Ah.
As the opening act ended, the camera panned to the audience, and everyone was ecstatic.
Watching four superstars perform for free—how could they not be excited?
Even though many parts were re-recorded, it was still incredibly enjoyable.
Especially the dance battle between Michael and his sister, it was truly stunning and will definitely become a classic moment in performance history.
Waving to the audience as he walked to his seat, James Corden began to introduce the rules.
"Thank you to our four coaches for their wonderful performance."
"Next, they will begin the blind auditions, with all of them facing away from the contestants, judging only by voice whether they approve of the singing skill."
"They cannot see the contestants' clothing or appearance, and even age cannot influence the judges' decisions."
"If more than one coach selects a contestant, the choice will then transfer to the contestant."
"During the blind audition phase, the coaches will each select eight contestants from all participants to form their teams, a process that will be far from simple."
"Please remember, this is a pure music competition, and the only thing winners can rely on is their solid ability."
"OK! Let's welcome our first contestant!"
As the rules were introduced, many audience members suddenly felt that something was different, especially the rule about the choice transferring to the contestant; it seemed very interesting and fun.
She keenly realized that something interesting was about to happen, and her previously casual gaze became focused.
The screen switched to the contestant, a handsome young man in a hat, nearly 190 cm tall, looking sunny and robust.
"Hello everyone, I'm Paylix Thomas, 20 years old, from Nashville, Tennessee."
"You see how tall I am now, but when I was little, I was always bullied because I was a complete nerd back then."
"I really wanted to play sports with everyone, baseball, football, but I had no athletic ability."
"Until I found something I loved, and that was singing."
James Corden: "Hello Thomas, you look great."
"Yes, everything's good, just very excited."
"Then you should relax a little, because I think you're definitely going to be chosen, and then it won't be too late to get excited."
"Hahaha, if I succeed, those who laughed at me will surely drool with envy; this is the best opportunity of my life."
"Go for it, young man!"
"Of course, I'm ready for millions to hear my voice."
On stage, a melodious prelude began, and Paylix started to sing.
Although the coaches couldn't see him, the audience could see everything clearly, and when they discovered that a 190 cm tall man was singing a country-style song, many people showed surprised expressions.
At this moment, the camera zoomed in on Celine Dion, who was smiling and turned to look at Michael beside her.
"Michael, I'm sure this contestant is a handsome guy."
"Why? How do you know?" Michael asked curiously.
"Look at them, look at these girls, their expressions say it all, he's definitely a handsome guy."
Jay-Z chuckled, saying with a somewhat helpless and mocking tone, "Women, eh."
This scene had the effect of a sitcom, immediately amusing many viewers in front of their screens.
Many people thought Jay-Z was just a rapper, but he had actually appeared in several comedy films.
He had that natural comedic timing that Black performers often possess, and Eric had considered this when choosing him as a coach, to create a variety show effect.
Otherwise, with Jay-Z's status, he was somewhat mismatched with the other three; his total album sales were less than 20 million, how could he compare to these three who had at least 100 million each?
Puff Daddy would have been a more suitable choice.
Celine Dion's hand was already poised on the red button, ready to press, and backstage, James Corden looked at the contestant's parents: "See, I told you he could do it."
The parents watched the screen excitedly, murmuring, "Another one! Another one!"
"That this might really be the real end"
Bang!
When Thomas reached the high note transition in the climax, there was a thud, and Celine Dion decisively pressed the button.
When her chair turned around, she was surprised for a moment, then smiled.
Many audience members applauded, and Thomas's parents jumped up excitedly, hugging James Corden.
As the singing continued, Celine Dion suddenly tilted her head to look at Janet, only to see her also placing her hand on the red button.
The Queen of Skits' expression changed, and she continuously gestured with her hands like a witch casting a spell, signaling Janet not to press.
Jay-Z, caught between the two, quickly leaned back.
At this point, the performance reached its second climax and was about to end; seeing that Janet still hadn't pressed, Celine Dion finally breathed a sigh of relief and sat up straight.
Bang!
Just as she straightened up, Janet pressed the button, leaving Celine Dion dumbfounded, like a Smurf.
Thomas's performance ended, and he ultimately received the favor of two coaches; Michael and Jay-Z's chairs also turned around.
Celine Dion was about to ask Janet if she was deliberately causing trouble, but Jay-Z already made a startled expression and looked at her.
"Xi Di, you can't make that gesture at me!"
He said, imitating Celine Dion's gesture from earlier.
"I'm a Black man, your gesture reminds me of unpleasant memories; I was a devout Voodoo follower back then, this will give me nightmares!"
He spoke in a somewhat comical, movie-like style, his strangely sudden high-pitched tone immediately causing a burst of laughter from the audience.
In a family home in Long Island, New York, three siblings were gathered around the computer watching The Voice.
