VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) – A Virginia Beach educator got a big ‘Chance’ on the current season of The Voice, which just began its new season of blind auditions.
Magnus Martin, who had teased on his social media platforms that he would be appearing on The Voice Season 23, got an early chair turn on Tuesday’s Blind Auditions episode from Chance the Rapper for a soulful rendition of the Hall & Oates classic, “Sara Smile.”
“Man, oh man, they did not turn around, that’s crazy,” Chance the Rapper said. After judge Kelly Clarkson said she didn’t turn because she didn’t want to take away from Chance’s excitement, Chance added, “I am so excited to win this show with you, Magnus.”
Martin’s Instagram page features a video of his performance on The Voice.
The 25-year-old singer and Norfolk State University alum, despite getting just one chair turn, got praise from the other judges, Clarkson, Niall Horan and Blake Shelton.
Said Horan of his performance: “Pretty incredible.”
Shelton: “Your performance, it got better and better as it went along.”
“Impeccable song choice, the pacing at which you attack the song,” Chance said. “For awhile, I was like, your runs are going crazy. What’s his high register like? What’s he going to sound like when he goes up there. And then you just smacked that note at the end.”
The Voice’s official Twitter feed described Martin as “one of a kind.”
Martin previously was a part of the Voices of Fire choir on the Netflix series of the same name that aired in November 2020. The series followed Bishop Ezekial Williams, uncle of Pharrell Williams, as they set about putting together a world-class gospel choir.
In his audition video for The Voice, Martin said he had wanted to audition for the show for the past couple of seasons, but he said he had been in school and had been teaching.
“But I’m taking a leap on faith,” Martin said, “and I’m actually going to just go for it.”
That faith has paid dividends, as he advances to the Battle Rounds of the show.
