A new season of The Voice Australia has arrived and with it, two new additions. Replacing departing judges Delta and Seal, are will.i.am and Kylie Minogue, who this year also judged The Voice UK. Back for another try is Ricky Martin, who joined last season, and Joel Madden, who's been here since the very first day. Classical singer Harrison Craig, won the crown last year, giving Seal his second win. Now that he's gone, who will be succeeding him? ... This is The Voice!

Recap and videos after the jump ...

The show opens with a heavily auto-tuned performance by the judges, which serves as a reminder that vocal talent isn't necessary to succeed in this industry. If it wasn't for Kylie, I would have already bailed on this season.

Kat Jade - "Wrecking Ball" - She describes herself as an introvert. She's been singing for as long as she can remember yet is shocked to have made it this far. So she's got little confidence on herself. Also, what's the deal with the cat ears? That aside, Kat's got a gorgeous, radio ready tone and a surprisingly powerful set of pipes. Awesome personality too. I'm on board. - 2/4 - Team Kylie


Mat Verevis - "New York State of Mind" - He moved to Sydney to a house full of musicians in order to pursue his dreams. There's always been a lot of creativity in his family, being both his father and grandfather musicians. His voice isn't what I was expecting, for some reason I felt he had a Matt Corby vibe going on. Instead we are given an extremely soulful, if not overly theatrical performance. Flawless vocals, though I wish he stays away from this genre. - 4/4 - Team Will


Frank Lakoudis - "Immigrant Song" - His family is Greek, loud and noisy, so his shouty, loud audition comes as no surprise. I believe the judges may have turned a little too soon for the guy, he's got a powerful voice but I wasn't interested at all with what he did. - 3/4 - Team Joel


Anja Nissen - "Vanishing"- She comes from the Blue Mountains, a place where she can be as loud as she wants. Her grandparents lost their house this year due to a bushfire. So that's her back story. Her grandparents losing their house, now apparently living with her family in their wealthy-looking house. Ok then. As she previously informed us, her voice is loud and powerful, with flawless control and a beautiful tone. I truly enjoyed this. - 4/4 - Team Will


Lionel Cole - "Unforgettable" - His father is Freddy Cole, his uncle Nat King Cole and his cousin Natalie Cole. Music royalty as he was previously advertised. His style is all over the place, a skirt? Seriously? Great voice, though I don't think he can really be coached. He reminds me to Steve Clisby, who gave some great performances but in the end, did not grow. - 2/4 - Team Ricky


C Major - "Crazy in Love" -  He came up with his stage name because no one could spell his last name, Velazquez, which is not a hard name to spell. He's been in bands since he was 14 and has been producing for the past 6 years. Joel is confused and wonders if the manly voice he's hearing is a girl or a boy, which begs the question, why is he judging this show? Carlos' an energetic performer, with loads of groove and a cool voice. A shame he went for Ricky though. - 4/4 - Team Ricky



Louise Van Veenendaal - "Somebody to Love" - She's flown all the way from Los Angeles! At 22 she developed her own cabaret show, "The Diva from Down Under". One night, Liza Minelli went to her show and raved about her voice. The following week, the show came to an end. She's not the greatest singer but she certainly has talent and such a fierce presence. I think the problem was the song choice, may be too big for her. - 2/4 - Team Will


Will's got a gadget factory, on top of his hat factory. Can the dude get any weirder?  At this point, he just needs that chocolate factory.

