Keeping up with ‘The Voice’: The Auditions, Week One

Season 22 of “The Voice” premiered on Monday, Sept. 19 and Tuesday, Sept. 20.

Riya Mahanta and Katherine Wu
September 26, 2022

As you may know, “The Voice” is back and so are we! Although Season 22 of “The Voice” just started, it’s already becoming one of the most talented and competitive seasons so far. We know life can be busy, and finding the time to watch a show twice a week may be difficult, so join us as we provide the latest updates with analyses on our favorite performances of the week.

This season, coaches Blake Shelton and John Legend returned for their 21st and sixth seasons respectively and Gwen Stefani rejoined after a few years off. Stefani and Camila Cabello replaced Kelly Clarkson and Ariana Grande for Cabello’s first season. We can’t wait to see what Cabello brings to the show, as she herself started her music career on a singing competition.

The first episodes of this week (and season) premiered on Monday, Sept. 19 and Tuesday, Sept. 20. It was the first week of auditions, and there were so many talented singers! Many contestants had a lot of prior experience with performing, so right off the bat the bar was set very high.

Here are our top five auditions:

1. Omar Jose Cardona was the second performance of Monday night and showcased his skills by singing Journey’s “Separate Ways”. Cardona was a powerhouse throughout his entire performance, and unsurprisingly, all four coaches turned their chairs for him. His stage presence was immaculate and he displayed his wide vocal range, effortlessly transitioning in and out of his head voice throughout his audition. After his performance, Cardona revealed that he is a full-time performer and has sung all over the world. He chose Legend as his coach and mentioned that as an artist, he would like to blend pop and old-school rock.

2. Eric Torres, who goes by stage name Devix, performed “Heat Waves” by Glass Animals and chose Cabello to be his coach. His performance started off without many impressive elements other than his layered tone, but as he went on his performance got better and better. He demonstrated his range and flawless transitions from his falsetto to chest voice. His pop-sensibility added to this indie/alt song showcasing his talent and we can’t wait to hear more from him! Although we thought Devix would choose Legend as his coach as they have similar tones, we think that Cabello will be a great coach for him due to her presence in the pop scene.

3. For his audition, Chello performed “Just the Two of Us” by Grover Washington Jr. His tone was so unique and this song choice seemed so natural for him. His energy and excitement throughout his performance was contagious and made us want to sing and dance with him! The vocals he delivered were also amazing, with the runs and falsetto control of a true artist without feeling forced. It was also adorable to see how supportive Chello’s friends were, commenting with excitement when both Legend and Cabello turned their chairs. Ultimately, Chello picked Cabello as his coach; we think they will get along due to their similar fun and bubbly personalities.

4. Emma Brooke impressed us with her rendition of “California Dreamin” by The Mamas & The Papas. She displayed her amazing vibrato, strong tone and incredible range, hitting every single high note. Brooke is a classically trained singer, so it was interesting to see her explore a new genre that she hopes to break into. Brooke chose to be on Legend’s team and we are so excited to see how she improves over the season. We think Legend is the perfect fit as her coach, as his music has a similar tone and style.

5. For her audition, Reina Ley sang the mariachi song “Cielito Lindo”. Onstage, Ley lit up the room with her incredible range, tone and enunciation. Ley is only 13 years old and it was so refreshing to see music representation from different cultures. Both Cabello and Stefani turned their chairs for Ley, but in the end Ley chose Cabello as her coach. We think Cabello is the perfect fit for Ley, as Cabello understands Spanish culture and can also guide her through the competitive music competition atmosphere.