On every season of The Voice there are a few Artists who stand out from the rest, whose voice and stage presence spark something ineffable inside anyone who hears or sees them perform. On Season 26, Jose Luis was one of those performers.
Growing up in Puerto Rico, Luis was inspired by family (both biological and found) and Artists like Lady Gaga. From an early age he set out to make a mark on the world through art and music. His first appearance in Episode 6, during the Blind Auditions, made it clear that Luis was here to make good on that dream.
Jose Luis’ journey on The Voice, from the Blinds to the Knockouts and Playoffs
At the Blinds, Luis performed “Traitor” by Olivia Rodrigo and earned a 4-Chair Turn. Once the song was over, series newcomer Michael Bublé said of Luis, “I never want to leave this TV show because of people like you. You have a beautiful voice, and every single person sitting here is a Coach that can bring you so much. I’m so happy for you.”
In spite of Bublé’s kind words, Luis joined up with Team Gwen, citing Stefani’s musical stylings and fashion sense as contributing factors. In the Battles, Luis went up against Austyns Stancil; the duo sang “Lay Me Down” by Sam Smith, a song which perfectly illuminated the vocal talents of both Artists. The competition was tight and even Stefani wasn’t sure what to do.
“Austyns, you came out so cool tonight. You listened to my notes about your facial expressions, and everything landed perfectly. Jose, you have this gift, your voice is so powerful and so expressive that you could do anything with your voice in the whole world. It’s impossible to choose somebody, you both could win The Voice,” Stefani said, before naming Luis the winner of the Battle.
Moving on to the Knockouts, Luis went toe-to-toe with Camryn Brooks and Deon Jones. Brooks and Jones opened the Knockout, and Luis absolutely closed it down with a performance of Ariana Grande’s “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)”.
“He is just undeniable,” Stefani said, following the Knockout performance. “It’s like one of those singers where you’re like, ‘How are you real? You’re so composed, you’re so emotional,’ and I just want to see what he does next.”
Unfortunately, Jose Luis was eliminated during the Playoffs’ November 19th episode.
