‘The Voice’: Season 10 Premieres With ‘Curly Sue’ Child Star Alisan Porter’s “Blue Bayou”
Good lord, is it already Season 10 of The Voice? It seems like just yesterday that those red spinning chairs were a novelty, the bromance between coaches Adam Levine and Blake Shelton was just starting to bloom, Christina Aguilera had yet to discover tiny hats, Carson Daly went from just working on New Year’s Eve to churning out two Voice seasons a year, Alison Haislip landed the role of a lifetime as the series’ social media correspondent, and Cee Lo hadn’t yet imploded on Twitter. How far we’ve all come, really.
Well, some of us. Alison Haislip may have moved her way over to BattleBots and Pharrell Williams may have joined the party along the way, but most of the gang is still there, waiting to guide America’s next undiscovered voice to super stardom…or, at least the finale. Carson Daly has promised that this season will have “ten times the surprises,” “ten times the emotion,” “ten times the excitement,” and “ten times the star power,” which has to be mathematically accurate, so a special season lies ahead.
Get ready for ten times the superlatives from Xtina, Pharrell, Adam and Blake during night one of the Blind Auditions!
Paxton Ingram, 23 – Miami
Before soulful pop singer Paxton Ingram put all of his energy into pursuing a music career, he was a backup dancer for the likes of Britney Spears and Jennifer Lopez. He wisely keeps his dance moves at home and focuses on the vocals for Robyn’s “Dancing On My Own,” which gets the attention of Blake, Adam, and Pharrell. Going into the performance, he was leaning toward Team Pharrell, but a good old-fashioned coach switcheroo would be a lively way to start the night.
“I don’t know that I’ve ever recognized true greatness so quickly,” says Blake.
“I think you, vocally, are absolutely brilliant,” says Adam. “I am so moved by what you did up here today.”
“How you were singing was crazy. I’m kind of at a loss for words,” says Pharrell.
That loss of words ultimately hurt Pharrell, and Paxton chooses Blake.
Caity Peters, 21 – Long Beach, CA
Because she is pursuing a creative career, Caity Peters is considered the “black sheep” of her family. She’s no outcast on The Voice, though, as her raspy and emotional performance of Labrinth’s “Jealous” earns the first four-chair turn of the evening.
“I’d love to hold your hand to the finish line as another female supporter who also appreciates and loves soul music,” says Christina, dropping the gender card for the first time of the season.
“That intensity that you have and that thing that brought you to tears and made us all turn around, that is what I want to stand behind,” says Pharrell. “I would love the opportunity to be in business with you.”
“Your voice is one percent away from being completely, infallibly unique,” says Adam. “I can help you find the last few percent.” Math contradictions aside, it’s not the worst argument.
“I think you can win this thing,” says Blake, who will tell this to so many more contestants as the Blind Auditions continue.
When Pharrell says he wants to be in business with you, you take him up on it. Caity is the first singer to join Pharrell’s Season X team.
Nick Hagelin, 28 – Atlanta, GA
Sexy dad alert! Nick Hagelin, a former bad boy of ballet (title so given because he wore both a leather jacket and a leotard in his Blind Audition package), is now a proud father. He’s such a family man, in fact, that he turned down a contract with a “major record label” because they didn’t want him to advertise that he was married with children.
Nick sings Adam Levine’s “Lost Stars,” which notably does not impress Adam. His strong falsettos and a voice that is later compared to Michael Jackson and Prince does, however, earn turns from Christina, Blake and Pharrell.
“It was beautiful, it was soft, it almost reminded me of early Michael,” says Christina. “Let’s take it all the way.”
“I heard Prince in your voice, in that real high falsetto,” says Blake. “Your voice would record so incredibly.”
Pharrell doesn’t have a chance to talk, but his silence is golden. Nick picks Pharrell, calling him the Quincy Jones of our generation
Mary Sarah, 20 – Richmond, TX
How Mary Sarah has had the opportunities to record duets with so many country legends and yet not leverage it into a career is mind-boggling. On her album Mary Sarah And Friends, the classic country singer worked with Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Vince Gill, Merle Haggard, The Oak Ridge Boys and more, but still thinks The Voice is what will jumpstart her career. Here’s hoping.
The Nashville resident earns a four-chair turn with her performance of Connie Francis’ “Where the Boys Are.” Her voice is strong, she has an impressive range and it’s just the type of classic country sound that can only land on Team Blake. But rules are rules: the others get to speak as well.
“I love that you did a song and did it in such a way that was so pure and so markedly different in feel,” says Adam. “It really brought me back to a different time.”
“Your vocals were pretty undeniable as soon as you hit your first note,” says Christina. “You were consistent the whole way through.”
“Congratulations for sticking with the things that move you, because it landed you in the position to have a four-chair turn,” says Pharrell.
“It’s going to be so refreshing to hear somebody bring that era of music back to a stage like this, and then to the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville,” says Blake.
