The Voice

I’m not a big fan of the television, unless it helps me to distract the girls for a bit. Some shows I do actually like, I just forget when they’re on. Not gonna happen this time. I am counting the days until April 26th. That’s when the American version of my favorite Dutch show premieres on NBC: “The Voice“. Another talent show… But this time it’s different. Really!

It’s a vocal competition featuring four musician coaches, Christina Aguilera, Cee Lo Green, Blake Shelton, and Adam Levine. The first stage of the show is called the blind auditions, where the coaches are turned with their backs to the contestant. If they want “the voice” on their team, they hit the button to turn around. If more than one coach turns around, the power shifts to the contestant, who will then get to choose which coach they want to work with throughout the competition. The second stage in the competition is called the battle, where each coach has the members of his team battle each other. Only four per team remain and will compete with each other during the final stage, the live shows.

Unlike American Idol and other talent shows, these contestants are not new to the industry. Most have been performing for a while, play instruments, and write their own songs. Together with their coach, the contestants pick the songs to perform on the show that suit them best. To make it to the top, the coaches help them grow by providing feedback. For some it may be a singing or dancing coach, for others a makeover.

To get you excited, here is the blind audition of Ben Saunders, who ended up winning The Voice of Holland. You will get the context when he starts to sing, even without subtitles.

Enjoy the show!