‘The Voice’ Season 26 Episode 1 Recap: A New Era Begins

Editor’s note: The below recap contains spoilers for ‘The Voice’ Episode 1.A new era of The Voice has begun, and the talent is special. With new ways to entice the vocalists to select them as coaches, Season 26 of The Voice is already unique. A rousing round of Blind Auditions allowed the rookies to find their groove as the veterans kept a close eye on their newest competition. Oh, and there’s a new button: The Coaches Replay. To kick off the season, The Voice had a special intro package led by sports broadcaster Mike Tirico to hype up the competition aspect of the show. He says anything can happen, and based on this premiere, it’s true! It’s the Returning Champ (Reba McEntire) taking on The Vet (Gwen Stefani) battling The Rookie (Michael Bublé) versus The Wildcard (Snoop Dogg). On a mission to discover the next singing phenomenon, will the winner be from the first night of Blind Auditions? It’s possible!

The Four-Chair Turns Set the Tone of the Season

The first performance of the season was from 31-year-old Oklahoma country singer Jake Tankersley. Already tugging at the heartstrings with his backstory, his rendition of “Something in the Orange” by Zach Bryan already had four chair-turn potential. Not only was Snoop Dogg the first to turn, but almost simultaneously, Gwen Stefani turned while sneakily blocking Reba. The country crooner’s smokey voice got Reba and Bublé to turn, making it the first four-chair turn of the season!

The chemistry between the new coaches was revealed during the first team selection interview of the season. The country superstar was not thrilled at the No Doubt singer for blocking her. And somehow, this led to a random push-up battle on stage. Then, the D-O-Double-G shocked the room, revealing he loves country music, having produced records with the likes of, not shockingly, Willie Nelson. Not to be outdone, Michael Bublé shared that he just made a record with Willie Nelson, sang a duet with Dolly Parton, and wrote Gwen Stefani’s favorite name-drop Blake Shelton‘s #1 hit, “Home.” Before Tankersley could make a decision, the first prop of the Blinds was revealed; Bublé miched on a bag of Rap Snacks with Snoop Dogg’s face on it. Why? He always wanted to know what the Long Beach native tasted like. What a choice of words! In the end, Tankersley decided to join Snoop Dogg. Snoop Dogg gifted Tankersley with a Death Row chain. NFL quarterback Jeff Blake‘s daughter, Torre Blake, and 16-year-old Queens native Chrisdeo also received Death Row chains.

With his teaser video dropped days before on YouTube, next up was Sofronio Vasquez from Mindanao, Philippines. Mentioning he shared a cultural love for karaoke, Vasquez hit the stage with a performance that was anything but karaoke. His rendition of Mary J. Blige‘s “I’m Going Down” got all the coaches feuding. Between Bublé’s pitch about his connection to the Philippines to Snoop Dogg’s reminder that he owns the label he originally was signed to, the new coaches were prepared to do what it takes to prove why they belong this on season. Vasquez ultimately became Michael Bublé’s first player, whos gift for his team is a hockey jersey. 17-year-old Kiara Vega, who was wooed by Bublé’s colloquial Spanish, also joined the team.

‘The Voice’ Vets Showcase Their Coaching Skills

Gwen Stefani, a nine-season vet, showcased why she’s good at this job as she guided Jan Dan to perform again for her — this time with more eye contact. It worked wonders for his performance, and convinced the New Jersey native to select her. With a few gifts under her belt, this season Gwen provided her team with a snazzy tracksuit! Also earning a coveted tracksuit included Sydney Sterlace, after receiving a four-chair turn and a reminder that Gwen’s new kitty is named Sydney.

Having already seen the Bublé chip gimmick, it was now down to Snoop Dogg to display his. While talking to four-chair turn recipient Danny Josephs of Dallas via London, Snoop Dogg pressed a button which released a cloud of smoke around the other coaches. To say it was apropos is an understatement. Nevertheless, Josephs wasn’t swayed and selected Reba McEntire. This season, Team Reba contestants received a Funko Pop Reba, a perfect keepsake. Josephs would not be the sole Funko Pop recipient.

Season 26 Welcomes the Coaches Replay Button

While sitting with the four coaches, host Carson Daly shared the facts about this season’s other new edition: the Coaches Replay Button. This new power allows a coach a second chance at an artist when the audition is over if they previously didn’t turn their chair. It can only be used once, so Daly tells them to use it carefully! With this tease, it was time to meet Kendall Eugene. He revealed that his journey to The Voice had been long, as he had been through many things that had halted his progress toward becoming a professional singer. The Texas father revealed that when he was 17, he gave a son up for an open adoption, who he thankfully still has a strong relationship with. When he hit the stage, he opted to sing former The Voice alum Morgan Wallen‘s track “Don’t Think Jesus.” At first, with no chair turns, it seemed like his journey was over. But leave it to the country superstar to regret her decision. She utilized the Coaches’ Replay Button, bringing Eugene onto her team.

While the episode showcased some happy moments for many artists, those who didn’t receive a chair turn included RAVS, who gifted Snoop a custom jacket, and Ben Fagerstedt, who got a moment to sing with Michael Bublé. While they may not have received a coach, they were encouraged to audition in the future. Despite some sad endings, the premiere was a celebration of new spirits and a new twist that is bound to keep the season interesting. Now, it’s time to amp up the energy and find that spark.

The Voice Season 26 airs Mondays on NBC. All episodes will be available to stream on Peacock in the U.S.