"Hahahaha."
"OMG! Michael, Jay-Z is so funny, why did no one tell me he was so entertaining!"
The eldest son shrugged: "I told you already, Carol, but you only read and study all day, you never listen to me."
The younger son added: "That's right, but your favorite Celine Dion is also good, her comedic talent is also great."
"Of course, Benny, if you've seen Celine Dion's old interviews, you'd know she's a very funny singer."
"Hey! Who wants cookies? I just baked them? Wait, what are you watching? Is this Lionheart Network?"
"Mom, didn't you listen to Janet Jackson when you were young? And Dad listened to Michael Jackson, you should watch this show, it's much more interesting than American Idol."
Mom quickly waved her hands: "No, no, I work for Long Island TV, and our station joined the Anti-MGM Alliance, didn't you know?"
Saying this, she yelled, "Jason, come watch your idol, write your thesis later."
Summoned by his wife, Jason Seaver ran out of the study, looked at the screen, and shook his head: "Darling, you're aiding the enemy."
Maggie chuckled: "Who cares, no one will know anyway, besides the show is very interesting, look, they're about to argue, hahaha."
On the show, Michael said: "Excellent, Thomas, your performance was great, your voice is very suitable for the country genre."
"Then why didn't you turn for him?" his good sister Janet immediately fired back.
"Uh, because I don't think I sing as well as him, and I'm afraid I can't guide him."
OH
Although everyone knew Michael was being humble, they still cheered and applauded cooperatively.
Seeing the 190 cm tall contestant shyly lower his head, Janet smiled warmly at him.
"You're very cute, Paylix, especially when you smile, you're even cuter."
"Thank you!"
"You're welcome, how about taking off your hat? Let everyone get a good look at you."
"Wow, is it the audience who wants to see, or you who wants to see?" Celine Dion teased.
"I think everyone wants to see, what do you think?"
OH
The surrounding girls immediately shrieked.
"OK!"
Paylix took off his hat; his thick hair was a bit messy but showed a touch of wildness, he was indeed a handsome young man.
"Can you take off your pants too?" Janet said casually.
Michael quickly lowered his head and covered his face, while the girls' screams once again increased by a decibel.
Jay-Z quickly made a downward hand gesture: "Be modest, be modest, Janet!"
Janet quickly dodged: "Don't make that gesture at me, I'm also Black, and I was once a member of the Voodoo religion."
Hahahaha
The audience's laughter never stopped; except for Michael, who was somewhat shy, the other three clearly had a lot of comedic material.
Subsequently, the two began a battle to win over the contestant.
Janet pointed to herself: "Paylix, I know that in terms of style, the other woman is obviously more suitable for you."
"You should show me more respect, Janet, I debuted a whole year before you, a whole year!" Celine Dion's eyes widened.
Hahahaha
Janet rolled her eyes at the camera: "Alright, clearly Xi Di's style is more suitable for you, but I have an advantage she doesn't."
"The best way for a singer to gain fame is to show their face at a big-name concert. I have a national tour this year, and you can join."
Phelix's eyes lit up. Celine Dion quickly interjected, "Wait, you can't trick this innocent young man. I haven't heard about you going on tour. You didn't just decide it on the fly, did you?"
"Of course not. While I don't have a tour, Michael does. He's my brother, so joining his would work, wouldn't it?"
Celine Dion shrugged in surprise. "That's not fair! They're ganging up on me, a single person. Director, director, I demand fair competition!"
"Ahem."
"Actually, I'm both the producer and the assistant director," Michael said nonchalantly.
Hahahahaha.
Michael's innocent tone immediately caused another burst of laughter from both the audience and those in front of their screens.
Of course, these were all jokes. In the end, Phelix still chose Celine Dion, whose style was a closer match.
Afterward, contestants came on stage one after another—handsome men, beautiful women, and also some less attractive men and women.
The four judges didn't just joke around; when it came to professionalism, they were absolutely serious. When a contestant's skill was genuinely weak or they performed poorly, they would tactfully point it out and decline them.
At this point, besides Michael's team, the other three had all recruited members. Jay-Z directly took two rap youngsters under his wing.
Just like basketball, American rap is unique in the world. Only in this country can you see rap become mainstream music; it's not the case in other music scenes.
The progress bar had already reached the last ten minutes or so, with only about one contestant's performance time remaining.
According to the usual pattern, the last act is generally the most exciting. Countless viewers stared at their screens; in just one hour, they had been deeply captivated by this novel music variety show.
"I am Bruno Mars, 19 years old this year—to be precise, my birthday hasn't arrived yet, so I can only be considered 18."
"I come from the beautiful resort island of Hawaii, my hometown."
"Since childhood, I've been performing on local stages. I love to sing, and I love the feeling of being watched under the spotlight."
