When 23-year-old Kansas City singer-songwriter and piano virtuoso Max Cooper III rocked up to The Voice USA with a jazzy pop track, he didn’t expect show judge Snoop Dogg, of all people, to slam his chair-spinning buzzer within seconds to catch a glimpse of the magic unfolding before him.
Max’s blind audition has since gone YouTube-viral, racking up more than 1.6 million views across its various uploads. Music Man readers can dive into the stellar moment in the video below…
This audition begins with a classical piano run, before Max’s velvet vocals lace his live instrumental. With Snoop Dogg being the first to turn, fellow judges Reba McEntire, Niall Horan, and Michael Bublé seem equally amazed at Max’s pure and plush cover of Mike Posner’s “Cooler Than Me,” as his parents watch on proudly from the stage wings.
Reba is next to spin her chair, dancing in her seat as Max serves a spotless R&B-infused vocal run, singing with both grit and class. By the chorus, Niall and Michael have each become bewitched, slamming their chair-spinner and earning Max an instantly iconic audition.
Even Max is stunned at how flawlessly his set went down, exclaiming “Wow” after wrapping up his final lyric and earning a standing ovation from all four Voice judges. He reveals that he’s been playing piano since he was just three years old, inspired by his sister yet being a completely self-taught musician.
Snoop Dogg tells Max, “You got my interest levels high just hearing those first couple of notes,” before revealing, “Dare to be different – I’m a fan of all genres of music and I’d love to have you on Team Snoop.”
After Niall credits Max’s genre-twisting rendition, it’s Michael Bublé, Max’s lifelong inspiration, who steals the spotlight away from Snoop’s surprising chair-turn, when he dives into Max’s musical history to learn that Michael’s own hit, “Just Haven’t Met You Yet,” was the first song the young star had ever performed live.
Michael can’t resist the urge to make his fan’s dream come true, rushing up to the main stage for an impromptu duet with the pianist. He even lets Max sing the first lines of his hit, served flawlessly despite the immense pressure of their on-the-spot performance. Before long, Max’s audition has turned into an all-out sing-along as Michael rallies the live audience behind the breakthrough star.
Before starring on The Voice’s 2025 season, Max Cooper III had already dropped his debut single and music video, “Sadie,” which Music Man readers can check out above. But that’s not all! Max’s debut EP, titled “The Overthinker,” was released in February 2025, collecting five songs from the budding star, available for fans to dive into on his Spotify page.
Max Cooper III is certainly one to watch — his velvet vocals and piano virtuosity left The Voice judges stunned and his audition has rightly gone viral. To discover more, watch the clip and explore tracks, socials and behind-the-scenes links below.