The Gloves (and Shoes) Come Off with Four-Chair Turn on The Voice
Shelton, Clarkson, Levine and Hudson were not backing down from a battle!
Country superstar Blake Shelton may be the most winning coach on NBC’s The Voice, but during the fourth night of season 15’s blind auditions, viewers were reminded that this reality show isn’t country music exclusive. And for coaches Adam Levine, Kelly Clarkson and Jennifer Hudson, it was a great night to add to their teams.
Now, that doesn’t mean that Blake didn’t earn a new team member, but it wasn’t without some effort. When Chris Kroeze from Barron, Wisconsin picked up his guitar and ripped out a stellar version of Stevie Ray Vaughn’s “Pride and Joy,” his rocking country influences were undeniable. The 27-year-old, who frequently performs for soldiers in the Middle East, got the hot button from Blake AND Jennifer. To no one’s surprise, Chris chose Team Blake, and even Jennifer admitted, “It’s tough to steal a country artist from Blake. It’s impossible!“
That may be, but Jennifer is definitely going to be bringing some heat with the new addition to her team, MaKenzie Thomas.
If that name sounds familiar, MaKenzie was a contestant during season 14’s blind auditions. The 2o-year-old admitted that her nerves got the best of her last year, and that she cried on the ride back to her Wallingford, Kentucky home. But with a renewed confidence, her breathy, effortless version of Jessie J’s “Big White Room” had Jennifer and Kelly gasping in disbelief. Although Jen-nifer was the only one to turn for MaKenzie, Kelly took a great deal of delight in the singer’s return. “I know you! I know you,” she exlaimed. “We told you to come back! Oh my gosh, you’re good!” Adam added, “I love when this happens because you really deserve it.” Blake agreed, saying “I think MaKenzie could be a dark horse. Jennifer has a great team and I think she’s got a couple that have a shot at winning this thing.”
Adam was the big winner of the night, though, scoring two artists for his team, including 28-year-old Fousheé from Harlem. The bluesy, soulful singer performed Childish Gambino’s “Redbone,” eliciting gasps from the coaches with her perfect and unbelievable whistle notes. Both Jennifer and Adam turned for the young talent, but Fousheé pledged her allegiance to Adam.
But Adam’s second score of the night came as a bit of a shock to all of the coaches. When 13-year-old Reagan Strange from Memphis chose the Bebe Rexha/Florida Georgia Line smash “Meant to Be” for her audition piece, it seemed that Blake would be a sure thing. He did try. Blake turned his chair for the sweet soprano with an impressive range, and even though she admitted that she adored how he pointed at himself when decision time was imminent, Reagan chose Team Adam.
The last contestant of the night, though, saw all of the coach’s gloves coming off…and their shoes. Jennifer’s shoes, anyway. Soulful Chicagoan SandyRedd looked every bit a superstar with fringe swinging while singing Bishop Briggs’ “River.” In seconds, Adam had turned and not even a full second later, Jennifer turned and one shoe came off (a sure sign of her overwhelming approval). It wasn’t too long before Kelly turned and then, not to be left out, Blake also hit his button.
Both of Jennifer’s shoes, Adam’s sneaker, Kelly’s sequin jacket and Blake’s sippy cup littered the stage—a sign of great interest from all of the coaches.
“Let me start this because I hit my button knowing it was a longshot, but I think you deserve that,” Blake began. “And I’d love to be your coach. I get it. I’m a country guy. Jennifer is sitting right there.” Barefoot Jennifer responded, “I gave you both of my shoes!”
Kelly, who was rendered speechless from the performance, finally collected herself and said, “You’re like FIRE! You are bleeding everything you want in this career. We could watch it. It was so magnificent. I don’t know who you’re going to pick, but I don’t care. I just can’t wait to watch you on this show. You are fire.”
Adam did care who SandyRedd picked, though. Feeling as if the singer was leaning towards Jennifer, he said, “I want this. Sometimes you get possessed by something. There’s no way this ain’t gonna happen. You can win this and you should do it on my team.”
It was crunch time, and while the coaches seemed to think that Jennifer would earn this outstanding vocalist, to the surprise of everyone, she selected Team Kelly, once again rendering Kelly speechless.
Kelsea Ballerini’s Comeback Stage earned a new competitor, too. Durham, North Carolina’s Wyatt Rivers has the country sensation as his mentor and coach. Now, keep in mind that the Comeback Stage is an online series found on YouTube. The contestants are handpicked by Kelsea after they didn’t land a spot on Jennifer, Kelly, Adam or Blake’s teams. Two of the Comeback Stage singers will compete for America’s votes and then one will win the final spot in the live performances.
To monitor their progress, check out their individual videos on The Voice’s YouTube channel.
