People get very excited whenever a singer on The Voice gets a coveted 4-Chair Turn during their Blind Audition, but the number of chairs does not always correlate with success. Take Adam Bohanan, a member of Team Reba because only Reba McEntire pressed her button when he first performed earlier in Season 26. Now he’s one of the Top 8.
“The thing about Adam is that he’s a 1-Chair Turn, and then the next thing you know he can do everything,” Gwen Stefani — who had a chance to turn for Bohanan but didn’t — explained. “He can do runs, he can be soulful. The guy is just a gifted musician.”
An example of how gifted the 40-year-old Minneapolis resident is? During rehearsals for his Playoffs performance, McEntire and Mega Mentor Lainey Wilson had some notes for his take on Chris Stapelton’s 2023 song “Think I’m in Love with You.” Bohanan wanted to give his cover “an Al Green-ish sort of vibe,” and while the two country legends were into the take, they had a few notes.
McEntire reminded Bohanan to look at the audience while he plays, and Wilson suggested that he stop playing guitar during a pivotal verse, instead getting up close to the mic to enhance his emotional connection with his listeners.
“Once you got halfway into the song I was roped in, but I know that you can rope them in immediately,” Wilson said. “I think it’s just getting sexy on ‘em even on that first line.”
Watch Adam Bohanan Sing Chris Stapelton’s “Think I’m in Love with You” on The Voice Season 26 Playoffs
Bohanan did indeed get sexy on ‘em starting with the first line of his playoff performance, earning raves from all four Coaches. McEntire was shouting “Hey, I’m in love!” by the end, and Snoop Dogg even stood up from his chair in excitement.
“You made me stand up! I don’t normally stand up,” the rapper said. “You were really in performance mode, you had no fear. You’re an artist that can take advantage of this opportunity and we’re gonna hear real music from you.”
“Once in a while, you get somebody with a voice, but then they transcend that by really being an artist and I feel like that’s who you are,” Michael Bublé said, also noting that he would like to drink some whiskey with Bohanan.
Stefani praised Bohanan’s calm composure, noting that he was playing his guitar at the same time “like it’s nothing for you to do that.”
“It’s really hard but I do appreciate you saying that,” a flattered Bohanan replied from the stage.
Bohanan did stop playing his guitar, however, during the moment Wilson encouraged him to, which McEntire noted in her comments.
“You keep getting better and better,” she said. “And when Lainey told you to put the guitar down and get out in front, you did it. You put your personality in with this song.”
“Adam’s got that dirty soul. He’s raspy, he’s growly, he’s got a terrific range,” Reba said before it was time to name which two of the five artists remaining on her team would advance to the Live Shows. Bohanan’s name was the first she called.
“Adam’s voice stands out because it’s powerful, he’s got great range, he’s got that gravel in his voice. He’s my dirty soul singer,” McEntire said. “He was great with his eye contact, he stayed in the moment, he was having a fun time and that makes everybody watching have a fun time. Because he’s been so consistent, I had to have him continue on in the show.”
