Voice Recap: Did Chance the Rapper Just Discover the Next Whitney?

As Season 23’s Blind Auditions continued on The Voice Monday night, a battle royale broke out over a certain four-chair turn whose lower tones so impressed Chance the Rapper that he heard echoes of Whitney Houston in them. Were you equally dazzled? Watch the performance in question below, then after we review all of the evening’s advancing artists, you can weigh in in the comments.

Mariah Kalia (Team Chance), “idontwannabeyouanymore” — Grade: B+ |

This Mississippi 17-year-old — a welcome addition to the season’s collection of personality-plus contestants — turned in a sumptuous rendition of Billie Eilish’s hit, tangy and emotional one minute, as breathy as a whisper the next. “I was hearing a young Amy Winehouse” in that performance, Niall said in hopes of winning over the two-chair turn.

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Kylee Dayne (Team Blake), “Fallingwater” — Grade: B | Surprisingly, nobody turned for this bespectacled Texas teen till almost the very end of her Maggie Rogers cover — then, Blake, Niall and Chance all did. Me, I was sold far earlier, swayed by the floaty quality of Kylee’s vocal on the lighter parts of the song and the power that she packed into her belting. Niall likened her to Florence (of + the Machine fame), Chance called her the “textbook definition of a star,” but they couldn’t compete with Blake’s “Pick Me” foam finger.

Gina Miles (Team Niall), “The One That Got Away” — Grade: B+ | Though when speaking, this 18-year-old was so soft-spoken that you had to wonder whether she really wanted anybody to hear her, she sang with a much deeper, richer, stronger voice. Nerves could be an issue for Gina — she held the mic like she was choking it — but her emotionally connected rendition of the Katy Perry hit she was singing hinted at great promise.

Kason Lester (Team Blake), “It’s Not Over” — Grade: C |

Before this small-town strawberry farmer started his Daughtry cover, I had high hopes; if somebody can look like they oughta rock, Kason did. But once he hit the stage, meh. Blake loved the “gravelly, sizzle-y” sound of his voice. I wasn’t sure that it actually sizzled, though. The whole performance felt like an airplane headed down the runway and then never actually taking off.

JB Somers (Team Kelly), “A Case of You” — Grade: C | This former theatre kid, now a 31-year-old Nashville singer/songwriter, dedicated his rendition of Joni Mitchell’s classic to the late sister who’d encouraged him to pursue music. Kelly and Chance were blown away by the texture of his voice, but the whole thing kinda left me flat. (Am I dead inside?) It also sounded several times like the performance was a breath away from going off the rails.

Ray Uriel (Team Chance), “Glimpse of Us” — Grade: C |

A 24-year-old data analyst who backburnered his musical aspirations to help his single mom raise his siblings, Ray didn’t get a chair turn until time was almost up — and I could hear why. He went high, he went low, he went everywhere… except big. His coach also noted that there had been a couple of shaky moments in there. Definitely cannon fodder for the Battles.

Alyssa Lazar (Team Chance), “Maybe I’m Amazed” — Grade: N/A | Sorry, but this audition was so, so, so abbreviated that I have no idea what grade to assign. Did we even hear her sing a whole line? Would’ve preferred to skip Blake’s foam finger or the 100th reminder that this is his last season or both, and actually get to evaluate the contestant.

Rachel Christine (Team Kelly), “Uninvited” — Grade: B |

This alternative artist hit a speed bump or two while tackling Alanis Morissette but, for the most part, delivered a smooth performance. What’s more, when she went big, she went really big — and if that’s her sweet spot, she should be able to serve up bombastic crowdpleasers on the regular. (Right?) Since Kelly offered actual advice in her pitch — be wilder, less controlled — Chance didn’t stand a… you know.

Cait Martin (Team Kelly), “As It Was” — Grade: A- | Although I wasn’t crazy about the way that this 32-year-old voiceover artist reinterpreted Harry Styles’ smash as a ballad — the song’s original form is tough to improve upon — she did sing the hell out of it, offering up runs for days and a voice as clear as a bell that’s just been Windex’d. Listen below to see if the four-chair turn gives you the same Whitney vibes as she did Chance.

What did you think of Monday’s tryouts — and Cait in particular? Let loose in the comments below after voting in Monday’s poll.

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