Dakota Cohen Auditions for The Voice With Black Sabbath Cover
Dakota Cohen, a 25-year-old singer with a background in cover bands, auditioned for The Voice with a raspy cover of Black Sabbath’s “Changes,” earning a two-chair turn from coaches Adam Levine and Riley Green. The performance aired during the current season of the NBC singing competition, which broadcasts on Mondays and Tuesdays at 8 PM ET / 7 PM CT. Cohen previously performed at festivals including Lollapalooza, SXSW, and Summerfest.
Coaches Debate the Rock Ballad Performance
The coaching panel offered strong praise following Cohen’s stripped-back rendition, which featured solemn piano accompaniment from The Voice band. Queen Latifah, observing the performance, told the contestant, “Well clearly you did that, girl! Your voice is astounding, beautiful, raspy, raw, gritty. That was an insane performance and clearly you roped in the audience because they were going nuts out here.”
Riley Green praised the song choice for establishing Cohen’s range early in the short audition. “That was a perfect song choice for you. I feel like I got to know a lot about you with this short performance and also got to see your range,” Green said, adding that Adam Levine turned around at the last second. Kelly Clarkson commended Cohen’s vocal control, stating, “That little rasp in your voice, that is so rock ‘n’ roll and cool. I really feel you should keep that going.” Adam Levine noted that he had never heard anyone cover the 1972 Black Sabbath ballad and pitched his background in rock music to recruit her, comparing elements of her vocal style to Miley Cyrus.
The Evolution of Black Sabbath’s Changes
Written for Black Sabbath’s 1972 release Vol. 4, “Changes” originated as a piano-driven ballad. Ozzy Osbourne later recorded a live version for his 1993 album Live & Loud before teaming up with his daughter, Kelly, for a 2003 duet that topped the charts in the U.K. Soul singer Charles Bradley released a rendition in 2013 that later served as the theme song for the Netflix animated series Big Mouth. Most recently, Yungblud performed a version of the track at the Ozzy + Black Sabbath Back to the Beginning farewell concert, earning the Best Rock Performance award at the 68th annual Grammy Awards.
Cohen Chooses Adam Levine as Coach
After considering her options between the two turning coaches, Cohen chose Adam Levine as her coach for the season, recalling a prior encounter where she ran into him at a restaurant while singing one of his songs. Viewers can watch how Cohen progresses on the program by tuning into NBC for new episodes on Monday and Tuesday evenings.
Frequently Asked Questions About Dakota Cohen on The Voice
What song did Dakota Cohen sing for her blind audition?
Dakota Cohen performed a raspy cover of Black Sabbath’s 1972 ballad “Changes” during her blind audition on The Voice.
Which coaches turned their chairs for Dakota Cohen?
Adam Levine of Maroon 5 and Riley Green both turned their chairs for Cohen in a last-second battle near the end of her performance.
Which coach did Dakota Cohen select for her team?
Cohen selected Adam Levine as her coach, citing a previous chance encounter with Levine at a restaurant.
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