We're only in week two of The Voice season 27, and Kelsea Ballerini is already finding herself mesmerized by the talent coming through on the show.
On the February 17 episode of the hit NBC series, viewers met 28-year-old singer Conor James. The Massachusetts native wanted to make an impression on coaches Kelsea Ballerini, Adam Levine, Michael Bublé and John Legend, so he decided he'd dip into the world of soul music for his audition. Singing a moving cover of Aretha Franklin's "I Say a Little Prayer," it wasn't long before Adam, Michael and John turned their chairs around to see him perform. While it took some time for Kelsea, she eventually hit the red button to vie for Conor to join her team. What's more, she explained her reason for not turning around in the beginning — and it had to do with the fact she was just enjoying listening to Conor in the first place.
"I'm obsessed with you!" she told Conor in a clip posted to YouTube. "This is my first season — I'm new here. I'm learning the ropes, and I quite literally forgot that I had a job to do when I turned around. That's why I was a little late to this party, 'cause I was just vibing, listening ... As we're still navigating our own careers, it's so inspiring to see someone like you and be like, 'Oh my god, I never wanna lose that in myself too,' you know? I'd really love to work with you."
Just like Kelsea, The Voice fans were equally enamored with Conor's audition — and they made sure to let him know about it in the comments.
"Best performance of the season so far in my opinion ❤️ Potential winner," one person wrote in the comments. "That was legit! What a monster song - and such an original arrangement. Loved it," another agreed. "Behold the winner is here," a different viewer commented.
So, did Kelsea's pleas at getting Conor on her team work? Unfortunately for her, Conor decided he was a better fit on Team Adam. But we have a sneaky suspicion that Kelsea's attempts to get Conor on her team aren't over just yet ...
As the entertainment and news associate editor for Good Housekeeping, Adrianna (she/her) writes about everything TV, movies, music and pop culture. She graduated from Yeshiva University with a B.A. in journalism and a minor in business management. She covers shows like The Rookie, 9-1-1 and Grey's Anatomy, though when she’s not watching the latest show on Netflix, she’s taking martial arts or drinking way too much coffee.