Lij Gilmour - "Teenage Dirtbag" - He grew up in a 40 acres property in the rain forest, which didn't have TV. He's a YouTube "star", though from the looks of it, he doesn't get that many views. Ok, this is pretty bad, such a flat tone with little range. I've no idea what made both Joel and Ricky push their buttons. As we learn after the audition, Joel is just waking up, so I guess that explains it. - 2/4 - Team Joel


Emily Rex - "Pure Imagination" - Newly wed Emily started singing at a very young age. Now she plays with her husband. This is simply wonderful. Her voice had some issues but damn, that was gorgeous. Picking Will will prove to be a mistake though. - 3/4 - Team Will


Krishool - "OMG" - He's Will's biggest fan so he's doing a song produced by him. He loves the tech world and dancing. He feels like he just cannot sing. He's not dancing much, or at least I wouldn't call it dancing. Voice is completely forgettable. Fodder. - 1/4 - Team Will


Luke Koteras - "The A Team" - His Chris Sebastian's best friend and group mate. He was a contestant on S1, remember? Apparently, his audition was the most dramatic ever. Who knew? As a singer, he's a great guitarist. Should I say more? - 2/4 - Team Joel


Robbie Balmer - "I Can't Make You Love Me" - The guy is so shy. The fact the coaches cannot see him helps him a lot. He could definitely use a confidence boost cause vocally, he's wonderful. Probably one of my fave auditions. He certainly needs some work but the raw talent is there. - 3/4 - Team Kylie


Elly Oh - "Mamma Knows Best" - Opera teacher Elly was born in South Korea but moved to Australia in 2009 for studying opera. Good voice but I don't see what the hype was all about. Dami Im is so much better than she is. Her pronunciation needs work or maybe it's just that I don't like her tone nor her phrasing. - 4/4 - Team Ricky



Reece & Tino - "No Diggity" - They met through a local basketball team. Individually, they've been doing their own things, so this will be their first time performing together. Joel can't even figure out there are two guys out there, I keep wondering why he's on this show. The fellas are pretty good, their delivery feels a little lazy at times, energetically, but with coaching they could be good. - 1/4 - Team Kylie


Brittanie Shipway - "On My Own" - She grew up on the farm with her grandparents. A year ago, her grandma passed away so she's living with her pa now. For her this song is full of hope. Her tone is so mellow, soaring at all the right times. She was so into that song, it'll be interesting to see what she can do with more current material. - 4/4 - Team Kylie


Scotty Gelzinnis - "Nature Boy" - Nobody could ever top Casey Abrams but Scotty's jazzy take was so full of soul and that made me really enjoy his delivery. I'm obviously a sucker for scatting and his was pretty good. - 2/4 - Team Ricky


Jhoanna Aguila - "You've Got the Love" - Her parents, who are Filipino, moved to Australia when she was around 4. I'm surprised by how powerful her voice is. She's not completely hitting those notes but there's some serious potential there. - 3/4 - Team Will


Harry Healy - "Romeo and Juliet" - He's an experienced musician. His wife suggested him to audition for the show, so he'll be performing their song, the one he performed at their wedding. I wasn't crazy about his performance but there's something so authentic about his sound. However, I'm not sure it has broad appeal, he may be better suited for a more intimate setting. I hope he proves me wrong though. - 3/4 - Team Joel


Johnny Rollins - "Beneath Your Beautiful" - He used to be a drummer, playing in different bands. This will be the first time his parents will be hearing him perform. It's obvious he's not had much experience as a singer but he did have some nice moments. There's raw talent here. - 1/4 - Team Kylie


Candice Skjonnemand - "Turning Tables" - Mother of two Candice represented Australia in Finland at a singing competition and came in second, which made her realize she wanted more. Ugh, why did she pick this song? It's a shame singing competitions have ruined it cause it's otherwise a pretty song. Candice interpretation starts a bit rough, shaky as Kylie noted, but it slowly builds into something special. The little flourishes she made to the melody were wonderful, setting her cover apart and distinguishing herself from Adele. - 3/4 - Team Kylie



Isaac McGovern - "I Need a Dollar" - He started singing with his mom when he was 6 or 7. She's a singer-songwriter and gifted him his first guitar when he was 1. This is a great arrangement, not at all what I expected. It's actually super cool, that tone is amazing. - 4/4 - Team Joel


Fely Irvine - "We Found Love" - Fely used to be part of a kids show. Decent singer but nothing really special. It may have been that song choice, which made her sound so generic. I'm not sure how far she could go. - 2/4 - Team Ricky


