The Voice


The Voice image

The return of Cee Lo Green and Christina Aguilera was celebrated aptly on the premiere of Season 5 of “The Voice.” “It’s like getting the original band back together and jamming one more time,” Blake Shelton said. Later, Adam Levine quipped it was “like the Beatles, but better.” And while Shakira and Usher did a pretty dynamic job, the reunion is cause for celebration. It’s the show America has come to know and love and it’s back and better than ever. The absence makes the playing field seem a little bit more even – Aguilera and Green seem in prime fighting form and ready to put a stop to Shelton’s winning streak. As for the singers, early fan favorites include Kat Robichaud from North Carolina who sang a rousing rendition of “I’ve Got The Music In Me” that set all our judges into a frenzy. She went to team Cee Lo, citing a love for Queen and Bowie. Smart move. Also, on team Green is young Caroline Pennell, 17. On the other end of the spectrum is 54 year old Donna Allen who says she wants to be the first person over 40 to win…and she may be a real contender. Although Christina pushed hard for her, she ended up going with Adam. Also going with Adam was Nic Hawk, a musical theater guy who has epilepsy and a winning attitude. His rendition of “Hit ‘Em Up Style, Oops!” is definitely worth a second if not third, fourth and fifth viewing. Matthew Schuler went with Christina, who seemed surprised that he picked her as he had the pick of all four with his smooth rendition of “Cough Syrup”; either way, he’s definitely one to watch. The show is split over Monday and Tuesday nights. Tune in on NBC to see how things develop. Check local listings for times.