Editor's Note: The following contains spoilers for 'The Voice' Season 26 Episode 9.It's night three of Battles, and the judges are in high spirits. That is before they realize they have to eliminate some of their own. But hey, with steals still on the board, not everyone will be walking away from The Voice Season 26 right away. Through another night of difficult choices, the coaches establish the best roster to help them earn the victory in the end. But there's one coach who all the coaches are envious of: Gwen Stefani.
The goal of the Battle Round is to whittle down your team to have the strongest group compete for America's votes in the live rounds. But to get there, some exceptional voices are lost along the way. Having experience as a coach, Gwen Stefani is bringing her knowledge to the stage. Reba McEntire is showing her heart, perhaps a little more than her head. Then there are the rookies; they've still got their training wheels on. It's still too early to call who the winner will be, but the Battle Rounds display who really knows how to create a champion.
Gwen Stefani Capitalizes on Reba McEntire's Tough Decision
For Reba McEntire's first battle, she has two powerhouse vocalists take on one another. It's four-chair turn recipient Danny Joseph versus single-chair turn recipient Deon Jones. With both artists having rock and soul in their blood, the Queen of Country selects "It's a Man's Man's Man's World" by James Brown as their Battle Round track. Yet, they both have a different sound. Jones' vocal is all purity, while Joseph brings a gravelly tone. With the intro to the episode and Danny Joseph mentioning the steals being available, it was almost obvious that both men would be remaining; it would just be a battle about where they would land. They are formidable opponents. In the performance, they put on a show, forcing Reba to make a near-impossible decision. Ultimately, she selects Danny Joseph as she finds him different. Now to that steal. Gwen Stefani couldn't let him go home. She slams her steal button, saving him. With both artists staying on, Reba proves why she is the reigning champ. Her song selection was exceptional. It highlights both artists while still making it a united performance.
Many people may not know or remember, but Reba McEntire was on Broadway back in the day. Yes, the Queen of Country had a brief stint in the revival of Annie Get Your Gun. Why is this fact important? Well, musical theater is in her blood, which is likely why she gave Lauren-Michael Sellers and Creigh Riepe "You Will Be Found" from Dear Evan Hansen. It's a soaring song with a touching message. Sellers and Riepe are transformative on the song. Sellers forces an inspirational, preachy aura to the song. Riepe manages to take the track to the pop charts. Regardless, she picks Lauren-Michael Sellers because she brings her joy. Creigh Riepe is left on the cutting room floor. Another strong artist bites the dust — one, perhaps, they'll all regret letting go.
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'The Voice' Episode 9 Is Full of Rookie Mistakes
Snoop Dogg kicks off his night with a logical battle. It's the battle of the family men — the Dad Battle. As Brad Sample and Jake Tankersley swap photos of their children while strumming their guitars, this pairing will essentially eliminate an artist that fulfills the same spot. Snoop selects "Stuck On You" by Lionel Richie for their battle. Both Sample and Tankersley had never heard this track before, so Snoop offers them a lesson in music history. In their coaching session, Snoop sits back and relishes the beauty of the stripped-down version of the song. Rather than offer vocal technique advice, Snoop brings them advice about showmanship, something that's hard to do when you're stuck behind a guitar. It's a sweet rendition of a baritone country crooner against a tenor bluegrass belter. Their blend works well on the song, making it a laid-back but beautiful musical moment. Snoop ultimately selects Jake Tankersley for his strength and confidence. Sadly, this is the end of the line for Brad Sample.
Michael Bublé pits Jamison Puckett against Shye for his first night three battle. One singer is about to have a baby with his wife. One singer has just graduated from high school. They bring very different life experiences to the stage, so their song, fortunately, has something they both can connect with. They take on Justin Bieber's "Love Yourself." The Canadian jazz singer effortlessly slips in that he is friends with the former Canadian child prodigy. It's a very stable performance. There is very little room to build and grow vocally. Puckett's ability to riff brings some flavor to the performance compared to Shye's flat take. At 17 years old, Shye has a lot of room to develop as an artist while Jamison Puckett is ready for the next step in his career. Michael Bublé goes with Shye. It's a shocking and potentially incorrect decision. With a lot of room to help, Michael Bublé will need to mold Shye into a star, as her potential can only take her so far.
Team Gwen Continues To Dominate 'The Voice' Season 26
On paper, the first battle of the night for Gwen Stefani seems like an odd pairing. It's Cozy Len against Felsmere. For Felsmere, this is her comeback. This is her chance to improve since her Season 1 Battle Round defeat. With immense growth since 2011, Felsmere is eager to leave nothing on the stage this time around. Gwen selects a favorite track, "Summer Breeze" by Seals & Crofts, as she hopes it will turn into something new and modern. Let's hope, especially when Felsmere tells Gwen, "It's my mom's favorite song." Cozy Len connects to the song because the lyrics mention the name of his wife, Jasmine, throughout. The battle is a silky smooth rendition of the classic track. Cozy Len is able to hit some exceptional high notes, but he feels as if he's the featured artist on Felsmere's single. Gwen takes a chance on Felsmere as she is the winner of the battle. Gwen is the perfect coach for Felsmere; she can make her a star.
Gwen pits her two four-chair turns recipients against one another: Austyns Stancil versus Jose Luis. Hoping they can show different sides of their voices, Gwen has them perform "Lay Me Down" by Sam Smith. It's a very dramatic song, but she doesn't want them to be too theatrical. Before they even hit the stage, Gwen states that the reason she put them together is she knows that one of them will be stolen. Collusion on The Voice? Both performers bring their best to the performance. Jose Luis has a bit more consistency in their performance. Austyns Stancil brings more range, though it does become a tad pitchy. Though it is not the knockout performance that Stefani promises, she does predict a steal. She selects Jose Luis to remain on her team, and, with Austyns Stancil free to steal, Reba, Snoop, and Bublé all press their button. Now, the former four-chair turn recipient gets his choice once again.
Unfortunately for us, The Voice Season 26 Episode 9 decides to leave us on a cliffhanger. With three strong pitches, the best place for Autyns Stancil to go next would be with Coach Snoop. The D-O-Double-G has the ability to take the R&B out of him and bring it to the next level. Will that be the direction he goes? This is The Voice. Wild decisions are almost expected at this point! It's hard to watch artists you believe have the potential to win walk away, but there's a reason why these coaches are paid the big bucks! While we may not agree with every decision, The Voice showcases the talent around the country. Even if your favorite is dismissed, you can still follow them and support them on their journey post-show — one of the beauties of modern-day singing competitions.
The Voice airs every Monday and Tuesday on NBC. All episodes of The Voice are available to stream on Peacock in the U.S.
Coaches being able to steal in the Battle Rounds is a saving grace for some artists on 'The Voice.'
Pros
- Gwen Stefani is showing that experience is key.
- 'The Voice' Season 26 shines when the song choice is right.
Cons
- It's not just the rookies making rooking mistakes.
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