Bryan Olesen Defies the Odds on ‘The Voice’ With Effortless Phil Collins Cover

The Voice star Bryan Olesen rarely fails to deliver. His dynamic Blind Audition performance of OneRepublic’s “Love Runs Out” had all four coaches fighting to land Olesen on their team. The father of two from Lincoln, Nebraska, ultimately chose John Legend and has since given the EGOT winner a realistic chance at his second Voice championship. Now that season 25 is winding down, the top 9 artists know it’s make-or-break time. Olesen is certainly aware of the high stakes, and his most recent performance of Phil Collins’ “Against All Odds” proved that.

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Bryan Olesen Performs on ‘The Voice’

At 50, Olesen is easily the oldest competitor in the top 9. However, the former Christian rock guitarist told Parade that he feels “as young as anybody on that stage.”

Olesen’s performance of Collins’ 1984 power ballad showed, yet again, that age is just a number.

“Bryan crushed it, Great song choice,” one viewer wrote on X/Twitter. “9.5 out of 10.”

Another fan agreed: “Bryan Oleson gave us what we needed, a heartfelt Rock ballad, tapping into that emotion, taking his time on the melody, vulnerable & unadorned,” they wrote. “He sounded good, natural, sincere.”

The Newsboys Are Cheering on Their Former Bandmate

Olesen joined the Christian rock band Newsboys in February 2004, replacing guitarist Jody Davis. Olesen remained the band’s lead guitarist and background vocalist until January 2006, when he left to focus on his other band, VOTA. He helped found the Christian rock outfit, initially known as Casting Pearls, in 1997.

[RELATED: The Story Behind the Christian Rock Band VOTA, Featuring ‘The Voice’ Hopeful Bryan Olesen]

Recently, the remaining Newsboys members shared a photo of them hanging with Olesen on the beach to the band’s official Instagram account. In the caption, the Christian rockers shared their support for their former bandmate.

@bryanolesen is part of the Newsboys fam & watching his season on @nbcthevoice this year has been SO COOL,” the band wrote May 6. “Bryan shared the stage with us for a season when Jody was off the road, and he’s been a close friend ever since.” 

“Crazy to see where the show has taken him since then,” the caption continued. “Bryan is crushing it on team @johnlegend!”

Featured image via YouTube

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