‘The Voice’ Coaches Fight Over ‘Adorable’ Contestant Who Performed Aretha Franklin Classic

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Another week of The Voice and another four-chair turn as the field of talent on Season 27 continues to impress the coaches.

On Monday night’s (February 17) episode, 28-year-old Conor James from Bridgewater, Massachusetts, made his way to the stage to perform a heartfelt rendition of Aretha Franklin’s “I Say a Little Prayer.” He was barely seconds into the song when John Legend and Michael Bublé pressed their buttons and turned their chairs around.

As he continued to amp up the energy, James also earned buzzers from Adam Levine and Kelsea Ballerini, giving him the coveted four-chair turn and a huge decision ahead of him.

The coaches were full of praise for the performance, with Legend telling the young singer, “Conor, that was so beautiful. It is truly one of our great songs, period, in the world. What I really loved about your version is it really took us on a journey. It was soulful. It was elegant. It was all so tastefully done. You are so cool.”

James thanked Legend for the kind words, telling him, “You are so cool. I like you.” He also opened up about his background in music, revealing that he has experience in musical theater, writes and produces his own songs, and even “plays keys like you, John.”

“We have so much in common,” Legend replied. “I am actually writing Broadway shows now. I would be honored to coach you. I believe you will go super far on this show.”

Bublé then gave his pitch, saying, “Conor, you are adorable, firstly. You were so cool up there. I would love to have you on my team because I think there’s a way for you to win this thing, obviously. But it would just be fun for me, in this very human way, to watch you bring all this light into my life and to get to ride with you.”

The newest member of the coaching panel, Ballerini, was up next, telling James, “This is my first season, I’m new here. I’m learning the ropes, and I quite literally forgot I had a job to do when I was turned around. That’s why I was a little late to this party because I was just vibing and listening.”

She added, “I felt before I even saw you, ‘This person is so in their body,’ then I turned around and watching you, you can tell when someone feels it. It’s just in you. We’re still navigating our own careers. It’s so inspiring to see someone like you and think, ‘Oh, my God, I never want to lose that in myself.’ I would really, really love to work with you.”

Levine went last and made a strong pitch to entice James onto his team, saying, “I’ve got to tell you, you’re a testament to the fact that true originality is blind… I couldn’t put my finger on what we were going to see when we turned around. And that’s the best thing about music is you shouldn’t be able to. This might sound braggy, but I’ve done [this] a lot, took a break, back again.”

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The Maroon 5 frontman went on to compare James to some iconic former Voice contestants, explaining, “There’s a characteristic, especially in the singers I’ve taken the distance on this show. Jordan Smith had it. The first season, Javier Colon had it. Tessanne Chin, who I loved, there’s a spirit to what some of these guys do and I am so attracted to it because it means there’s a limitless potential. I think you have this unique ability on this show specifically to really win this thing, and I’ve seen it 16 times.”

“For me, I saw it happen three times and there’s no greater feeling. I am telling you, bro, you can win this show, and I want you bad on my team,” he concluded.

Those words made an impression, as, ultimately, James chose to join Team Levine, becoming Levine’s third four-chair turn contestant so far this season.

What did you think of James’ performance? Did he pick the right coach? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.