"The Voice" kicked off its second season Sunday night after the Super Bowl on NBC. All four judges -- Blake Shelton, Christina Aguilera, Cee Lo Green and Adam Levine -- returned for season two.
For any "Voice" newbies: The show starts with a blind audition phase. The judges sit with their backs toward each performer. Contestants sing, and if a judge likes what he/she hears, that judge presses a button that turns his/her chair around.
If only one judge presses the button, the singer is automatically on that judge's team. If multiple judges turn their chairs around, the singer gets to pick which team to join. If nobody presses a button, the singer is eliminated.
Got it? Good. Here's a recap of the singers we saw Sunday night.
Raelynn, 17: She takes the stage with a guitar and performs "Hell on Heels." Singing a song by Miranda Lambert's band is obviously a risk (due to the Blake Shelton factor), but she pulls it off. Pretty solid vocals and good stage presence. Blake and Adam turn their chairs around. Naturally, she picks Blake.
Jesse Campbell, 24: He's a single dad who was once homeless. He performs "A Song for You" and it's good enough to make all the judges turn their chairs around. I think their praise is a bit exaggerated, but whatever. He joins Team Christina. I'm worried about this guy's chances of winning...he's a little too much like last year's winner, Javier Colon.
Daniel Rosa, 20, is finally starting to believe in himself. He cries in his pre-show interview. He's a heavyset guy who flaunts a bow tie and glasses. Hmm. I'm not too fond of his version of Neon Trees' "Animal." It's like he's trying to do too much with the song. None of the judges turn their chairs around.
Juliet Simms, 25, has been performing rock music for a long time. She sings "Oh! Darling" and I'm divided. Parts sound good, but it's a bit over-the-top at times. Adam, Cee Lo and Christina turn their chairs around. She picks Cee Lo.
Chris Mann, 29, studied opera at Vanderbilt University. His mom was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He wears a suit on stage and busts out some opera: "Because We Believe." Christina and Cee Lo turn their chairs around. He picks Christina.
Tony Lucca is a former "Mickey Mouse Club" member. Does Christina -- also a former Mouseketeer -- recognize him? Um, no. Nonetheless, he performs a pretty good rendition of "Trouble." All four judges turn their chairs around. Well, technically Adam presses Cee Lo's button and turns his chair around for him. Ultimately, Tony picks Adam. At the end of the show, Christina goes backstage and shares "Mickey Mouse Club" memories with Tony. Something tells me that required some prompting.
Side note: Is it weird that I remember Tony Lucca as the guy from "Malibu Shores"? Is it weird that I watched "Malibu Shores"? Learn more on Tony's Wikipedia page.
And we're done! What did you think?
