‘The Voice’: Blake Shelton Calls Wendy Moten’s 4-Chair Turn a ‘Top 3 Blind Audition of All Time’

Blake Shelton has seen a lot of blind auditions throughout his 21 seasons as a coach on The Voice, but he made it clear that Wendy Moten’s audition during Monday’s season premiere was one of the most special he’s ever seen. In fact, he called it one of the “top three blind auditions of all time.”

Moten, a 55-year-old performer from Nashville, Tennessee, closed out the first night of auditions on Monday with a powerful rendition of “We Can Work It Out” by The Beatles, leaving the coaches speechless as they all turned their chairs around and vied to land her on their respective teams. Moten is already a seasoned singer and boasts a charting hit from the ’90s with “Come In Out of the Rain.” Later, she sang backup and duets with Julio Iglesias, Vince Gill, Michael McDonald, John Oates and more.

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“What a privilege for them to have shared the stage with you!” Ariana Grande praised Moten. “You are spectacular and I need you to be in the foreground. It’s time.” John Legend also had kind words for her, saying, “Your mastery of your instrument is beyond. You have so much light in your voice… You really are phenomenal and we are lucky to have you.”

Clarkson was admittedly last to turn her chair for Moten but said she simply got caught up in the performance. “You are what this show is all about,” she gushed. “A voice that is so powerful, so transcendent, that you kind of move people to another level.”

But it was Shelton who gave Moten the biggest compliment, telling her, “That is top three blind audition for The Voice, all time. … You found a note and delivered it with power and impact. It was shocking,” he said, joking, “[It blew] the color out of my hair!”

Although all the judges were doing their best to convince Moten to join their teams, she shocked the panel by having her mind made up for Team Blake! “I feel like Wendy is one of the best vocalists I have ever heard on this show,” Shelton boasted. “I can’t wait to see where this goes.” Meanwhile, Grande said she was “heartbroken” and that “Blake’s the real deal.”

Grande joined The Voice as a coach for the first time this season following Nick Jonas’ exit. Legend told Entertainment Tonight that Grande is a big threat to him, Clarkson and Shelton, calling her “hugely talented, highly successful and has legions and legions of fans that know how to use the internet and vote.”

Clarkson agreed, saying, “There’s no disadvantage when you’re Ariana Grande. She can’t say it. I will.” Shelton joked, “It’s embarrassing to follow her [onto The Voice stage]. It exposes my lack of celebrity.”

What did you think about The Voice‘s Season 21 premiere episode? Let us know in the comments below. The Voice airs Mondays and Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on NBC.