her to Mia Z. The 15-year-old runs, trills and chews her way through B.B. King’s “The Thrill Is Gone,” and makes the iconic hit all but unrecognizable.
Regardless, Blake and Pharrell dig it, and are impressed by her Mariah Carey-esque high notes.
“You hit a note there that bees can’t hit that note,” says Blake. You hear that, Mia? Bees. You’ve outsung bees.
“I think it’s really ironic that you pick the song, ‘The Thrill Is Gone,’ because I kind of disagree: The thrill is right here,” says Pharrell.
Mia is the most thrilled by Pharrell.
Blaze Johnson, 23 – Ohio
Born in the Bahamas but raised in Ohio, Blaze Johnson has traveled quite a far way to make it to the Blind Auditions. It gets better! Not only is Blaze his given name, but he’s a second generation Blaze! Blaze Junior – or Lil Blaze, as Pharrell encourages him to identify – is just killing it with interesting backstory filler.
This, unfortunately, is where the excitement ends with Blaze Johnson. He sings The Fray’s “How To Save A Life,” and it’s just dull. Adam and Blake inexplicably turn around, and struggle to find compliments.
“When you make it and you become famous one day, you’re your own security,” declares Blake. Thank you?
“You don’t fit the mold, and god bless you, that’s why I want you on my team,” says Adam.
Lil Blaze joins Team Adam. Moving on.
Deanna Johnson, 18 – Georgia
The final contestant of the evening is returner Deanna Johnson. Deanna did not make it past the Blind Auditions in Season 5, but as the saying goes, if at first you don’t succeed, get through the trauma and try, try again!
After taking a six-month hiatus from singing after her first Voice attempt, the rodeo singer worked in a basement studio with her dad to improve her craft. Her performance of Kodaline’s “All I Want” reflects said hard work, and has the exact opposite results as round one. It’s a four-chair turn to end the night!
“I am so overjoyed by the fact that somebody got turned down and came back and four chairs turned,” says Adam.
“There is nobody in the world to compare you to, says Blake. “I think you’re a star.”
After hitting the stage to compare heights with the tall beauty, Pharrell cries mea NOT culpa for her Season 5 ordeal. “I wasn’t here. I wouldn’t have let you gone by like that,” he says.
“You came out here like a rock star and totally owned everything that you were doing,” says Christina.
Deanna joins Team Adam, strengthening his team by a Blake Shelton estimated million percent.
After four hours of the Blind Auditions, there is still plenty looming on The Voice drinking Bingo card. Get ready for recaps of un-televised performances (one drink), mentions of “sacred ground” (one drink and an eye roll), duos (two drinks), related duos (three drinks) a singer who is one gender but everyone assumes is the other (four drinks) and coaches giving up their chairs for a contestant (finish that drink!) when The Voice returns on Monday!
