Nina Howland Earns a Four-Chair Turn on The Voice With Bonnie Raitt Classic
Nina Howland walked onto The Voice stage with a Bonnie Raitt song — and walked away with all four coaches fighting for her.
The 24-year-old New York City singer delivered a commanding version of Raitt’s “Love Me Like a Man” during the fifth night of Season 30’s Blind Auditions, prompting Kelly Clarkson, Adam Levine, Queen Latifah and Riley Green to turn their chairs.
With four coaches suddenly competing for her, Howland found herself at the center of one of the night’s biggest battles.
Nina Howland’s Bonnie Raitt Performance Turns Every Chair
“Love Me Like a Man” gave Howland plenty of room to showcase the bluesy character and confidence that quickly caught the coaches’ attention.
Clarkson was particularly enthusiastic about the song choice.
“That’s my favorite Bonnie Raitt song,” she told Howland, adding that the performance sounded more like Raitt’s live version than the studio recording. Clarkson then made her pitch directly: “Pick me!”
Green was equally impressed, praising Howland for bringing an attitude that stood out from the other performances he had heard that day.
“I’ll tell you, we saw a lot of great performances today but that had the most attitude by far,” Green said. “That was awesome. I don’t think there was any way we weren’t going to turn for that.”
The four-chair turn meant Howland had the rare opportunity to choose from every coach on the panel.
Kelly Clarkson Makes Her Case
Clarkson wasted no time trying to convince Howland that Team Kelly was the right destination.
“Hi, I’m Kelly your future coach,” she joked before pointing out her history on the show and making it clear that she was ready to help Howland compete for another victory.
Her enthusiasm quickly turned the post-performance conversation into a playful battle between the coaches.
Levine eventually stepped in, refusing to let Clarkson dominate the moment.
He joked about initially feeling left out as the other coaches turned, comparing the situation to not wanting to attend a party where he had not been invited. But once he had turned his chair, Levine focused on what he believed Howland could bring to the competition.
“You have a big beautiful voice that can kind of do anything,” he told her.
Levine also pointed to female singers he had previously coached, including Tessanne Chin, and said he believed Howland possessed the kind of powerful, soulful and blues-influenced voice that had worked well for Team Adam in the past.
Queen Latifah Uses Their New York Connection
Queen Latifah had her own reason to feel connected to Howland.
Before making her pitch, she called out, “Let’s go Knicks!” — a nod to their shared New York connection.
Howland then explained that music had been part of her life from an early age. Her entire family works in theater, and she grew up singing with her parents and brother around the piano.
That background was evident in the way she approached the audition, according to Latifah.
The coach praised Howland’s command of the song, particularly the way she used her movements and expression to communicate its emotion.
Latifah said she believed Howland had taken control of the performance and made the meaning of the song clear to everyone in the room.
She also explained that she had deliberately waited for the music to develop before turning her chair because she wanted to hear exactly what Howland could do with her voice.
By the end of her pitch, Latifah made it clear that she wanted to see Howland perform that way repeatedly on her team.
Riley Green Tells Nina She Can Finally Relax
With all four coaches having made their case, Green took a more straightforward approach.
He congratulated Howland for managing to win over the entire panel and reminded her that the difficult part of the audition was now behind her.
“This is not an easy thing to do to come out here in front of everybody, in front of the coaches, and win everybody over, but you did, so you can relax,” Green said. “You did a great job. Congratulations. Now you’ve got to pick.”
The decision was particularly significant for Howland because The Voice represents a shift in the direction of her career.
From Musical Theater to a Solo Career
Howland already had substantial stage experience before stepping onto The Voice.
In her video package, she recalled one of the earliest auditions of her career, when she performed “Never Enough” from The Greatest Showman at Radio City Music Hall with Hugh Jackman.
She said that experience helped convince her that performing was something she needed to pursue.
Much of her career had previously been spent working as part of an ensemble. The Voice, by contrast, puts her alone at center stage and gives her an opportunity to establish herself as a solo performer.
“This feels like the moment where I’m really committing to taking more of a pop route,” Howland said. “And so, I think, doing The Voice is a huge deal.”
Her musical theater background runs deep. Howland is a classically trained singer, dancer and actress who attended Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts before graduating from Berklee College of Music in 2024. She is also the daughter of Grammy-winning composer Jason Howland.
Her professional work has included The Great Gatsby: A New Musical, where she has performed as Daisy Buchanan, while her earlier stage experience includes working with Hugh Jackman at Radio City Music Hall.
That combination of musical theater training, stage experience and a desire to move toward pop gives some context to the confidence she displayed during her Blind Audition.
A Four-Chair Turn Leaves Nina With a Major Choice
By the end of the audition, there was no question that Howland had made an impression.
Clarkson loved her interpretation of one of her favorite Bonnie Raitt songs. Levine saw the potential for a powerful, soulful voice. Latifah praised her command of the stage, while Green highlighted the attitude she brought to the performance.
All four coaches had turned their chairs.
For Howland, the next step was deciding which of them could best help her make the transition from a performer accustomed to ensemble work into the solo artist she hopes to become.
The outcome of that decision was left for the episode to reveal, making her four-chair turn one of the key moments of Season 30’s Blind Auditions.