Why didn't AJ Harvey pick Chance the Rapper? 'Killers of the Flower Moon' star turns down 'The Voice' coach's theatrics
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: AJ Harvey sang Bob Dylan's 'Girl from the North Country' during his Blind Audition on 'The Voice' Season 25. Despite Chance the Rapper's shenanigans, Dan + Shay wooed AJ.
AJ sang Bob's song as if he had written it himself, gaining the Coaches' attention before he even reached the chorus. Chance was the first to turn, followed by Dan + Shay, who left John Legend and Reba McEntire at the margins in a 7-10 split.
Native American artist AJ Harvey pours his heart and soul into Bob Dylan's "Girl From the North Country" on #TheVoice 💛 pic.twitter.com/SsOttZL9rx
— The Voice (@NBCTheVoice) March 12, 2024
However, in the game of 'The Voice', knocking down a single pin is sufficient, and AJ had two options.
“It was truly such a great performance, man. I love the richness of the bass notes, I love that you were playing guitar. I think you’ve got what it takes to do really, really well on this show,” Dan Smyers stated, before Shay Mooney chimed in.
“The whole song, the entire time you were in it, and I was in it with you. It was absolutely phenomenal. I love the song selection; that felt very you. Being able to develop you into an artist that you want to be, I feel like Dan and I can really figure out kind of what your thing is, what your specific sound is. You’re an artist, and I believe in you a lot. I feel like you’ve got so much potential.”
Not to be outdone, Chance delivered a powerful presentation, not hesitant to use theatrics when the occasion called for it. "I know music," Chance explained.
“I know Soul when I see it, and that’s what I feel like I related to in the performance. I’m 100% a fan. If you didn’t peep, I was the first person to turn around.”
Dan + Shay were fast with excuses and apologies, fearing that a single second of hesitation might cost them. "Our button was stuck," Dan explained.
"It’s a slower chair, it’s bigger," Shay explained before exiting the dual chair.
“I’m standing up, so you know I’m serious. We would love to have you on Team Dan + Shay.”
That was Chance's signal to start the theatrics. He pressed a button, and a message reading "PICK CHANCE" flashed across the screen behind the stage.
“This is my show, man. And I want you to know that if you want a time to be yourself and come out here and have the show to yourself, you’ve got to get down with Team Chance.”
Despite all of this, and against the advice of his own family, who were cheering from the sidelines, AJ joined Team Dan + Shay.
Chance the Rapper promises to steal AJ Harvey from Dan + Shay
Dan + Shay won this performance, but Chance will not be defeated so lightly. He intends to include AJ on his squad, if not today, then soon.
"It's okay, I'll steal you later," Chance replied.
“I try my hardest, you know what I mean? I switch up the background, get some LED work going, and it didn’t work. I can still prosper with Dan + Shay starting off. They’ll put him in the right position for me to come scoop him later.”
'The Voice' Season 25 singer AJ Harvey calls Bob Dylan his inspiration
On Episode 5 of 'The Voice' Season 25, the Coaches welcomed 25-year-old AJ from Oklahoma. AJ is descended from North America's indigenous peoples, and he spent his childhood circling around a drum, performing music with his community, and hearing his father play Bluegrass on the violin.
For AJ, playing Blues and Soul is the closest he can come to his childhood drum circles. Musicians such as Bob have been a huge inspiration to me.
AJ characterized him as "just a guy with a guitar, singing what's in his heart," which is the mood he brings to the 'The Voice' stage.
AJ Harvey worked closely with Martin Scorsese in 'Killers of the Flower Moon'
AJ is a 23-year-old singer-songwriter who was raised in Wichita, Kansas, and currently lives in Norman, Oklahoma. He is of Ponca and Pawnee descent and grew up engaging in indigenous music and dance traditions alongside his two younger sisters.
While his primary concentration is music, his experience has led to a role in Martin Scorsese's big-budget Hollywood film 'Killers of the Flower Moon'. In the film's credits, he is identified as Anthony J Harvey and plays Charles Whitehorn, a young Osage man slain in Oklahoma in the 1920s.
In a November interview with The Sunflower, AJ stated that he was on the set for two days, had the full Hollywood treatment, and even received personal instruction from Martin.
In terms of music, AJ has put out a few original songs that you can listen to, including "My Blues" and "Black Eyed Beauty Blues," both of which were released earlier this year. His other released originals include "Waiting" in 2021 and "Hazel" in 2022.
In his Spotify account, AJ states he comes from a hard rock and blues background and is inspired by Jimi Hendrix, John Mayer, and Eric Clapton.
'The Voice' Season 25 airs on NBC at 8 pm on Mondays and 9 pm on Tuesdays. The episodes will be available on Peacock on demand the next day. The streaming site also includes entire episodes from the show's prior seasons.