For many longtime viewers of The Voice, the world righted itself when coach Adam Levine returned to his big red chair. One half of the bickering bromance with country superstar Blake Shelton, Levine, 46, is back for season 27 after a six-year hiatus. Joining coaches Kelsea Ballerini, Michael Bublé and John Legend, the Maroon 5 frontman is seeking his fourth title. And in a preview of Monday’s (April 7) episode, Levine watched in awe as one artist gave a stirring rendition of his earliest hit.
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Adam Levine Praises ‘The Voice’ Contestant’s Maroon 5 Performance
The pressure is mounting as Knockout Rounds continue on The Voice. And Divighn didn’t make it easier on himself when facing off against fellow Team Bublé member Kaiya Hamilton. The 33-year-old Californian took the stage to perform Maroon 5’s breakout 2002 hit “Harder to Breathe.”
The lead single off the band’s debut album Songs About Jane, “Harder to Breathe” is a gritty uptempo number pulsing with energy and tension. Divighn conveyed that perfectly, even adding his own choreography.
Watching from his big red chair, Levine liked what he saw. “Divighn, you got great taste in music, man,” he joked after the performance.
Getting serious, the “Moves Like Jagger” singer admitted that he secretly dreads seeing his own material performed live on The Voice. “I’m so close to it,” he said.
However, “I love what you did with it,” Levine continued. “You took it and did something that I actually liked, and that it wasn’t what I normally do. The way that you can get up there and move the way you were moving, and still just deliver a rock solid big vocal, that’s big.”
Competing against Divighn, Kaiya Hamilton also earned a standing ovation with her cover of Alessia Cara’s “Here.” While Levine’s preference is obvious, viewers will have to tune into The Voice Monday, April 7, at 8 p.m. Eastern to see which artist moves on to the Playoffs.
[RELATED: Has ‘The Voice’ Overtaken ‘American Idol’? New Ratings Say Yes]
How Adam Levine Got the Joy of Singing Back
When Adam Levine stepped back from The Voice after 16 seasons, it was mostly out of self-preservation.
“I got to a point where, when I was working all the time, I’d just had a couple of kids…I was stressed out, so, of course, my voice was affected by that,” the “One More Night” singer told artist Lucia Flores-Wiseman. “And it wasn’t joyful to go and sing on stage.”
Levine says he rediscovered his passion for singing by simply going back to the drawing board. “Focusing on the technicalities of it sometimes can take your brain away from all the crap you’re thinking about in your head,” he said.
Featured image by Tyler Golden/NBC
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