The Voice season 24 recap: Before the Battles Premiere release

Monday, October 16 saw the last performances of the Blind Auditions of The Voice season 24 and it left the coaches and the audience in tears. With The Battles starting among the selected contestants on October 17, the last of the selections in the previous episode is significant for the future of the coaches and their team’s successes.

The 24th season of "The Voice" made its debut on September 25, introducing a fresh face to the reality television series in the form of new coach Reba McEntire. Alongside seasoned coaches John Legend and Gwen Stefani, Niall Horan has made a return for his second season on the American music competition show. This season marks a first in the show's history as none of the original coaches from its inaugural season are presiding over the show, after Blake Shelton’s exit.

While The Voice season 24 was announced for a fall release in May this year, the premiere date of September 25 was declared on July 19, 2023, on NBC’s 2023 schedule. Despite having Reba McEntire and John Legend supporting the SAG-AFTRA strikes, the Blind Auditions continued filming as the show’s contract negotiations did not fall in the purview of the strikes. As such, the fall release date was met.

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The Voice season 24 has talented singers in each group ready for the Battles

The last of the Blind Auditions of The Voice season 24 saw the final contestants into the show. While some of the singers mesmerized with their crooning, some enthralled the audience by their choice of songs.

Monday’s episode had Dylan Carter who sang Whitney Houston’s I Look To You, a ballad that his mother loved. He hadn’t sung this piece since he lost her, a story that brought tears to the eyes of coaches John Legend and Reba McEntire. He achieved a B+ performance grade.

While Huntley of Team Niall and Taylor Deneen of Team Legend received grade A for their flawless performances, Lennon Venderdoes of Niall Horan's team got an A- for a soulful rendition of The Night We Met. Brailey Lenderman of Team Niall and Azán of Team Legend got a grade of B-, while Eli Ward and Claire Heilig, both from Team Gwen received a grade of C. Calla Prejean of Team Gwen was given a grade of C- for her not-so-impressive performance.

By the end of episode 7 of The Voice season 24 each of the four teams has 14 contestants from the Blind Auditions to move on to the Battles.

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The Voice season 24 show structure till Battles

Featuring four teams led by coaches John Legend, Gwen Stefani, Niall Horan, and Reba McEntire, the season kicked off with seven Blind Auditions. With some contestants having auditioned in previous seasons and others having experience in different talent shows.

Each team has already selected its 14 contestants, but two spots remain vacant for winners from the Battles and Knockout rounds. Neither Legend nor Niall has a contestant who received a one-chair turn. Furthermore, with this season boasting the highest number of four-chair turns, it's evident that the talent level in the competition is at an all-time high.

The four coaches are ready for the Battles and Knockout rounds (Image via NBC)

The viewership of The Voice season 24 has ranged between 5.98 million and 6.61 million in the first six episodes and may go up further when the Battles start. The Battle Night 1 drops on Tuesday, October 17, 2023, which will be followed by three more Battles in the subsequent episodes. After three Knockout episodes, the rounds for live performances and eliminations will start.

The show airs every Monday and Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET/PT on NBC. Catch Battle Night 1 on October 17, 2023.