See every contestant who advanced on The Voice season 23 — and which celeb judge’s team they’re on

Maggie Fremont

Tue, 7 March 2023 at 3:00 am GMT

Season 23 of The Voice is upon us! This season we have a few notable developments. First of all, Kelly Clarkson has returned to the coaching panel after taking some time off to relish her season 21 win with Girl Named Tom and focus on her many other jobs. But Kelly isn’t the only fresh face sitting in those big red chairs this season: rapper/performer/producer Chance the Rapper and boy bander turned pop singer-songwriter Niall Horan both join the show for the first time. And, if you haven’t heard, it’s Voice stalwart (and nine–time winner!!) Blake Shelton‘s final run on the show after 23 seasons and 12 years. This not only makes him the clear front-runner to win once again, regardless of who he nabs for his final team, but also will surely add some heightened emotion to the proceedings.

Now, shall we get down to business? This season, mercifully, each team will only have 10 contestant spots up for grabs — as opposed to last season, which had 14. Less is more, people, especially when you’re trying to get to know contestants in a singing competition. How will the teams stack up as we journey through the Blind Auditions into the Battles and Knockouts, all leading up to the live rounds? Well, look no further than below. We’ll be updating this post throughout the season as contestants join teams. So let’s say we meet back here after each episode to see how things are shaking out.

Art Streiber/NBC Niall Horan, Blake Shelton, Kelly Clarkson, Chance the Rapper

Here’s what the teams look like after night one of the Blind Auditions:

Team Kelly

Holly Brand / 22 / Meridian, Miss.
Audition Song: “Mississippi Girl” by Faith Hill
A big get for Team Kelly, Holly Brand hits all the big, soaring country notes you could want (and tosses in a whistle note for good measure), reminding her now-coach Kelly of iconic country vocalists like Faith Hill and Carrie Underwood.

D.Smooth / 25 / Birmingham, Ala.
Audition Song: “Perfect” by Ed Sheeran
D.Smooth puts an R&B spin on this Ed Sheeran song and makes it feel fresh again. He’s emotional and soulful and knows how to work the dynamics of the song — Kelly’s excited.

Team Chance

Sorelle / 21, 20, 15 / Lexington, Ohio
Audition Song: “Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy” by Queen
Sorelle is a sister trio — Madi, Ana, and Bella — with a big social media following and some interesting harmonies that inspire Chance the Rapper to start producing a remix of “What Would I Do If I Could Feel?” from The Wiz with them right on the spot.

NOIVAS / 30 / Hutto, Tex.
Audition Song: “A Change Is Gonna Come” by Sam Cooke
This former American Idol contestant (you may know him as Savion Wright) gets a quick four-chair turn thanks to his passionate performance and incredible control over a big range. He’s a pro, and thanks to Chance’s quick-thinking Blake Shelton block, the freshman coach has a real contender on his team.

Team Niall

Ross Clayton / 33 / McLoud, Okla.
Audition Song: “Blue Ain’t Your Color” by Keith Urban
Newbie Niall Horan pulls out all the stops to win over this seasoned folk/country singer with a rock edge — and that includes turning all the other coaches’ chairs around so he can pitch Ross privately. It works — even Blake is impressed with Niall’s Blind Audition tactics.

Michael B / 29 / Los Angeles, Calif.
Audition Song: “Save Your Tears” by The Weeknd
Michael B doesn’t give the most dynamic of Blind Auditions, but it’s enough to pique Niall’s interest, who is excited to work on song choice with his pop/soul artist.

Team Blake

Neil Salsich / 34 / St. Louis, Mo.
Audition Song: “Honky Tonk Blues” by Hank Williams
This blues/folk four-chair turn has a lot of vocal tricks up his sleeve — everything from a throaty rasp to great falsetto, with a little yodel in there to boot.

Tasha Jessen / 20 / Colorado Springs, Co.
Audition Song: “River” by Leon Bridges
Tasha, whose family had to flee Pakistan because of religious persecution when she was young, gives a chaotic audition in which she’s trying to do a little too much, but her tone and range impress all three male coaches.

Alex Whalen / 43 / Indian Rocks Beach, Fla.
Audition Song: “Help Me Make It Through the Night” by Sammi Smith
This London-bred country singer (?!) has an incredible beard, an affection for leather, and a great lower register. He feels at home on Team Blake.