HOLMDEL, NJ — A New Jersey teenager took center stage on Monday night as she performed on the Season 30 premiere of "The Voice."
Featuring coaches Kelly Clarkson, Adam Levin, Riley Green and Queen Latifah, "The Voice" is a musical competition series that allows coaches to deliver veteran coaching expertise to a new group of artists looking to be the next Voice champion.
What sets the series apart from other musical competition shows is its "blind audition" process, where singers audition with the coaches' chairs facing away from them, so they're judged solely on their voice.
If a coach decides they want a singer to be on their team, they hit a button to turn their chair around.
If more than one coach tries to claim a singer for their team, it's up to the person auditioning to decide which coach they'd like to go with.
On Monday night, Mia Knight, 16, of Holmdel took the stage to perform Sienna Spiro's "You Stole The Show."
Her performance stunned the judges, getting Queen Latifah, Riley Green and Kelly Clarkson to all turn their chairs around for her.
Veteran coach Adam Levine seemed to think about turning around for her as well, with his hand hovering over the button toward the end of Knight's performance, but he ultimately did not turn.
Queen Latifah, a fellow New Jersey native, was the first coach to turn around for Knight, and quickly connected with the singer after learning of her roots in the Garden State.
"From where?" she asked after Knight first announced where she was from, prompting Knight to yell out, "Holmdel, New Jersey! Jersey girls in the house."
Alongside their hometown connection, Latifah also spoke with Knight about her experience managing young artists such as the R&B singer Monica, whom she managed when she was 12 years old.
"She [Monica] came with this old soul; I mean, the girl had it already — it was just 'How do we guide it?'" she said.
"You [Knight] own this stage like nobody's business," Queen Latifah went on to say. "I'm so glad I turned around early, because I got to see you handle the mic; I got to see you work both sides of the crowd, get in your own mind, enjoy yourself while singing that song."
"And you nailed it!" she continued. "I cannot believe you're 16 years old. You got a tough choice, but you are incredible. Great job."
While Knight was briefly faced with the challenge of choosing from the three coaches who turned around for her, it wasn't a dilemma for too long, as Queen Latifah used the show's new "First In" button to solidify Knight joining her team.
According to a report from NBC, the button allows coaches who turned their chairs around first for a singer to automatically claim them for their team. The button can only be used by a coach once per season.
After Knight officially joined her team, she was presented with a jacket from Queen Latifah, who announced that, "This Jersey QUEEN must be on Team Queen."
"She has to win this entire thing," she continued. "You [Knight] are amazing."
The season premiere of "The Voice" continues Tuesday and Wednesday night at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
To learn more about the series, you can click here.
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