
Tonight, October 1, marked the end of the blind auditions on NBC's The Voice. With only two spots left until each team had its sixteen members, the big question on every audience member's mind was, who will be the elite eight chosen tonight? Such a pressure-filled night undoubtedly made them all want to burst into singing, "I Hope I Get It."
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The first up-and-coming star of the night was Natalie Hernandez, a fifteen-year-old self-proclaimed small town girl who missed her high school prom for the auditions. "I want to do this now! I really hope I get it." She sang Taylor Swift's "White Horse," which perfectly fit her innocently young voice. She had barely sung for two seconds when Blake and Christina pushed their red button simultaneously. Adam thoughtfully took his time, then he went ahead and pushed the red button. All three of the judges vying for this contestant agreed that she was a storyteller who could connect with the audience, but forced to only choose one, Natalie chose Team Christina.
European former boy-band member Rod Michael enjoyed superstar status in Europe at the early age of 19, but when he came to the States, he discovered that no one even knew his name. Going from a sensation to a nobody overnight was a serious blow, but he said that's why he wanted to audition for The Voice. Even though his performance had the girls in the audience screaming, the coaches did not deem him up to the highly-competitive standard for their teams. Despite that, Christina told him he had some "feel-good energy," which she loved.
Twenty-year-old Caitlin Michele had a sad past, from which music saved her. She suffered through a severe panic disorder which caused her to pass out and literally feel like she was going to die at times. In lieu of resorting to drugs or alcohol, Caitlin made singing her vice, and as she continued to use it, she realized her unbelievable passion for it. And this is what she pictured herself doing for the rest of her life. So tonight on The Voice, she chose to sing "Cosmic Love" by Florence and the Machine. This performance prompted both Blake and Adam to hit their buttons. Amid lots of their usual competitive banter, Adam straight-up admitted to Caitlin that, "Because of some pitch things, which would usually hold me back for good, I was resisting a little bit," to which Blake yelled, "Like an idiot!" But Adam told her that despite that, "It was epic and awesome. And I want you... I really just care about different. And you were different." Blake told her that if she wanted normal and not crazy like Adam, she should go with Team Blake. This time, Christina even took sides, telling Caitlin, "If you want to be a risk-taker and to go with someone who understands Florence and the Machine, go with Adam." Caitlin gave into the peer pressure and chose Adam, saying, "I'm the farthest thing from normal." Agreed. Undoubtedly, this girl's beautiful style can only be described as next to normal.
Country girl Nicole Johnson, age 18, was a performer from the beginning. She wrote her first song at age seven, and realizing her passion for music, her parents moved with her to Nashville to pursue her dream as a singer. Cee Lo was the first to push the red button during her country version of Kelly Clarkson's "Mr. Know-it-All," and not surprisingly, Blake followed suit. Heaping the praise, Cee Lo told her, "I was hearing someone with a perfect voice. You just sounded like one of the best." Though that comment was hard to compete with, Blake had the distinct advantage of already being a country star, like she wanted to be. So when he told her, "I'm a believer. I'm 200% a believer in you. And I'd be honored to be your country music coach," he won her over to Team Blake.