“You Could Win”: How "Bono," "Rock Star" Bryan Olesen Gave the Season's "Best" Blind
After belting “Love Runs Out” by OneRepublic in The Blinds, the 49-year-old singer is poised for more.
Unlike many contestants on The Voice, Bryan Olesen has some experience being a famous musician. The 49-year-old Lincoln, Nebraska resident used to be the lead guitarist for a Christian rock band called Newsboys. As he explained during the opening to Season 25’s third episode tonight, the band was Grammy-nominated, had more than 20 No. 1 hits, and was “one of the biggest bands in Christian music.” But, while his past as a professional musician might help explain why the Coaches were so blown away by his performance, it doesn’t diminish how important the Blind Audition was to Olesen on a personal level.
“The past couple years came up on a pretty heavy season in life,” Olsen explained. “My marriage ended after 24 years and my divorce was the hardest thing that I’ve faced yet.”
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Olsen said he pulled through with the support of his daughter Jadyn. Appearing on The Voice was a natural next step in this new chapter of his life.
“All the Coaches have accomplished things that I can only dream of. If I can just turn a chair and learn a bit from their experience it’s going to make me the best version of me,” he said. “I still have a love for music and I still wanna share that with whoever is willing to listen.”
Bryan Olesen Sings “Love Runs Out” by OneRepublic for Blind Auditions
Olesen sang “Love Runs Out” by OneRepublic, off of the band’s 2013 album Native, and he didn’t have to sing much before Coaches John Legend, Reba McEntire, and Dan + Shay slammed their buttons during the opening notes as the acapella start to the performance showcased the strength of Olesen’s voice.
Chance the Rapper was the only Coach not to turn his chair, but he regretted it, especially since Olesen had such an incredible stage presence and was exhilarating to watch.
“You should’ve seen it, Chance,” Legend chided. “You should have pushed just to watch it.”
“That was a performance I felt, without seeing anything. When I did turn around, the package was complete,” McEntire said. “You were absolutely incredible.”
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“I want to be clear about how great that performance was. That was the best performance we’ve seen,” Legend said, and Dan + Shay agreed. “One comparison I thought of was Bono. Not because you sound exactly like him, but the way you carry yourself and your range.”
Olesen brought his daughter, Jadyn, out on the stage with him, and after he mentioned that she was a singer, too, the Coaches encouraged her to sing a little. Despite being suddenly put on the spot, she sang a little of Corinne Bailey Rae’s “Put Your Records On,” with her dad supplying backing vocals. Dan + Shay were so impressed that they had the father-daughter duo sit in their Coaches' chairs for a bit.
Ultimately, though, Olesen opted to join Team Legend.
“Honestly,” Legend said to Olsen after he made his decision. “You could win this show.”
How to watch Season 25 of The Voice
New episodes of The Voice premiere Mondays and Tuesdays on NBC and next day on Peacock. To watch all of Season 24, click here.