"Now I'm here to participate in The Voice of America, and I believe I can find an opportunity to showcase my talent here."
James Corden: "Bruno, did you come alone?"
"Yes."
"Alright, you're the first contestant to come to the show alone. Where are your family? Your friends?"
Mars Bro shook his head. "My family is in Hawaii. Last year, I graduated from President Roosevelt High School, and then I felt I couldn't continue like that. I needed to pursue my dream, which is music, so I came to Los Angeles alone."
"So you're pursuing your dream all by yourself?"
"Something like that."
James Corden patted his shoulder. "Brother, stories like yours often appear in movies. I wish you, too, will achieve your dream like a movie protagonist."
"Thank you!"
The stage lights dimmed, and the audience calmed their restless emotions.
Tinkle. Tinkle.
In the quiet darkness, music slowly rose, interspersed with faint wind chimes, giving the feeling of stars winking in the night sky.
Hearing this intro, Michael suddenly tilted his head slightly, listening carefully again with his ear, then a smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
Celine Dion tilted her head to look at him: "Michael, your fan is here."
That's right, Mars Bro was going to sing "Man in the Mirror," one of Michael's famous songs.
This is a slow song that expresses love for the world. If you've seen the music video, you'll find it intersperses events like the Ethiopian famine, the American Civil Rights Movement, and the KKK, which is very touching.
This song undoubtedly topped the Billboard charts that year and also won a Grammy Award for Record of the Year.
Mars Bro had admired and imitated Michael since he was a child. This time, having the opportunity to face his idol, he naturally had to use his best skill to attract his attention.
"I'm gonna make a change."
"I'm going to make a change."
"For once in my life."
"In my life."
"It's gonna feel real good."
"It's going to feel very good to do this."
"Gonna make a difference."
"It will be different."
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
In just four lines, Celine Dion, Jay-Z, and Janet all pressed the red button, looking at the unassuming small dark-skinned man in front of them with some surprise.
There was surprise in all three of their expressions; they hadn't expected such a beautiful voice to come from such a body.
"I see the kids in the street with not enough to eat."
"I see children wandering the streets, not having enough to eat."
"A summer's disregard, a broken bottle top."
"Summer's disregard, a broken bottle top."
"They follow each other on the wind ya know."
"They support each other in the wind and rain."
"'Cause they got nowhere to go."
"Because they have nowhere else to go."
As the song reached the chorus, Mars Bro's pitch suddenly rose with the drumbeat.
"I'm starting with the man in the mirror."
"I'm going to start with the man in the mirror."
"I'm asking him to change his ways."
"I'm asking him to change the path he's on."
"And no message could have been any clearer."
"No other thought could be clearer than this."
"If you wanna make the world a better place."
"If you want to make this world a better place."
"Take a look at yourself, and then make a change."
"Then look at yourself, and then change yourself."
Bang!
Michael pressed the red button, and the entire audience immediately cheered. This was the only four-chair turn contestant so far in the first episode.
Everyone swayed gently with Mars Bro's singing. Michael nodded gently while tapping his foot to the beat.
A few minutes later, Mars Bro finished his performance and bowed to the audience.
Michael opened his microphone: "Wonderful performance. You look like you're mixed-race. Introduce yourself."
Mars Bro looked at Michael with some excitement, his words a little incoherent.
"Yes, yes, I'm from Hawaii. Michael, I'm your super fan! Super, super, super fan!"
"Buddy! Everyone can tell, are you Black?" Jay-Z asked with a smile.
Calming himself down, Mars Bro replied, "Although my skin looks a bit dark, I am not Black."
"My father is Puerto Rican and Eastern European mixed, and my mother is Spanish and Filipino mixed, so I am a four-country mix."
Jay-Z frowned somewhat self-deprecatingly: "So people always say mixed-race babies are the smartest. OMG! My Beyonce!"
Hahahahaha.
Everyone knew he and Beyonce were a couple, but both were Black.
While the others were laughing, Celine Dion started recruiting: "Bruno, as you saw, I was the first to turn around. So I think you don't need to hesitate; join my team, and I will help you find the most suitable path for your singing."
Janet, seeing this, also began to speak: "Bruno, it's clear your performance was perfect. Although you sang my brother's song, I still really want you. Come to me, and let's win the championship together!"
"Brother, I don't know if you understand rap, but I'm not just about rap. I've sung ballads too, and I think adding rap elements can make you look cool. Come to me, and let's pursue happy music together!" Jay-Z said, spreading his arms.
The three of them looked at Michael. He smiled, then walked directly onto the stage.
"Bruno, I know you must have come for me, and I am also very lucky to have met you. Let's work together and go all the way to the end!"
"He's cheating!" the three of them shouted together.
But their feigned anger was useless. Mars Bro, as expected, ran into Michael's embrace.
The first episode of The Voice came to an end.