Kelly Clarkson uses First In Button to secure Johnnie Kapua on The Voice

Johnnie Kapua, a 32-year-old singer originally from New Zealand and currently living in Herriman, Utah, appeared on Season 30 of NBC’s “The Voice” after coach Kelly Clarkson used a new competition feature to secure him for her team, according to reporting from Deseret News and Spotlight Focus.

During the blind audition round, Kapua performed Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars’ Grammy-winning hit “Die With a Smile.” Clarkson turned her chair within seconds of the performance, followed quickly by first-time coach Queen Latifah. Because Clarkson hit her red chair rotation first, she was able to deploy the newly introduced “First In Button”—a feature giving the first-turning coach the immediate power to claim a contestant without waiting through opposing pitches—securing Kapua directly for Team Kelly.

Coaching Pitches and Performance Feedback on The Voice

Following the performance, Clarkson and Latifah offered distinct feedback to the Utah-based performer. Clarkson drew an unconventional comparison, telling Kapua that his soulful delivery reminded her of the character Johnny from the animated films “Sing” and “Sing 2,” which she watches with her children. “You sing with such soulfulness,” Clarkson said, as reported by Deseret News. “I thought you sounded beautiful. That is a big song,” Latifah said, before noting, “I thought there were a couple of spots where you might’ve got a little loose with your breath.” Latifah added that those breathing mechanics are coachable elements, telling Kapua the next step is getting “everybody else out of your head—including Bruno—and let’s see Johnnie shine.”

Fellow coaches Adam Levine and Riley Green watched from their chairs, with Green admitting he expected Kapua to emerge as a formidable competitor later in the season.

Background and Family Support Drive Utah Contestant

Music played a central role in Kapua’s early life in New Zealand, where he began singing and playing guitar in high school and competed in a national singing competition, according to production notes shared by Deseret News. Adult responsibilities eventually took precedence, with work, marriage, and fatherhood pushing performance into the background. Kapua rarely sang publicly unless his wife, Kat Kapua, volunteered him.

Kat Kapua, who was eight months pregnant during the filming of the blind audition, ultimately submitted his application for the program. “I’ve just always been so proud of him, and I’ve always really believed in him,” Kat Kapua stated on the broadcast. “He just never really believed in himself, I would say.”

The audition drew regional attention in New Zealand as well. Spotlight Focus reported that Kapua’s older brother, Te Hiwi Preston, celebrated the milestone on social media, identifying Kapua as the first Māori singer from Aotearoa to compete on the United States edition of “The Voice.”

How The Voice Format Feature Works in Season 30

Season 30 introduced a strategic adjustment to the blind auditions. When multiple coaches turn their chairs for a single artist, the coach who presses their button first holds the exclusive option to activate the “First In Button.” Each of the four coaches—Clarkson, Latifah, Levine, and Green—is limited to using this advantage once, bypassing the traditional pitch phase entirely when triggered.

With his spot on Team Kelly secured, Kapua advances as Season 30 continues airing Monday nights on NBC.