Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, Miley Cyrus and Alicia Keys – the latest group of Voice coaches – united on Sunday’s Season 11 premiere for an explosive rendition of Aerosmith’s 1973 rock epic “Dream On.” The singers dedicated their performance to former contestant Christina Grimmie, who was shot and killed in June following an Orlando concert.
The all-star cover opened with Keys crooning at the piano, with Levine coaxing out ethereal electric guitar leads. The four singers took turns behind the microphone, harmonizing in pairs, before teaming for a massive wall of sound. At the climax, Levine nailed Steven Tyler’s impossibly high falsetto notes from the original recording.
The screen went black after the performance, revealing the dedication, “In loving memory of our friend Christina Grimmie,” Fuse reports. Grimmie finished in third place on the show’s sixth season, which aired in 2014.
Last week, The Voice teased Season 11 by highlighting their new coaches. “Miley’s the youthful spirit we’ve been missing,” Levine said of Cyrus, while Shelton praised Keys’ studio craft, saying she “comes from a place, more like a writer, producer.” This group is the first in the show’s history to feature two female coaches simultaneously.
– Rolling Stone