I mean, the girl literally sells cowboy boots in Nashville. She obviously joins Team Blake.
Mike Schiavo, 21 – Los Angeles
Former New Jersey resident Mike Schiavo recently relocated to Los Angeles to pursue his music career. Maroon 5’s Songs About Jane was the first CD he ever bought, so you can kind of see where this is going. Mike performs Tove Lo’s “Talking Body,” and his unique, powerful sound gets Pharrell, Adam and Blake to turn around.
“You just had a really crispy clear tone. We’ve been waiting for someone like you to come across this stage today,” says Pharrell.
“If you mean what you say and you want to grow by doing something different and stuff that you’ve never done before, pick a coach that is completely different,” says Blake.
Adam plays the ace up his sleeve, and takes the stage to duet “She Will Be Loved” with Mike, while also barking chord progressions at him. Once two guys have performed a duet together, they’re pretty much bros for life, so Mike naturally joins Team Adam.
“You are a natural,” Adam applauds him, adding, “We can win.” Promises, promises.
Bryan Bautista, 23 – Brooklyn, NY
We’ve got our first returner! Remember Bryan Bautista, the Barclays Center usher who performed the National Anthem there before his unsuccessful Season 9 audition? (No? Did you not binge-watch all nine seasons of The Voice before the Season 10 premiere, or something?) Well Bryan took some vocal lessons before returning to perform The Weeknd’s “The Hills.” It’s a tough song, but his impressive falsettos earn a turn from Christina and Blake.
“I knew it from go,” says Christina. “I love what you do. You got me dancing in my chair.”
“I was having a fit back here going, ‘What is going on? Why is no one pressing their button?’” says Blake, though Christina doesn’t give him much time to fit anything else in.
In a really brilliant moment, Bryan gets back at Blake for not picking him in Season 9. When asked, “Who do you pick as your coach?” he responds with “Blake…” (cue Blake celebration) “…wait, wait, wait. I have to say something. I appreciate you turning around for me, but I pick Christina.” Burn, Bryan, burn.
Abby Celso, 20 – Rochester, NY
Cue the bad audience clapping for this next one! Pop singer Abby Celso sings Tori Kelly’s “Should’ve Been Us,” accompanied by the always off-beat Voice audience rhythm. She starts off a little slow, but her vocal runs get the attention of both Adam and Pharrell.
“As great as you were, I think there’s even better from you, which is scary,” says Adam. “I think you could win this whole thing.” So many promises!
“To have you on my team would be my greatest pleasure,” says Pharrell. “I’ve worked with a lot of them in my life to know the difference between people who have it and people who don’t, and you have it.”
Abby opts against Adam’s vague suggestions that she could win, and instead chooses Pharrell.
John Gilman, 23 – Bayville, NJ
There have been a lot of triumph over adversity stories on The Voice, but John Gilman’s may be the craziest. He lives in the wilderness of New Jersey, in a log cabin…with no WiFi! No WiFi in New Jersey! Don’t you just want to hug him?
Anyway, the charity case sings Elvis Presley’s “Don’t Be Cruel,” and it’s just okay. Adam must have heard about his struggles, though, and turns around quickly for his short performance.
“I turned around because of the precision of what you’re doing, and having the courage to sing Elvis, that is serious, serious points,” says Adam. “Welcome to the best team ever.”
Alisan Porter, 34 – Agoura Hills, CA
It’s the first quasi-celebrity contestant of the season! Alisan Porter, aka the title star in the 1991 hit James Belushi vehicle Curly Sue – is giving it a go at a music career. After stints on Broadway, followed by overcoming drug and alcohol addiction, Alisan wins everyone’s hearts in the Blind Audition just like she did as both Curly Sue and the daughter who vomited all over Steve Martin in Parenthood.
She sings Linda Ronstadt’s “Blue Bayou” and her flawless voice gets all four coaches to turn around.
“You’re going to have so much fun on this show. It’s going to be a blast. And I’m the most fun,” says Blake.
“To see you perform so eloquently, it was just amazing,” says Pharrell.
“I really am moved by your story. Nobody works harder than a mom, and just inside of you there’s so much to say, and people need to hear that hope,” says an emotional Christina. “I want to be part of your history.”
“That was the most beautiful, flawless, passionate, pitch-perfect thing I have ever heard in my entire life,” says Adam. “You’re going to win The Voice, and I believe that you can do it on my team.” This is the most realistic promise of the night.
Alisan joins Team Christina, and is the first notable frontrunner of the season.
Though a Curly Sue appearance is pretty explosive, night one didn’t feel ten times as exciting as nights one from seasons one through nine when quantified by general heart rate, perspiration levels, and times I said the word, “wow.” I’m sure they’ll follow through on all those that ten times promises tonight, though, because truth in advertising is a whole thing. Ten times the FTC audit would be a real pain.
We’ll find out when the Blind Auditions continue!
