The Voice

Daly: The blind auditions are over.

Now the battle to win "The Voice" begins.

This is your opportunity.

You have to decide whether you want to be the best

you can be for your future.

Daly: Tonight, helping our coaches prepare their teams

will be four of the biggest names ever to join "The Voice."

Advising Team Adam is Oscar winner

and 10-time Grammy award-winning,

platinum-selling artist John Legend.

I love the idea that this show focuses on finding

the best singers and giving them an opportunity to be seen

and heard, so I'm excited to be a part of it.

12 seasons to get you here.

I'm glad you're here, buddy.

I love you. I missed you, sugar.

Daly: Team Blake has two-time ACM and CMA Entertainer of the Year,

chart-topping country-music superstar Luke Bryan.

You're staring at the page still.

Like, you twirl her and you're flipping

Daly: Helping Team Alicia, Grammy-nominated,

triple-platinum-selling rapper, producer, and radio sensation,

the king of Snapchat, DJ Khaled.

It could be stronger, because I hear such great, strong parts.

I want them parts to be over here, too.

Working with a superstar like DJ Khaled is mind-blowing.

He's a major producer, hitmaker, so I'm very honored

to be in the same presence as that man.

Daly: And advising Team Gwen, five-time Grammy award winner,

one of the best-selling artists in history,

with over 200 million records sold,

and one of the greatest voices of all time, Céline Dion.

Where's the red button?

Oh, my God!

Céline: What I love about this show is that they all have what it takes

to make it in the industry and win.

Yeah! That was incredible!

Wow!

Bye-bye!

Céline has left the building.

Daly: With advisers of this caliber,

artists' performances will reach new heights.

You totally blew a hole on that stage.

That was a boxing match posing as a singing competition.

You have to make a record.

That performance was worthy of any Grammy stage.

Daly: Coaches' decisions will be more heartbreaking.

It's not an easy choice at all.

Damn!

This one hurts me.

Daly: And their steals...

Daly: That is a steal!

And another one!

...more crucial.

Make it three!

No!

Daly: The battle to be named The Voice...

Yeah!

Whoo-hoo-hoo!

Daly: ...starts right now.

Okay. Here we go, guys.

Ready.

Battle rounds, season 12.

I'm one step closer to winning another season of "The Voice."

It is our first battle round together.

Yay!

Don't be so selfish, Blake.

My job is to be selfish on this show.

Got two steals. I'm about to use them.

Where are you going? Your way of thinking is dated.

Okay? It's a new world, where the women rule.

Girl power.

I got to go win this show.

Girl power. Come on, girls.

Come on, Adam.

Daly: Blake's kicking off the first battle of the season

with his friend and adviser

country-music superstar Luke Bryan.

All right, buddy.

Finally!

You got me.

12 seasons to get you here.

I brought in my old friend Luke Bryan because he may be

the most popular artist in country music today.

You abandoned me.

I don't do country music anymore.

I'm a television star.

Luke's a great songwriter, he's a great performer,

he's a great singer.

He's gonna be able to bring something to the table

for each individual.

I'm glad you're here, buddy.

I love you. I missed you, sugar.

Give me a kiss.

Daly: Here is Blake's first pairing of the night...

14-year-old Brennley Brown from Apple Valley, California,

versus 25-year-old Lauren Duski from Nashville.

Brennley: I grew up on a ranch.

My dad really just introduced me into country music,

and I've been watching this show since I was 8 years old.

Oh, my God!

If there is somebody else up and down this line

who can help make your mark on country music...

no... no...

and absolutely not.

I pick Blake.

Yes!

It's just amazing that this girl is only 14 years old

and she has this much talent.

You're so much taller in person!

Lauren: I come from a family of dentists.

When I graduated, I had the choice to go to dental school

or pursue my dream, and it was a no-brainer.

Hey!

You're somebody who clearly can win this thing.

I pick Blake. Yeah!

Lauren and Brennley, they're my pop-country girls.

I'm excited about both of them, but I need their lane

to be clear for whichever one I choose.

Whoa! Oh!

How are y'all?

I thought my heart rate was under control.

Thank you.

How you doing? I'm Luke.

Nice to meet you. Oh, my gosh.

First of all, it's crazy to be working with Blake Shelton,

and then, like, Luke Bryan's sitting right next to him.

I was like, "Is this happening right now?"

You want to hear a backstory on this song?

So, obviously, Taylor Swift wrote it,

and Little Big Town, I was with them

when they decided that they wanted to record it.

Do you get any kind of... anything out of that?

Just a story to last a lifetime.

Blake: "Better Man" is current on the radio.

Little Big Town is a band who has a different sound to them

that I think the girls can take and make their own.

Lauren... she has a little bit of Trisha Yearwood.

You're killing me, man. Luke: Yeah.

You're killing me. A little bit of that sound, you know?

But you need to pour a little bit of anger

in the first chorus.

If you say to somebody,

"I wish you were a better human being"...

Yeah. ...there's a part of it that's sad,

but there's a part of it that's putting the guy in his place.

You know, it is a very deep and emotional song.

For me, I have to think about this one breakup.

I have to picture him, like, there, and, like, thinking,

like, "This is... this is me singing to you,"

and, um...

Sorry.

Hopefully, I don't lose it onstage like this.

Oh, golly.

He'll know, too. He'll be like, "Oh, gosh."

She uses that break in her voice.

Yes. I love that.

It's just... it's such a cool thing.

Luke: Well, the fact that you have kind of that crying,

that angst thing at 14 is...

Brennley: Right. ...it's amazing.

It was a little bit hard to connect 'cause, you know,

I've never had an experience like this before.

Well, if it happens to you, Blake and I will come handle it.

I'm only 14. I've never been in a relationship before.

I got to find something in my life

that I can relate to with this song.

Lauren, I think you've got to milk that sexy, sultry deal

and then open up on the chorus.

Yeah. You've got the ability to take it to another volume.

Yeah. The other thing, Brennley, for you is diction.

Okay.

Which is, you're telling a story here,

and we need to know what it is you're saying.

Got you.

This has been the best surprise.

Oh, my gosh. Luke Bryan. Luke: Oh, good.

This has been awesome for y'all and one of the worst days

of my life getting to work with him.

Sorry. He is such...

And he asked.

He's such an idiot.

Oh, gosh.

He does make me seem smarter when he's around.

Watching stars be born, I don't think that ever gets old.

Enjoy it.

Thank you. Thank you, guys.

Brennley, ultimately, your mind goes to artists

like Taylor Swift when they just came out,

and Lauren's voice has a lot of the same characteristics

that Karen Fairchild had from Little Big Town.

Thank you! Bye.

I really put them on an even playing field.

Daly: It's the night of their battle,

and both artists are ready to take the stage.

Brennley: I'm feeling excited, a little bit nervous, of course.

Just turning 15 today.

I want to prove to Blake that just because I'm younger

doesn't mean I can't work really hard.

Daly: Brennley Brown!