Lucas West is starting out season 29 of The Voice on a high note! Ahead of the competition series’ season premiere, The Voice shared a sneak peek look at West’s Blind Audition.
Videos by American Songwriter
In the clip, West performed a stirring rendition of Elton John’s “Bennie and the Jets.” In addition to hitting some impressive notes, West wowed with his keyboard playing.
West performed so well, in fact, that two of the season’s three coaches turned their chairs for him.
Adam Levine was the first to turn for the singer, and he was followed by John Legend shortly thereafter. Kelly Clarkson opted not to go after the 20-year-old singer, instead leaving the two guys to fight it out.
“It’s so crazy, because when I heard you sing, I turned around, like, 20 minutes before John,” Levine told West. “I was blown away by how different you are. That makes me want to fight super hard to have you on my team.”
After West revealed that he also plays the trombone, Legend tried to use that as his in with the singer, as he previously worked with Esperanza Spalding.
“I’m announcing Best New Artist at the Grammys, Esperanza won, and I got to hand her the trophy,” Legend said.
“I won Best New Artist,” Levine fired back, referencing his 2005 win with Maroon 5.
“We both won!” Legend, who won the trophy the following year, noted.
The clip ended with the two guys hugging and celebrating their Grammys success, as Clarkson quipped, “I have never won Best New Artist.”
What to Expect from Season 29 of The Voice
Season 29 of The Voice will be unlike any installment before. Dubbed Battle of Champions, the season features three coaches, all of whom have won the show before, instead of the typical four-person panel.
“I love it, I love it so much. There’s not a fourth person all the way down there,” Levine said during a recent press junket. “I think the rapport is better because we all know each other obviously, so that helps, but the flow of everything is so much easier. It feels like less of an assembly line, [and more] kind of hanging out on weird chairs.”
Legend agreed, adding, “We’re so comfortable with each other, and the whole vibe has been just super comfortable the whole time.”
“Everybody’s super good, everybody’s really good at coaching, good at pitching, good at convincing people to come to their team,” he said. “Every aspect of the show, the level of competition is elevated.”
Season 29 of The Voice will premiere Monday, Feb. 23 on NBC.
Photo by Griffin Nagel/NBC
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