Written by Giavanna Foster

NBC’s The Voice premiered its twelfth season on February 27. Adam Levine, Gwen Stefani, Alicia Keys, and Blake Shelton will be coaching the contestants this season. After week 2 of the blind auditions, each coach discovered new talent from aspiring singers. Here is our exclusive recap of week 2:

Micah Tryba sang her rendition of Chaka Khan’s “I’m Every Woman”. Blake and Gwen pushed the “I Want You” button during his audition. Tryba is a former acappella vocalist at the University of Illinois. She took a break from veterinary school to chase her passion towards music. Alicia praised Micah’s vocals and performance by saying that she had a beautiful, gorgeous voice. Keys respected the work Micah put into singing and practicing the song. Gwen added that Micah‘s intuition, sensitivity, and voice control. Micah Tryba’s blind audition has over 719k YouTube views.

Blake and Gwen wanted to coach Johnny. Between Blake and Gwen, Micah chose: TEAM BLAKE

Johnny Gates sang his rendition of Rod Stewart’s “Maggie May”. Blake, Gwen, and Alicia pushed the “I Want You” button during his audition. Gates was a former lead singer in a rock band that opened for Rod Stewart last summer. Gates’ blind audition was his venture to become discovered as a solo artist. Alicia said that Gates’ energy pops through with his outrageous tone. Blake added that Johnny is capable of many things. Blake told Adam that he is headed towards the ‘Jagger’ type of stage performance. Johnny Gates’s blind audition has over 518k YouTube views. On March 8, it landed the #37 position on YouTube’s trending list.

Blake, Gwen, and Alicia wanted to mentor Johnny. In the end, Johnny chose: TEAM GWEN

Lauryn Judd sang her rendition of “Girls Just Want to Have Fun”. Cyndi Lauper’s 1983 cover popularized the hit. However, Robert Hazard wrote this tune in 1979. Gwen, Alicia, and Blake pushed the “I Want You” button during Judd’s audition. Gwen said that Lauryn has a cool style that can’t be taught. Alicia said Judd is a special artist and that she would love to work with her. Blake described Lauryn’s sound as unique, tiny, and powerful. Lauryn Judd’s blind audition has over 810k YouTube views.

Gwen, Alicia, and Blake wanted to coach Lauryn. She chose: TEAM ALICIA

Josh West sang his rendition of Duran Duran’s “Ordinary World”. Before The Voice, West sang with his father in a rock band. West’s golden solo performance ended with a killer note that earned a standing ovation. All coaches pushed the “I Want You” button during his audition. Josh West is one of the only singers to get all coaches to turn their chair around this week. Adam told Josh that his hair is “super, like, early 90s Eddie Vedder hair”. Alicia added that West gave an awe-inspiring performance. She also noted that West’s strong voice kept climbing without faltering. Also, West told the coaches that Soundgarden is his favorite 90s band. Gwen said that he would kill that (referring to a potential Soundgarden cover). Josh West’s blind audition has over 940k YouTube views.

All coaches wanted to work with Josh. He chose: TEAM ADAM.

Also, The Voice celebrated International Women’s Day. “We celebrate the women of today. ❤️👩✨ ”, they tweeted. Here is the tweet:

On March 8, The Voice’s YouTube channel published “Women of the Voice” a digital exclusive feature has over 41k YouTube views. Alicia Keys, Audrey Morrissey, Laura Lyons, and Nadine “Hi-Hat” Ruffin were featured in the video. Audrey Morrissey is The Voice’s executive producer and showrunner. Audrey stated that teaming with women is key. Also, women work together by playing key leadership roles in every single department of The Voice. Audrey added that The Voice is a warm, safe place where nurturing, creativity, and growth thrive. This, she says, is a secret ingredient of success.

Laura Lyons is The Voice’s Associate Director. Lyons mentioned that the show recruits the best people out there, which are mostly women. Nadine “Hi-Hat” Ruffin is The Voice’s performance producer. Nadine mentioned that she persevered after doors were closed in her face. She talks about her determination as a woman to choreography and creative directing. Also, Alicia Keys believes that women are so spectacular. Keys added that the art of celebrating women in their fullest power is beautiful.

What was your favorite week 2 moment? Tell us by commenting below.

To read our coverage of Gaby Borromeo’s audition, click here.