Evan James Turns Three Chairs on The Voice With Morgan Wallen Cover, Then Makes a Surprising Choice
A Morgan Wallen cover earned Evan James three chair turns on The Voice. What happened next was even more unexpected.
The 22-year-old singer from Highland, Michigan, performed Wallen’s “Wasted On You” during Season 30’s Blind Auditions and caught the attention of Kelly Clarkson, Riley Green and Adam Levine. All three coaches turned their chairs, setting up a choice that seemed to have an obvious answer.
It didn’t.
Despite the strong country connection with Riley Green, James ultimately chose Adam Levine, leaving the coaches and audience visibly surprised.
Evan James’ Morgan Wallen Cover Earned Three Chair Turns
Country music was already playing a major role in the Blind Auditions on Season 30 of The Voice. With Riley Green serving as one of the coaches, the other coaches often joked that a country singer was likely headed straight to Team Riley whenever he turned his chair.
That pattern made Evan James’ decision particularly interesting.
James, a Highland, Michigan, native, comes from a family that runs a Christmas tree farm. He is also a student at Michigan State University, where he is majoring in Public Relations.
For his Blind Audition, James chose “Wasted On You,” one of Morgan Wallen’s best-known songs. The performance gave him an opportunity to put his own spin on a song that audiences already know well.
The coaches initially remained in their seats as James worked through the performance. Then, as the audition reached its later stages, three chairs turned almost simultaneously.
Riley Green, Kelly Clarkson and Adam Levine had all decided they wanted James on their teams.
Kelly Clarkson Heard a Different Side of Evan’s Voice
Once the performance ended, Clarkson was the first coach to make her case.
She praised James for giving such a familiar song his own identity. Rather than simply copying Wallen’s delivery, James brought a different vocal character to the performance.
Clarkson compared his approach to Rascal Flatts singer Gary LeVox, pointing out the R&B influence she heard in James’ voice.
She also emphasized how difficult it is to make a song associated so strongly with a major artist feel personal to a new performer.
That distinction was important. James had chosen a song that audiences could immediately recognize, yet his performance still gave the coaches something different to respond to.
Riley Green Admitted James Took Time to Win Him Over
Green had a slightly different reaction to the audition.
He explained that he waited before turning his chair because James’ performance took some time to build. As the song progressed, however, James continued to raise the intensity.
By the end, Green felt James had reached a point where he truly owned the song.
That growth was enough to convince the country star to turn his chair. Green also praised James’ voice and the soulfulness he brought to the performance.
With Green’s chair turned, James had a particularly natural country option in front of him.
For much of the season, country singers had been drawn toward Green’s team. That made the audience’s reaction predictable when it came time for James to choose.
But Adam Levine had another argument.
Adam Levine Made the Pitch That Changed Evan’s Mind
Levine joked about his continuing struggle to land country artists.
He pointed out that Green’s team already had plenty of country singers, while Clarkson had country artists as well. Levine suggested that James could occupy a more distinctive position on his team.
His message was simple: James could stand out.
Levine encouraged the singer to think strategically about where his particular sound might have the most room to develop. He acknowledged that James might naturally be considering Green or Clarkson, but argued that Team Adam could offer something different.
It was a pitch that ultimately resonated with James.
Evan James Chooses Adam Levine
When the time came to make his decision, the crowd could be heard encouraging James to choose Riley Green.
On paper, Team Riley appeared to be the obvious destination for a singer performing a Morgan Wallen song.
James had other plans.
“I think I’m going to take a leap of faith here. I think I’m going to go Adam,” he said before choosing Levine.
The reaction was immediate.
Clarkson appeared stunned, while Levine himself admitted that he was in shock. He was clearly thrilled to have finally landed a country artist, especially one who had Green and Clarkson competing for him.
Levine welcomed James to his team and thanked him for taking a chance on him.
A Michigan Singer With a Strong Connection to Country Music
James’ background makes his appearance on The Voice especially fitting.
He grew up in Highland on his family’s Christmas tree farm and has performed music around his hometown and at school in recent years. He has also been a longtime fan of The Voice, making his appearance on the show’s stage a significant moment for him.
His choice of “Wasted On You” also carried an obvious connection to the career path he hopes to pursue. Morgan Wallen himself was once a contestant on The Voice, competing during Season 6 in 2014 before eventually building a major country music career.
For James, the audition now gives him the chance to continue that journey with Team Adam.
The Blind Audition may have started with a familiar country song, but it ended with something much less predictable: a Michigan singer passing up the apparent country favorite and taking a leap of faith with Adam Levine.
And that decision sends Evan James into the next stage of Season 30 as a member of Team Adam.
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