Dallas James - "Bring It On Home to Me" - He was playing in a band but since he had his son, he started to move away from that scene. A performance full of emotion with perfect delivery, beautiful tone as well.  - 2/4 - Team Joel


Hayley Jensen - "Freefallin" - She's the first familiar face this season, former Australian Idol Season 2 4th placer. After Idol, she got her economics degree and worked for a global consulting firm for free years, which made her miss music so much. The song felt super appropriate for her. She's a flawless vocalist but I've no idea what she could bring to this competition, I don't see enough originality here. - 2/4 - Team Kylie


Chita Henneberry - "I Want You Back" - She moved to Australia when she was 6 from Mauritius. She started singing when she was at school and later took part on amateur musicals, which led her to sing background vocals with former judge Delta. I don't think she picked the right song for her voice cause she didn't sound that good here. Her tone was almost verging on the unpleasant side. - 2/4 - Team Will


Holly Tapp - "That's It, I Quit, I'm Movin' On" - She grew up on a super remote cattle station, surrounded by cows and horses. She used to do school theater and eventually fell in love with everything music related. This is a lovely audition, especially considering this seems to be such a hard song. Her sultry, honeyed tone is pure perfection, one of my faves. - 3/4 - Team Joel



Carly Yelayotis - "Stay" - She started singing in Greek three years ago and then felt in love with the culture. She met someone there and went on a trip with him but he gave him an ultimatum, him or her career. She chose the latter. Beautiful tone but I felt she didn't hit some of the notes how she was supposed to do. That's probably the reason the judges turned so late into her performance. - 3/4 - Team Ricky


Brandon Duff - "Skinny Love" - His mom is a stage mom, putting him in a lot of talent shows as a kid. The tone is nice but I'm not fully convinced by his delivery, it felt as if it wasn't nothing else there. He needs to get into it more, his mom was way more excited than he was. - 1/4 - Team Ricky


Taila Gouge - "Stuck Like Glue" - She just finished high school and opened for a bunch of people, including Tina Arena. Competent country rendition but at times, her voice needed just a little more power, the chorus was especially weak. The Joel pairing seems odd but who knows? - 1/4 - Team Joel


Jacob Lee - "Battle Scars" - His dad is a musician. Jacob started busking when he was about 14 y/o, which helped him grow his confidence. The first few notes were pretty great and he also nailed the chorus but everything in between was kind of a mess. He also needs to open his eyes when he sings, what he does now is so weird, as if he was possessed. - 1/4 - Team Will


Gabriel & Cecilia - "Laura Palmer" - They are a brother-sister duo, whose been playing in various farmer markets throughout the years. This is such a cool pick and an even cooler approach. Cecilia's voice is beautiful, Gabriel's is unpleasant at times but it makes a nice contrast with her sweeter tone. If they can do this every time they perform, I'm excited for them or was, until they chose Ricky. - 2/4 - Team Ricky


Tom Oliver - "Keep Your Head Up" - He previously auditioned for S1 with his friend Dakota. They were terrible. Neither of them asked which one of them Joel liked so now he's back to see if it was him. I was expecting Ben Howard's awesome song so I'm kinda disappointed to see it's not. Tom's voice isn't that special but there are some nice moments, better song could do the job. Joel doesn't turn, guess it was Dakota who he liked? He later says it was actually Tom, he could be lying. - 1/4 - Team Kylie


Jess Berney - "Pie Jesu" - She grew up in a church, since her father is a minister. The bravest thing she's done was coming out to her parents, it took some time to his dad to come to terms with it but now things are ok between them. Jess' already said her looks don't much her voice but the end result is way more shocking. Her voice is perfect for opera music. Not really my style but I can admit that was amazing. Apparently she can also sing normal music, which is good to know. - 4/4 - Team Ricky



Sabrina Batshon - "Power Of Love" - Sabrina is back! She was a finalist on Australian Idol 9th season, placing 10th. She never mentions it though, probably because she has publicly dissed the show, saying the voting system was unfair. She suffers from severe panic attacks, which have prevent her from pursing certain opportunities. I loved her huge voice and I still do. She's got a massive talent and I'm looking ahead to what she does next. Hopefully she'll go for something more current. - 3/4 - Team Ricky


