We’re back, back, back again! Round three of The Voice Season 27 Blind Auditions have arrived. The quartet of coaches continue to try to make us believe that they are the best of friends. For now, of course. I’m not sure how many times Michael Bublé, also known as “Mikey Bubbles,” has to remind everyone in the group chat that not only is he the reigning champion, but he is the master of the dad joke. He’s also a pro at celebrity endorsement. How did he manage to recruit fellow Canadian Ryan Reynolds to film an intro for him? But who cares, he brought out the Canadian Mounties and a hockey stick, as his official walk out song is “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now” by Celine Dion. He is all about theatrics, and you know what, that’s entertainment!

With so much focus on Kelsea Ballerini building up her team in the first two episodes, Adam Levine is desperate to pull the attention back to him. Will it work? I think the competition is already getting to him. He’s been quite passive, but perhaps the Coach Replay is what he needs to break out of his funk. The coaches are there to make a show. A good, clean family show filled with so much hope, optimism, and heavy-handed backstories. Perhaps we’ve hit that snag in the season where we’re just eager to hear the music, but this is The Voice. We have to earn the connection to the artist and their objective to make it. And even when we do, the coaches are like, “Nah.” But we’ll talk about Tinika Wyatt shortly. Round three is an overall dull night of music, but it’s just the journey to get to the next round. Let’s get it underway!

Michael Bublé Is Feeling Good With Divighn and Barry Jean

To kick off the evening’s festivities, everyone is feeling good with the hefty punch Divighn packs. Not even an introduction package or band can hold this kid down. The Gardenia, California native takes on the James Brown classic, “I Got You (I Feel Good).” At first, the coaches can’t see his fury of feet, but his ability to entertain the audience should have been all the reason to give him a turn. He’s got soul. He can riff. He can play. Sure, some coaches may have felt he did too much, but Divighn is a showman. He’s got Prince coursing in his blood. He’s the epitome of modern R&B. Between Kelsea Ballerini and Michael Bublé, they see potential in him. They may not be the perfect coach on paper, but Divighn is meant to entertain, something they both know a little bit about. Since we already know Michael Bublé knocks us over with dad jokes, he tells one after Kelsea reminds him that she’s the better option as she’s on the radio now. The Canadian crooner claps back with something Snoop Dogg taught him: “When they go low, I get high.” And to think, there was a time when that joke would never have made it to air. Alas, Divighn selects a season of dad jokes. Michael Bublé gets the triple threat.

Rarely does The Voice cater to the nerd collective, but Barry Jean Fontenot, and his vast collection of swords, is representing tonight! After teaching us about the various swords, Barry Jean Fontenot is ready to slay the competition. See what I did there? Originally from Baton Rogue, Barry calls Chicago home. With a passion for Motown, he is the lead singer of a band smartly called Barry and the Fountains. It’s all in the branding. For his Blind Audition, the sword-lover selects “I Wish It Could Rain” by The Temptations. Unlike Tinika, an older singer who sings a modern song, Barry goes for the classics as a younger soul. His voice is buttery, something that Michael Bublé instantly resonates with. And that’s before his surprise second verse. You could see Bublé champing at the bit for the song so he could be the sole chair turn. Fortunately for him, luck was on his side. Barry Jean takes his crooner skills to the resident crooner on the panel. Now, before we end this segment, Barry brings his sword skills to the coaches. He gifts them each a wooden rudis sword. Might not be the best move to give these coaches toys!

Team Ballerini Has Girl Power With Page and Jessica

If you’ve watched The Voice long enough, then you know that making it in Nashville isn’t easy. Everyone needs a side hustle, just like Page Mackenzie. Originally from Charleston, South Carolina, Page is a party bike driver in Music City. Smartly, when she tells her party-goers that she’s an aspiring singer, she gets a chance to bust out a tune. While Page’s story may not be unique, she is hoping the grind on Broadway will bring her a chance on The Voice. The moment that the opening notes to “Hell on Heels” begin to play, Kelsea Ballerini is on the edge of her seat. Literally. The Pistol Annies track is one of the best female-driven vocals a female country artist can sing. There is so much oomph in it, and Page brings it. While she may not have the harmonies to rely on as the original does, Page showcases her ability to be a strong factor in country music. It is a nerve-wracking performance as both Kelsea and Bublé wait until Page’s final note to turn their chairs. Bublé knows he likely has zero chance of enticing a young female country singer when an actual working woman in country music is in contention. His only play is, “Canada loves country music too!” He’s not wrong. They did give us Shania Twain. Page makes the obvious decision and picks Kelsea and her cowboy boots.

