Reba McEntire may bring musical wisdom to “The Voice,” but she’s a spirited motivational coach too.
Team Reba singers Ruby Leigh and Al Boogie dueled during the fourth round of Battles Monday night with a passionate rendition of the Dolly Parton classic “Jolene.”
While Leigh was a clear standout for coaches McEntire, Niall Horan, John Legend and Gwen Stefani with her “beautiful” alto-soprano range, Boogie (who made a comeback after unsuccessfully auditioning for Season 23) was a strong contender with his “infectious” tone and captivating stage presence.
“You started out as an underdog: one because you were a 1-chair turn and she was a 4-chair turn, two because you’re singing a song that’s about being a woman scorned. You don’t exactly look the part,” Legend told Boogie. “The inclination would be this is all pointing to Ruby, but you killed it.”
Despite killing it, in Legend’s words, Boogie lost the battle to Leigh. The 37-year-old vocalist thanked McEntire for helping him achieve “Voice” redemption.
“Last season, it was a struggle going home without that chair turn,” Boogie said. “Having you turn around kind of lifted that burden off of me. This has been a great ride.”
McEntire couldn’t let Boogie walk out without one more piece of encouragement. “Don’t you ever quit,” she told Boogie onstage.
Here’s what else went down on Monday’s episode.
Horan won’t back down from a fight, not even against the Queen of Country.
Team Legend singers AZÁN and Taylor Deneen faced off with a soulful duet of “Do It” by Chloe x Halle. The vibrant, girl-power performance floored the coaches, including McEntire, who jokingly refused to help Legend determine the battle’s winner.
“I was just very entertained, flabbergasted. Y’all’s talent is off the charts,” McEntire said. “I ain’t touching that.”
In the end, good old-fashioned musicality won out for Legend, who declared Deneen the victor of the battle. “They had the moves, they had the look, just everything was right. But Taylor, as a vocalist, is just stunning,” he said.
But the battle was far from over. Horan and McEntire each hit their steal buttons for a chance to snatch AZÁN for their teams. “We can battle it out here, buddy,” McEntire told Horan, to which he replied, “No, we won’t.”
“AZÁN, I hit my button ‘cause I wanted one more chance to tell you how good you are,” McEntire told the Texas vocalist. “I was totally taken with your stage presence, your voice. You’ve got the total package to be a superstar.”
AZÁN opted to take her superstar swagger to Team Niall, choosing Horan as her new coach.
“You’re crazy good,” Horan told AZÁN. “That’s the steal of the year.”
For McEntire, there’s nothing stronger than that Music City bond.
Kaylee Shimizu and Elizabeth Evans of Team Legend channeled their inner pop-punk goddesses for an emotional cover of “traitor” by Olivia Rodrigo.
Evans blew McEntire away with her robust vocal delivery. “When you opened your mouth and hit that big note, I was just in awe,” McEntire gushed.
Teen vocalist Shimizu, 17, earned praise from Legend for her precocious singing prowess.
“There’s just very few people on the planet that can sing with the level of ability and the level of gift that you have,” Legend said. “You’re just so polished at such a young age, it’s actually stunning to watch.”
Shimizu’s wise-beyond-her-years polish helped her land a Battles victory, with Legend choosing the Hawaii singer as the winner.
However, just before Evans could walk offstage, McEntire hit her steal button to bring the Nashville powerhouse onto her team.
“Us Nashville girls have got to stay together,” said McEntire, who once owned a home in Lebanon, Tennessee. “You’ve got to hang out around here with us.”
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