Doug Williams - "Love The One You're With" - He's 63 y/o from Chicago. Diana Rouvas and Prinnie Stevens are here to support Douge. He's worked with a lot of people, including Ray Charles, who he calls a friend. Yet another act that reminds me to Steve Clisby. Doug is certainly a pro who could definitely use the exposure but he won't grow. He'll be giving us some awesome performances though, guaranteed. - 3/4 - Team Joel


Rosie Henshaw - "Sing It Back" - She spent a lot of her childhood in India and one of the first instruments she picked up was the sitar. She's doing something out of the ordinary today, she's playing a box drum. The sitar would've been cooler but I can't deny she's a hip chick. Great tone, minor issues but I really like her style. She could definitely be one of the most interesting acts of the year. - 3/4 - Team Kylie


Jayde Grey - "Free Fallin'" - She's studying law at the moment but also works as an entertainer, performing as Marilyn Monroe. Her voice is rather pure and there's a gorgeous whistely sound to it. It all feels super natural. - 3/4 - Team Will


ZK - "As Long As You Love Me" - Zaachariaha Fielding and Kristal West. He's from Central Australia and previously made it to boot camp on The X Factor Au, in 2011. Her grandfather enabled indigenous people to be able to claim land. Zaach (yeah, new name for him) is the better singer on this duo but Kristal is not bad at all. Their voices work together really well and I enjoyed their gospely RnB take on this pop song. - 1/4 - Team Will



John Lingard - "Riptide" - His dad is a guitar playing reverend. He's gonna play the ukulele, which he began playing when he heard this song. The ukulele may not have been the greatest move but I like how John sounds. It was a little too similar to Vance at times and while I would've preferred a more original approach, the fact he picked this awesome song already gave him major points in my book. - 3/4 - Team Kylie


Tasha Amoroso - "Ho Hey" - She works at a women's clothing shop and while she loves fashion, music is where her heart is. She's battled an eating disorder, bulimia, for around 10 years. Sweet, pleasant high-pitched tone. Once the judges turned she couldn't keep it together but as Kylie noted, she's as cute as she sounded. - 4/4 - Team Will


Thando Sikwila - "Mercy" - Her parents migrated from Zimbabwe to Australia when she was 8 y/o, which was a great change for them since there are more opportunities there. She works 5 days a week but also has a band. Soulful voice yet I'm not feeling a lot of originality in her sound. She could do a lot better if she stayed away from typical song choices like this one. - 2/4 - Team  Kylie


Annabelle Eve - "The One That Got Away" - She's super close with her brother, who has a condition called hydrocephalus. I'm not exactly sure the song choice did her voice any favours but she did sound pretty good on it. It wasn't the most unique thing but with such a generic song, there wasn't much to do there. - 2/4 - Team Joel


Sarah Hamad - "Good Luck" - We get the actual blind audition edit. I like her powerful voice very much, it seems to have the perfect sound for an electronic/urban track. Unfortunately, the way the audition was edited makes me think she's fodder. - 1/4 - Team Will


Peter White - "Sweet Disposition" - He's a pharmacist. This song is hard and what I heard didn't prove Peter has the voice to tackle it. The first half was so rough and it wasn't until the first big note that his voice started shining. He needs to aim way lower. Not sure I would have turned. - 3/4 - Team Ricky



Josh McDonald - "The Blower's Daughter" - He's teaching at a female school, which is closing down. He views it as an opportunity to dive into a new career. I love this song and his tone, Josh really evoked that purity Damien does when performing it. A great audition. - 2/4 - Team Ricky


Maybelle Galuvao - "Gravity" - When she was in NZ, she used to be in a girl band but put that on hold to look after her children while her husband played football. He's now retired so it's her turn to shine. Maybelle's got a gorgeous tone and I wonder why the coaches didn't turn sooner. I know I would have. - 1/4 - Team  Kylie