When Jessica Manalo begins her video package, she gives a shout-out to her fellow Filipino, Season 26 winner Sofronio Vasquez. Hoping to ride the high of Pinoy pride, Jessica takes her talents to some of Las Vegas’ biggest stages. She shares that pursuing music as a Filipino defies expectations. We learn that Jessica and her mom lost communication for some time due to her path toward music, but her mother is by her side at the Blind Auditions. They are starting a new chapter as Jessica and her mother have now inspired one another. Jessica takes a massive risk in performing “Unholy” by Sam Smith featuring Kim Petras. She takes the song and twists it into a haunting acoustic track that needs to be available to stream ASAP! Whether the spirit of Sofronio is in the studio, Michael Bublé is intrigued, turning first. Once again, Kelsea is not going to let him have it, so she turns, setting up another pillow fight between the reigning champ and a rookie. Kelsea, as a fellow female guitar player, is feeling lucky. Mr. Hockey is not letting Kelsea just have her way, as he brings out his team hockey jersey, as the floor turns into a literal LED ice rink. In the end, Jessica’s gut leads her to the country singer. Victory once again for the rookie.

The OG Find His Mojo With Tinika and Conor

Oftentimes, we see the show bogged down with younger artists eager to make their dreams a reality. So, it’s refreshing when that one person steps foot onto the stage, who is of a certain age, and reminds us that no matter the number, you can always still fulfill your dreams. Such is the case for the absolutely stunning Tinika Wyatt. The 50-year-old hails from San Diego. She’s been married for nearly thirty years and is the mother of four. So why The Voice? The marriage and family therapy pastor is there to show her kids that it’s never too late to be who you want to be. With the inspiring story enticing us, Tinika is just getting started. One might think she would sing something more classic, but she’s here to school the children and prove that anyone can sing “Sorry Not Sorry” by Demi Lovato! She has such a different perspective to the lyrics that she brings to the song. And yet, none of the coaches were able to resonate with her power-filled performance. Tinika should have had at least one coach turn. As Michael Bublé tells her, she should have selected a song with more range. So, was song choice her downfall? Part of Tinika’s issue is trying to psyche out the coaches by being an older artist singing a contemporary track. It ends up being an unfortunate trap. If I were in their chairs, I would have slammed down that Coach Replay button for Tinika! Well, guess what! Tinika, in great spirits, reveals she had auditioned ten years prior with a silly song that was catered directly toward the OG coach. And, well, flattery goes a long way! Adam Levine uses his Coach Replay, and Tinika is on a team!

To kick off the next performance, we begin in the dark for a very smooth and sultry version of “I Say a Little Prayer.” The Burt Bacharach and Hal David may have been made famous by Dionne Warwick and Aretha Franklin after her, but let’s give it up for this young man, Conor James. He infuses a theatricality into his performance that turns the song into his own. He becomes the first four-chair turn of the evening. The battle is on for the Bridgewater, Massachusetts singer. With roots in musical theater, the EGOT winner is able to pick up on it, instantly making a connection to the 28-year-old. But as he goes down the line, each coach has a passionate reason as to why they think Conor should be on their team. Adam Levine compares him to his previous contestants, including his winners. In the end, he selects Adam as his coach. His pitch is exactly what Conor needed to hear.

Earlier, we met a man with a love for swords. Now, it’s a girl with an obsession with taxidermy. Tyler Kae is 22 years old from Olympia, Washington, and fortunately for us all, she did not bring any taxidermy as gifts for the coaches. Well, at least that we saw. As someone who had social anxiety, Tyler shares that music helped her out of a dark place. For her Blinds, she sings Cyndi Lauper‘s “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” as if it’s a cover rendition for the credits of a teen rom-com. The arrangement is a knockout that gets the coaches singing along. Adam is having so much fun and he blocks Kelsea from taking Tyler. With no fight necessary, Tyler joins Team Adam. The gloating! The back and forth! It’s just like old times! This is the type of energy we deserve from The Voice!

John Legend Uses His Power of Persuasion on Jacquelyn and BD.ii

The fun thing about The Voice is the discovery that sometimes the singing voice does not match the artist. But sometimes, before we even get to the performance, we, as viewers, are blindsided when the speaking voice defies the human! Such is the case for Franklin, Tennessee’s own Jacquelyn George. She can give Glinda a run for her money with that helium-pitched voice. But to us music aficionados, we know that we are about to be graced by someone who will have an exceptional upper octave. With music running in the family, which included her brother being in a boy band known as Plus One, Jacquelyn George is eager to forge her own path on this stage.

