Round 2 of the Voice Playoffs kicked off on Monday’s episode with the spotlight fully on Team Reba and Team Snoop. The two-hour installment, which said goodbye to six out of 10 hopefuls as next week’s Top 8 live show quickly approaches, featured an Olympian as an unexpected adviser to one of the teams.
Coach Reba McEntire recruited Yellowstone actress and country singer Lainey Wilson, who revealed she unsuccessfully tried out for The Voice seven times, to serve as her team’s mega mentor.
Living up to his “wild card” moniker this season, coach Snoop Dogg recruited Simone Biles, the most decorated Olympic gymnast in American history, to be his team’s mega mentor and to share her words of wisdom. By picking Biles, Snoop prioritized the intangibles over vocal talent and stage performance — and the Olympian held her own.
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“Sometimes the mental is more important than anything,” the rapper told Biles, who nodded in agreement.
Find out which singers from Team Reba and Team Snoop will join Team Gwen’s Jan Dan and Sydney Sterlace in the live shows.
How Team Reba matched up
Adam Bohanan started things off with a soulful performance of “Think I’m in Love With You” by Chris Stapleton. He earned unanimous praise from the coaches after his crowd-pleasing turn, with McEntire listing all the reasons why the “dirty soul” singer is a standout: “He’s raspy, he’s growly, he has terrific range. [He] keep[s] getting better and better.”
Jazz crooner Edward Preble, who channeled Frank Sinatra with his Rat Pack-inspired gray suit, sang coach Michael Bublé’s arrangement of “All of Me.” It immediately impressed Bublé, who said Preble’s take was “a wonderful tribute,” while Snoop approved of his improved showmanship. “Everybody moves forward just a little bit more when Edward gets on the stage to see what he does,” McEntire said.
Edward Preble. (Casey Durkin/NBC via Getty Images)
Country singer Katie O checked one thing off her bucket list: singing with Lainey Wilson. The duo had an impromptu duet during rehearsals when Wilson advised her on how best to perform her song “Hang Tight Honey.” Following Katie O’s strong Playoff performance, McEntire applauded her confidence and said she was a good representative for country music.
Lauren-Michael Sellers left it all on the Voice stage for her heartwarming rendition of Jelly Roll’s “I Am Not Okay.” During rehearsals, Wilson and McEntire were visibly moved by Sellers’s emotional vocals. “Her story, you can feel it just oozing out of her body,” Wilson remarked. It translated to the Playoff stage; coach Gwen Stefani observed her ability to showcase the “nuances” in her voice, and McEntire felt she gave “her heart and soul to the song.”
Danny Joseph turned the Motown classic “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” by Marvin Gaye into a raucous rock cover that got everyone on their feet. (Joseph even ripped his pants during his exciting performance.) Stefani loved “how much spirit you have and how intense you are,” and McEntire celebrated the uniqueness that he brings to The Voice.
How Team Snoop matched up
Christina Eagle was the first artist from Team Snoop to take the Playoff stage. Singing McEntire’s “Fancy,” Eagle’s version rendered the country star speechless. McEntire was a fan of how Eagle “changed [the song] around” and was impressed by her passion. Snoop said Eagle was the “complete package.”
Aliyah Khaylyn stunned the coaches and the audience with a powerful cover of Whitney Houston’s “I Have Nothing.” Khaylyn’s performance impressed the judges, especially Stefani, who repeatedly expressed how shocked she was. “When I heard that tone in your voice and heard those runs, I [felt] like this is your lane,” she observed. An emotional Snoop said he “saw greatness.”
Austyns Stancil followed Khaylyn’s incredible performance with a showstopper of his own. Covering “Adore” by Prince, Stancil showed off his remarkable falsetto and floored the coaches with his vocal gymnastics. After the performance, Bublé jokingly pressed his “steal” button (which didn’t exist). “Wow,” Stefani said in amazement. “I mean, nobody can do that.”
Mikaela Ayira performed Keyshia Cole’s “Love,” earning positive feedback from the panel. McEntire called it “gorgeous,” while Stefani said Snoop helped her “find your lane.” “She has grown into the artist I want her to be: confident, strong and very coachable,” Snoop said.
Jeremy Beloate gave a theatrical performance of the Josh Groban ballad “The Impossible Dream (The Quest),” which was one of Bublé’s “favorite performances.” Beloate earned the special distinction of bringing McEntire and Snoop to tears. “You have got a voice that penetrated my heart. It really got me,” McEntire said. “Something about the way you make me feel,” Snoop agreed.
Who made it to the live shows?
Team Reba: Adam Bohanan and Danny Joseph
“Adam’s voice stands out because he’s powerful, he’s got great range, he’s got that gravel in his voice,” McEntire said of advancing Bohanan to the live shows. “Because he’s been so consistent, I had to have him continue on the show.”
Adam Bohanan performs on The Voice. (Casey Durkin/NBC via Getty Images)
McEntire picked Joseph, who she described as a classic ’70s rock ’n’ roll guy, as her second singer to move on because “he’s not like anything else on the show.” “I think America loves him as much as I do,” she said.
Team Snoop: Jeremy Beloate and Christina Eagle
“He is a natural-born live performer,” Snoop said after choosing Beloate to represent him in the live shows. “He’s at the pinnacle. He was the most incredible singer that [sang] on The Voice stage for Season 26.”
The hip-hop mogul made the surprising decision to select Eagle over artists such as Aliyah Khaylyn and Austyns Stancil, who arguably had more show-stopping Playoff performances. “She is a fiery female who can sing good old-fashioned country music,” Snoop said of Eagle.
Christina Eagle performs on The Voice. (Casey Durkin/NBC via Getty Images)
A look ahead to the next episode
Team Michael is on the hot seat for the final night of Playoffs. Six spots for the season’s first live shows have already been determined. All eyes are on Bublé as he looks to fill the final two semifinal slots.
“It makes me really nervous because my team has a lot to live up to,” Bublé admitted. “You know what they say: Save the best for last.”
The Voice continues Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET on NBC.
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