Mia Morrissey - "True Colors" - She grew up surrounded by entertainment, since her father represented many of Australia's most successful performers. This song fit her voice like a glove and even though it could've been way, way, way better, there were enough nice moments in there to guarantee her a place in the next round. - 1/4 - Team Ricky


Blake Leggett - "Fall At Your Feet" - He's been singing since he was 3 y/o and also went to musical theater school when younger. He used to be really big so he began playing ice hockey and lost 30 kg. Not crazy about his voice though it may be his song choice. A few good moments but I've no idea what else he can bring. - 1/4 - Team Joel


Julian Simonsz - "Suit And Tie" - He's putting his honeymoon on hold for The Voice. He got married on Saturday, is doing his audition and is flying to Sri Lanka to have another ceremony. This is actually a great audition, way better than I expected. He's got a super smooth voice and an amazing falsetto. Pretty cool indeed. - 4/4 - Team Will



Laura-Leigh Smith - "Reflection" - She's a surfer chick! For her, surfing is all about rhythm and timing and is hoping to apply that into her audition, catching a "perfect wave". Her parents used to have a band together, she would sing, he would be the manager/guitarist. When she was 8, she joined a choir, which gave her the change to perform in front of the Pope. She's struggling with the Mulan song, which is a weird choice for a self-proclaimed surfer chick. Still, the tone is clear and the intonation pretty. I hope she does something a little more original though. - 1/4 - Team Joel


Jackson Thomas - "Royals" - During the day he works with his dad on the railway as an electrician. There are a few issues, with his enunciation and his pitch, but overall, I felt it was a good performance. His tone was rather distinctive and it'll be a  great match for Kylie. - 1/4 - Team  Kylie


Courtney Hale - "Toxic" - She did beauty pageants when young and studied dance in her aunt's studio, which also had a singing group. Her singing style is a bit fake and she makes a lot of weird noises but she's an interesting performer. I'd like to see her sing without all that added entertainment. - 2/4 - Team Joel


Matthew Garwood - "All I Ask Of You" - He's got a few tattoos, which is where he finds his confidence. His style does not match his look in the slightest. His voice is very theatrical and operatic, which is the most boring combination in my book. - 1/4 - Team Ricky



Megan Longhurst - "Don't Cry Out Loud" - Her dad was Gary Longhurst, a rugby player, who passed away in 2007. Megan is nailing the emotion of this song, with almost perfect pitch. I wanted more though, the choice was generic. - 2/3 - Team  Kylie


Elise Baker - "Safe And Sound" - She's a nursing student. Elise's a bundle of nerves, which is probably why her performance was suffering at times. There's a lovely pure sound there and with some extra confidence, she could be a wonderful act to watch. - 2/2 - Team Joel


Soli Tesema - "Halo" - Her parents were born in Ethiopia and were refugees, being in Australia for about 20 years. The first time she went to Ethiopia she was 10 y/o and it made her realize what a great country she's growing up in. Big soulful voice, she sounds a lot like Beyoncé which is why she needs to stay clear of her songs and everything that sounds like it. I like her tone, a lot, and what she did towards the end was especially great. - 1/1 - Team Will


Can I mention I'm hating the editing this year? We see more of the judges than of the contestants, even when the acts are performing. It's not entirely about the coaches, you know? Or maybe it is?

1. Kat Jade (Team Kylie)
2. Anja Nissen (Team Will)
3. Emily Rex (Team Will)
4. Robbie Balmer (Team Kylie)
5. Isaac McGovern (Team Joel)
6. Holly Tapp (Team Joel)
7. Gabriel & Cecilia (Team Ricky)
8. Sabrina Batshon (Team Ricky)
9. Rosie Henshaw (Team Kylie)
10. Jayde Grey (Team Will)
11. John Lingard (Team Kylie)
12. Maybelle Galuvao (Team Kylie)
13. Josh McDonald  (Team Ricky) 
14. Julian Simonsz (Team Will)