Hi there, friends! I’m so excited that The Voice is back becuase it gives me something to look forward to on Monday nights until The Bachelorette begins in a few months. Do you watch? I’m always super impressed with the talent and hearing some of the triumphant stories of overcoming obstacles to pursue dreams.  I usually end up downloading a bunch of songs on iTunes after the show, and this past Monday I was also pleasantly pleased with the performance the four coaches did to kick off the show, including the two newbies: Shakira and Usher. I do miss Cee-Lo (and his animals), though; he’s such a character!

Here are some of my favorite performances from the first week of blind auditions:

The one that gave me chills (for all the 90’s kids!):

The most surprising (this guy totally reminds me of Ashton Kutcher in this performance):

The no-brainer:

The most entertaining (their duo name is “Midas Whale” which they say came about when one asked the other if he wanted to start a duo and his reply was “might as well…” ha!):

Who are your favorites so far? What do you think of the new coaches?