Judges Gwen Stefani, Blake Shelton, John Legend, and Kelly Clarkson have introduced their esteemed mentor picks on The Voice. Their credentials are undeniable, and if their faces seem unfamiliar, it's likely you won't say the same about their songs.
The battle rounds are up and the judges have used every ounce of advice from their mentors and each other as they have had to eliminate or save their beloved singers. Gwen Stefani chose Payge in her battle against Lauren, but Lauren was saved by both Blake and John, with Team Legend winning over the singer in the end. Blake's smackdown between Jim Ranger and John Sullivan saw a win for Jim, while John was sent home. John Legend put John Holliday and Julia Cooper in the ring, choosing John as the winner. Although, proud of her progress, Legend decided to save Julia. Kelly Clarkson pit Desz and Joseph Soul against each other, choosing Desz as the winner while Gwen Stefani, moved by his performance, saved Joseph.
The mentors chosen by the judges have been watched closely by the audience and have offered up valuable expertise when it comes to the contestants. Gwen's pick had her song, "Issues", hit No. 11 on the Hit 100 Charts on Billboard. The artist is none other than 26-year-old Julia Michaels. Julia is a two-time-Grammy-nominated vocal powerhouse, who has a penchant for writing hits for other artists as well as herself, according to Yahoo News. She wrote "Bad Liar" for Selena Gomez, "Sorry" for Justin Bieber, and "Used To Love You" for Gwen Stefani. Stefani's pair performed "If The World Was Ending" By Julia Michaels and JP Saxe.
Blake Shelton has been aided by Kane Brown. This 27-year-old has won two CMT Music awards, two times for Favorite Male Artist. He first broke through with Closer in 2015. His later songs "What Ifs", "Used To Love You Sober", and "Last Minute Late Night", have gotten him even more recognition and awards. Of course, he isn't the only one on the roster of mentors to have awards. Kelly Clarkson's pick, Leon Bridges, has won a Grammy. This 31-year-old has hits like "River" and "Beyond," but is most known for his 2015 hit "Coming Home", which blew up on Spotify and skyrocketed his career. Known for his retro sound, he has also just collaborated with Terrace Martin on the single "Sweeter", a song that has caused him to be compared to legends such as Sam Cooke and Otis Redding.
Rounding out the mentor list is John Legend's pick, Miguel Pimentel. Writing songs since 14, he signed his first contract at 19. Most known for his second album, Kaleidoscope Dream, the 35-year-old has won a Grammy and collaborated with names like Alicia Keys, Jhene Aiko, and Ro James. Hits on his second album that hit high on the charts are songs like "Adorn", "Do you...", and "How Many Drinks". Early on, he also worked alongside Trey Songz, Usher, and Musiq Soulchild. It seems as though the judges have compiled a talented team of mentors, and fans can rest assured that they will help some of their favorites improve their singing and performing!
Sources: Yahoo News, Leon Bridges