Ang Pinoy contestant na si Jej Vinson ay naging four-chair turner nang mag-audition siya para sa The Voice U.S.
Na-impress ang mga coaches ng The Voice U.S. na sina Adam Levine, Kelly Clarkson, John Legend, at Blake Shelton sa naganap na Blind Auditions noong March 4, 2019.
Sa simula pa lang nang pag-awit ni Jej Vinson ng “Passionfruit” ni Drake, ang American Idol Season 1 winner na si Kelly Clarkson ang nagsabi ng "He’s good.”
Di nagtagal ay unang nag-chair turn ang country singer na si Blake Shelton. Ilang segundo lang ay sumunod na mag-turn ng chair niya si Kelly at nasa mukha nito ang excitement nang makita si Jej.
Magkasabay namang nag-chair turn sina John Legend at Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine na nag-comment kay Jej na "He’s really good."
Dahil sa magandang performance ni Jej, napatayo sa kanyang chair si Shelton samantalang si Clarkson ay bumaba sa kanyang chair at lumapit kay Jei upang sabihin: “I just wanna shake your hand!” sabay yakap dito.
Napatalon sa tuwa ang 22-year-old Filipino based sa Los Angeles dahil hindi siya nakapaniwala na napaikot niya ang chairs ng apat na mahuhusay na coaches ng The Voice Season 16.
Ibig sabihin nito ay pag-aagawan siya nila Blake, Kelly, John at Adam kung sino sa kanilang apat ang piliin niyang mag-coach sa kanya.
Nasabi tuloy ni Adam: “You’re a better singer than all of us!”
Sinagot naman ito ni Jej ng “that’s not true!”
Unang nag-comment sa performance ni Jej si John at sinabi nito: "That was like a wild inspired song choice because Drake is kind of like monotone normally, and I was worried that you would stay in that little zone, but then you soared. You showed us these really precise beautiful runs. It’s was like you knew the note you wanted and just picked it out in the air. And you hit every single one with precision and beauty and excitement. You’ve got the whole crowd going. I’m excited you got four chairs because you deserve it and I love to be your coach.”
Papuri naman ni Adam: “We’re sitting here listening to you, same run and forced our hand on it like ‘Are we not gonna do this?’ Bam! Just simultaneous. We had a fun time listening to you. Maybe the one thing you shouldn’t do is to be too perfect. There’s almost something surgical about how perfectly placed all of those runs are. What I would wanna do as your coach if I were to be so lucky is to make sure we can get to a place where people can feel you, as well as they can hear you. That for me is the number one thing. To make sure that we can navigate you in this competition and keeping everyone connected to your heart.”
Heto naman ang comment ni Blake: "You know, I think everybody here is probably a little bit nervous talking to you right now. We all feel like we’re looking at the winner of The Voice this season. I do, I think that. This is what scares me. For you to do what people expect you to do. I would hate to see you stay in a box. Listen to me, do you want to stand out in this competition or do you want to be like everybody else? So everything they’re complaining about is because of one thing. I win this show a lot and that’s a freakin’ fact. Period.”
Hirit naman ni Kelly: "I can win this show with you. You are incredible man! When I turned around like ‘What!’ And it was so effortless. They were saying your runs are so surgical but they’re not. They’ve got finesse. And I’m gonna tell you this right now. Strategically, I have one male and he is in a trio of two girls. I would love the opportunity to work with you, man. You’re really incredible.”
Pagdating na sa pagpili ni Jej kung sino kina Adam, John, Kelly, at Blake ang magiging coach niya, nasabi nito na, “This is the hardest decision I ever have to make. Oh my God! But I will pick Kelly!”
Magmu-move on si Jej sa Battle Round kunsaan makakalaban nito ang isa pang singer na kinu-coach ni Kelly.
Kung magwagi si Jej sa season na ito ng The Voice U.S., mapapanalunan niya ang US$100,000 at isang recording contract from Universal Music Group.
Si Jej ay taga-Davao City na nag-migrate kasama ang kanyang parents to the U.S. noong siya ay 15 years old.
Galing sa isang traditional Filipino family si Jej at nagsimula itong kumanta sa karaoke pagkatapos niyang mapanood ang mga magulang niyang umaawit sa isang choir.
Unang tumira ang Vinson family sa South Dakota at noong mag-turn 18 si Jej, sumali ito sa isang a cappella camp in Los Angeles.
Lumipat ang buong pamilya ni Jej to California kunsaan nag-aaral ito ng music sa University of Southern California (USC) at naging music director ito para sa a cappela group ng university.
Nagtrabaho rin part-time sa isang restaurant si Jej habang nag-aaral ito.