New Jersey has another singer to cheer for on The Voice.
Connor Closs of Middletown earned two chair turns during the September 28 episode of The Voice Season 30 after delivering a powerful version of Hozier’s Too Sweet.
The 23-year-old singer brought a smooth but energetic style to the performance, quickly catching the attention of Adam Levine and Riley Green.
Queen Latifah was also excited to discover that Closs was from Middletown.
“What? From Middletown? I lived in Colts Neck,” Latifah said. “I almost turned around too because he is that good!”
Riley Green praises Connor Closs
Closs arrived on the show with plenty of live-performance experience. The singer performs with the Jersey Shore cover band The Cliffs and has also worked as a cruise ship singer.
Green immediately pointed to that experience as one reason Closs was ready for the Voice stage.
“If you can sing on a cruise ship, you can sing anywhere,” Green said.
He also praised Closs for taking on a difficult song and delivering a performance that did the song justice.
But Levine had an even bigger pitch for the New Jersey singer.
Adam Levine sees himself in Connor Closs
Levine said he was waiting for the chorus before turning his chair because he wanted to see how Closs handled the song’s higher vocal parts.
When Closs reached that section, Levine was impressed.
The returning Coach praised Closs for moving smoothly between his falsetto and higher register, calling it one of the hardest things to pull off while singing that high.
Levine also said there were parts of Closs’s singing that reminded him of his own approach.
“I think you can really do anything,” Levine told him, before describing Closs as having one of the most unique and beautiful voices they had heard so far.
For Levine, that vocal connection could also become an important part of their work together.
Connor Closs chooses Team Adam
After hearing pitches from Levine and Green, Closs had to make his choice.
In the end, the Middletown singer chose Adam Levine as his Coach.
Closs now joins a growing group of New Jersey singers competing on Season 30. The lineup also includes 16-year-old Mia Knight of Holmdel on Team Queen, Destinee Monroe of Egg Harbor Township on Team Adam, and 13-year-old Brianna Cameron of Union on Team Kelly.
With his Blind Audition behind him, Closs will now continue his Voice journey as part of Team Adam.
Meanwhile, his band The Cliffs is celebrating his milestone with a public party and concert in Red Bank on October 1.