Season 26 of The Voice premiered last week, and fans of the blind singing competition show already have favorites — even saying some of the first contestants could be winning it all in just a few short months. And one of those social media can't stop gabbing about? 15-year-old (!) Sydney Sterlace.
The West Seneca West high school student was among the many contestants who took part in the first night of blind auditions last Monday night and wowed the judges and the crowd with her rendition of Olivia Rodrigo's hit "Driver's License." Her powerful performance had Michael Bublé as the first coach to hit his button and turn for her, quickly followed by Gwen Stefani, Snoop Dogg and Reba McEntire, earning her a four-chair turnaround. In a clip of her performance shared by the show's Instagram, it was clear viewers were just as impressed as the coaches were.
"Mini Kelly Clarkson??!," one person commented. "Vocals are insane!!!!!!! She deserved that 4 chair turn ❤️❤️," another chimed in. "I have a feeling we have a finalist right here…," a different fan wrote. Someone else said, "This song ain't easy! She killed this 🔥".
At the end of her performance, the Upstate New York teenager received a standing ovation from Snoop, with the rest of the judges following suit. In the end, although she had offers from all four coaches to join their teams, it was Gwen's she inevitably ended up choosing.
"I would love to work with any of you, but I've had my heart set on Gwen this whole time," she said.
Following the second night of blind auditions for week one, Gwen also added another contestant, Jan Dan to her team. Snoop added three, Michael added two and Reba added two. Blind auditions continue on Monday and Tuesday nights at 8 p.m. EST on NBC for the next few weeks until October 15, when the team battles will officially start. Watch live on NBC or stream on Peacock starting at just $7.99 per month.
Annie O’Sullivan (she/her) covers holiday, gift guide, travel, and lifestyle content at Good Housekeeping. She has a degree in magazine journalism from Syracuse University and previously reported for Runner’s World, NBC New York/NY 4 and Woman’s Day. Annie also has experience writing entertainment news and celebrity-focused content.