Side note. I had no idea who Plus One was, but after a little research, I discovered that they certainly would have crossed paths with my ears as they were featured on the Pokemon 2000 soundtrack. As someone who wore out that CD simply playing Weird Al‘s “Pokemon,” perhaps that is why my memory is a tad hazy.

Nevertheless, it’s time for Jacquelyn. And she’s swinging for the fences. Taking on Whitney Houston‘s “I Have Nothing,” she uses the lyrics to propel her onto a team. She knows that she cannot emulate the original, so she brings her own veracity to the track. Her modulation is masterful. From the start, John Legend‘s interest was piqued. It seems as if it’s a surefire victory for the piano player, but Adam Levine, now known as “Last Minute Levine,” swoops in. When Jacquelyn reveals that she sang “Ordinary People” at her wedding, with “Never Break” being her first dance song, John Legend pops out of his chair to sing with her. It’s a special moment that secures her selection of him as her coach.

It’s time for BD.ii. It’s his stage name, but also his real name: Brian Darden II. Clever! Originally hoping to be a basketball player, an injury caused him to end his playing career. He turned to music, writing for artists in Atlanta. His mission for The Voice is to find a coach who can help pull out the best artist inside of him. To help woo the coaches, he takes on “Adorn” by Miguel. It’s an unusual song selection, but he brings a swagger to the song. The coaches are impressed, so much so that Kelsea takes Adam out of contention. Adam is furious about being blocked and missing out on the opportunity of adding BD.ii to his roster, but he takes it as a sign of respect. While it is a four-chair turn, only three can properly pitch. When he gets his chance to speak to the coaches, Kelsea is shocked to hear his speaking voice is so deep. See! The Voice goes beyond the music! She is full tilt into adding BD.ii onto her team. She pitches her crossover appeal and her idea that music shouldn’t be boxed in. When it comes to the King of Christmas, he says his hope is to be in people’s homes for all the holidays. With BD.ii, he’s ready to dominate Valentine’s Day, or as he calls it, “Baby-making day.” I thought they said this was a family show! But, now it’s down to the legend himself. John Legend reminds BD.ii that he has worked with Miguel to make said “baby-making music.” With three coaches in front of him, BD.ii joins Team Legend. It’s an obvious choice, but this could be his champion.

Let’s meet Jonny Rey, who works with blueberries. No, really. He knows everything there is to know about blueberries. Originally from the Garden State, Jonny Rey comes from the literal blueberry capital of the world, Hammonton. After teasing his own talent show performance behind a curtain in high school, Jonny has learned to love music while he works with his dad. With a tattoo sleeve and a rendition of Maroon 5‘s “She Will Be Loved,” it’s clear where he wants to be. Honestly, if you close your eyes, it could have been Adam Levine up there. Sadly, there is a greenness in his performance. He hits some sour notes that prevent him from earning a chair turn.

Now, let me preface this by saying, as a music lover who knows very little about geography outside of America, every year, Eurovision Song Contest is my attempt to learn where on the map some European nations are located. It also affords me the opportunity to fall in love with music from certain countries, like Moldova. So, when Afina Madoian reveals that she’s originally from Moldova, home of the exceptional Zdob și Zdub, my little Eurovision heart was aflutter. While not everyone tunes into Eurovision every May, Afina takes her moment to present a geography lesson to reveal that Moldova is nestled between Romania and Ukraine. Afina reveals that she lost her father a few years back and was unable to go back to see him before he passed since she was 19. Hoping to make her father proud, she sings “Saving All My Love” by Whitney Houston. Can we please put a moratorium on singing Whitney on singing competition shows? Unfortunately, the coaches are not wowed by her performance. It was sadly too ambitious. As Kelsea tells her, “Setbacks are setups for a comeback.” Whatever happens to Afina next, hopefully the ESC selection committee for Moldova is watching and whisks her back home to represent them in a future Eurovision. It worked for American Idol alum Nutsa, who represented the country Georgia last year!

The third episode of The Voice has some potential finalists, but overall, the is a lack of spark. We deserve to spend as much time as we can with each singer, but the manner in which this group was presented, they never pop out in the same manner as we’ve seen in previous groups. Or, maybe the secret is one of these artists is being saved for the perfect moment to break out and win us over. There’s certainly a lot of time left! And there are a lot more spots on each coach’s roster. Buckle up, we’ve got a long road ahead.