THE VOICE: First-Ever “Carson Callback” Singer Returns For Second Chance — Did It Pay Off?
What Is The “Carson Callback” On The Voice?
The Voice introduced a game-changing new rule to Season 28, and it’s called the “Carson Callback.”
Season 28 premiered on NBC on Monday (September 22). Prior to the premiere, The Voice teased the Carson Callback and shared how it would work.
For 28 seasons, host Carson Daly has never had the power to influence the competition. The Carson Callback changes that. It allowed Daly to save one contestant who didn’t get any chairs to turn during the blind auditions.
Niall Horan, Reba McEntire, Michael Bublé, and Snoop Dogg are the coaches for Season 28 of “The Voice,” with longtime host Carson Daly returning. (Photo Credit: Trae Patton / NBC via Getty Images)
Voice fans didn’t have to wait too long to see the Carson Callback in action. Daly used his newfound power to save 25-year-old Ryan Mitchell.
Mitchell auditioned for The Voice with a cover of Cage the Elephant’s “Cigarette Daydreams.” Although none of the coaches turned for his performance, they still saw potential.
“There’s been a lot of people that have come back, [and] tried a different song, take a different angle. You never know what’ll happen,” said coach Reba McEntire.
McEntire was likely referring to contestants who return for another season after being eliminated. But Daly had something else in mind.
After Mitchell’s blind audition, Daly gave him the first-ever Carson Callback card. He shared why he wanted him to have a second chance:
“We rarely get an alt-rock artist like you on the show anymore,” he said. “Singers like yourself fall through the cracks sometimes, and I’ve never been able to do anything about it until right now.“
Daly told Mitchell he had 24 hours to prepare another song for his second audition. Watch his first one below.
Ryan Mitchell Returns For Second Voice Audition
Mitchell’s second audition aired on Tuesday (September 23). This time, he opted to sing a unique rendition of Britney Spears’ megahit “…Baby One More Time.”
Just like any blind audition, the coaches’ chairs remained turned away from the stage. So they had no clue it was Mitchell singing in front of them a second time!
As the first-ever Carson Callback contestant on The Voice, Mitchell knew the pressure was on. Did his second audition pay off?
The answer is…yes!
The coaches kept their chairs facing away through an entire verse and the chorus before Reba McEntire finally turned her chair. Once she realized it was Mitchell standing in front of her, she was ecstatic!
McEntire was the only coach who turned, so Mitchell was automatically welcomed home to Team Reba.
Daly was also over-the-moon excited for Mitchell. He joined him onstage and thanked McEntire for giving him another chance.
“I thought I was having deja vu or something,” McEntire said after the performance. “You looked so familiar…weren’t you just here? I’m like, I’m losing my mind!“
McEntire said she was “thrilled to death” to have Mitchell on The Voice. Watch his second audition in the video below to see how he ended up on her team!
