The Voice 2026: the voice 2026 Premiere Sees Adam Take Early Lead
the voice 2026 officially kicked off with Season 29’s Blind Auditions during the Monday, February 23 episode, and Adam Levine seized an early advantage in the new Triple Turn competition. John Legend, Kelly Clarkson and Adam Levine — all former champions — returned as coaches, and producers billed the season as a “Battle of Champions. ”
Season 29 Blind Auditions
The Season 29 Blind Auditions began during the Monday, February 23 episode. With the addition of the Triple Turn competition — which gives the coach who gets the most three-chair turns an advantage in the Battle Rounds — the coaches were more intense than ever in their pitches to get the best singers on their teams.
Lucas West Opens the Night
Lucas West gave the first performance of the night, singing "Benny and the Jets" by Elton John. Adam Levine turned around first, followed by John Legend. Levine said, "It’s so crazy because when I heard you sing, and then I turned around, like, 20 minutes before John, I was blown away by how different you are. Seeing you be a musician there, playing keys, doing it soulful, doing it simply, I don’t see that on the show. " Legend and Levine went back and forth, with Legend concluding, "Seeing how soulful you are, it made me want you on Team Legend even more. I’d love to coach you. " Lucas’ mom pushed for Legend, and Levine added a longer pitch: "When we first got signed, it was a struggle in the beginning because no one knew where to put us. That ended up being the best thing that could ever happen. Not fitting in at the beginning really puts you at an advantage to be something different than everybody else. I am very, very passionate about being part of that. I just think you’re super special, man. " In the end, Lucas picked Legend as his coach.
Alexia Jayy's Triple Turn
For her Blind Audition, Alexia Jayy sang "(You Make Me Feel) Like a Natural Woman. " Kelly Clarkson turned right away, followed by John Legend and Adam Levine, making this the first Triple Turn of the season. Legend gushed, "You have it all. Not only do you have the raw ability, but you know how to deploy it in the right way. You are my type of singer. I love your voice. I love your style. " Levine observed that Clarkson or Legend might be a better choice for Alexia but offered a longer reflection: "That song you sang, Aretha Franklin, but written by Carole King. Two very different people came together to create one of the best moments in music history because they were different. As the golden goddess unicorn with the flowers in her hair that you are, maybe the way for you to go all the way here is to do it with somebody that not everybody would expect. " Clarkson praised Alexia for taking a big risk: "It’s such a big, bold statement. In order to win, you have to come out here and say, ‘Yeah, I know that’s the Queen of Soul, but I have something to offer, and I want to do something bold. '" When Alexia brought her son onstage and he revealed that Maroon 5 is his favorite artist, Levine lit up and added, "You have the voice that motivates me even more to say this is the best voice in the competition. " Alexia picked Levine, giving him the first Triple Turn point and putting him into an early lead in the Triple Turn competition.
The Voice 2026 Coaches and Wins
This is the first all-winners season with only three coaches on the panel. Legend and Levine returned to the series after a one-season hiatus; Clarkson last coached during Season 23. Clarkson enters the "Battle of Champions" with the most wins: four victories with Brynn Cartelli (Season 14), Chevel Shepherd (Season 15), Jake Hoot (Season 17) and Girl Named Tom (Season 21). Levine, now in his 18th season, is a three-time winner and was the very first winning coach with Javier Colon; Levine also won with Tessanne Chin in Season 5 and Jordan Smith in Season 9. Legend has one win, with Maelyn Jarmon in Season 17.
In-Season All-Star Competition Details
The season will also feature a new round called the "In-Season All-Star Competition, " which will see two contestants from each coach’s former teams compete in a separate round judged by former coach CeeLo Green. The coach that receives the most All-Star wins in the knockout round is guaranteed a second artist in the finale.
How to Watch Tonight
"The Voice" Season 29 premieres tonight, Feb. 23, at 9 p. m. ET. If you don’t have cable, you’ll need a live TV streaming service to watch live programming. One service offers a five-day free trial for new subscribers; when the trial is over, subscribers can pay as low as $59. 99/month and gain access to over 90 live channels including NBC. Another streaming tier is listed at $16. 99/month; that tier also makes new episodes available to stream in full on Tuesday mornings. This streaming information was summarized by Angela Tricarico, Commerce Streaming Reporter.
Julia Golden’s performance of Deana Carter’s "Strawberry Wine" earned chair turns from Legend, then Clarkson at the very end. Legend made sure to point out that he turned first, while Clarkson said she lost herself singing along with Julia. Legend said, "You have such a beautiful texture to your voice, " and the context cuts off after that fragment — unclear in the provided context.
Producers and coaches emphasized the intensified competition created by the Triple Turn and the new All-Star layer, and the early results left Adam Levine with the first Triple Turn point and an early edge as the season moves toward Battle Rounds and the new knockout All-Star phase.
Closing: Season 29 opened on Feb. 23 with the Blind Auditions and the new Triple Turn and In-Season All-Star elements already shaping coach strategy, leaving the early leaderboard and several contestant choices — and one unfinished audition recap — as part of an opening night that mixed veteran coaches, bold song choices and a renewed promotional push for the Battle of Champions format.
