Four Chicago-area singers are doing their best to wow the judges on "The Voice" and seem to be hitting at least some of the right notes Monday night.
Jason Warrior, 21, of Chicago sang "Living for the City" to the pleasure of Alicia Keys who eagerly turned her chair for him, as did Adam Levine.
"Jason, I'm super proud of you, man, I just heard all that energy and all that soul," Keys said.
Warrior gushed back "I've watched you since I was like 2 years old."
Keys and Warrior bonded over an affinity for the strength displayed by Warrior's mother, who raised him as a single parent, ultimately ending in his chosing her as a coach over Levine.
Sixteen-year-old Riley Elmore of West Dundee earned serious praise from both veteran judges after his performance of “The Way You Look Tonight” on the premiere of the hit NBC show.
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Roughly 20 seconds into the jazzy performance, Levine turned his chair followed shortly by Blake Shelton as Elmore excitedly waved at his parents.
Mid-song, Miley Cyrus said Elmore was “so amazing” while Shelton called him “the real deal.”
Earning a standing ovation from the two judges that turned around from him, Elmore quickly became the subject of a fierce battle between Levine and Shelton, who both pulled out all their stops to try to win him over.
“There were moments where it was brilliant and I want to make every moment brilliant,” Levine said.
Meanwhile, Shelton pointed out that he knows Michael Buble.
“You’ve got a wide open lane in front of you dude and the only problem you have is you’re about to pick the wrong coach,” he said.
But before Shelton could finish his argument, Levine took the stage with Elmore and the two began singing an amazing duet that would earn them praise from the two female judges on the show, Cyrus and Alicia Keys.
Ultimately, it was Levine who ended up with Elmore on his team.
Sa'rayah, 28, grew up in Cabrini Green and won the favor Miley Cyrus and Alicia Keys, ultimately picking Cyrus.
"You brough hope and love into the room and filled with with your voice," Cyrus said.
Andrew DeMuro, 25, plays in a band called The Shades, booking shows at local venues like City Winery and House of Blues. Belting out a Billy Joel tune, DeMuro lured the attention of Levine and Shelton.
"You have a lot of character in your voice," Levine said. "You have that joy that I love to hear."
Demuro ultimately chose Levine as his coach.
"The Voice" airs Monday and Tuesdays at 7 p.m. CT on NBC.
