Prepare To Cry At This Emotional 'Voice' Audition

Tears. Actual tears are streaming down my face after watching Christian Cuevas close The Voice Season 11 premiere with a heart-wrenching performance of "How Am I Supposed To Live Without You." Cuevas' performance was packed with the emotion he's felt every day since losing his father to liver cancer just over a year ago. The 20-year-old powerhouse wanted to honor his late father with his performance tonight and he absolutely did. Though he only got three coaches' chairs to turn, Cuevas inspired high remarks from all four superstar coaches. After much deliberation and expected groveling from the coaches, the Orlando native chose to join Team Alicia Keys—and he'll be so glad he did.

Cuevas is no stranger to the music business—his father, Julio Cuevas, was a highly successful artist in Puerto Rico. As was evident from his Blind Audition, Cuevas clearly inherited his father's musical prowess. Though he wasn't always so passionate about performing. As a teenager, Cuevas channeled his energy into football. After suffering a leg injury at age 15, he focused his efforts into playing guitar—and the rest is history. At age 20, Cuevas is now a vocal performance major and worship leader. But his latest title may quickly become his favorite—he is now a competitor on Season 11 of The Voice.

With Alicia Keys on his side, Cuevas has a serious shot in this game. Keys will be able to take Cuevas' talent to a level he's never even dreamed of. More refined vocal technique layered onto his already inherent performance ability will really bring Cuevas to the next level. It's still early in the game, but it's already clear that Cuevas will be a frontrunner for weeks to come.

Image: Tyler Golden/NBC