'The Voice': John Legend is âreally disappointedâ after past contestant chooses Dan + Shay
Dan + Shay have branded themselves the 2-for-1 deal of NBCâs âThe Voice,â but thereâs no outselling the Team Legend package.
The country pop duo and coach John Legend eagerly competed for the vocal prowess of Nebraska singer Bryan Olesen, formerly of the Christian rock band Newsboys, during the third round of blind auditions Monday. The 49-year-old wowed with his dynamic rendition of âLove Runs Outâ by OneRepublic.
Legend compared Olesenâs captivating stage presence to U2 frontman Bono. âYou have so much chops and everything you need to be a great superstar,â he said.
Olesen also brought his daughter Jadyn onstage, and the two performed an impromptu cover of Corinne Bailey Raeâs âPut Your Records On.â The duet prompted Dan + Shay to leverage their duo status, inviting Olesen and his daughter to sit in their two-person chair.
âRemember, weâre the only ones with room for two here,â Dan Smyers said, to which Legend quickly replied, âSit next to me, Bryan. I need to whisper some more sweet nothings into your ear.â
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Dan + Shayâs twosome swagger was no match for Legendâs veteran status, as Olesen chose Team Legend.
âSorry Dan + Shay, I got Bryan,â said Legend in a post-audition interview. âAt least you have each other. You can console each other.â
Reba McEntire loses Grammy-nominated singer to Chance the Rapper after touching message
Kamalei Kawaâa, a member of the Grammy-nominated group NaĚ Wai Ę˝EhaĚ, dazzled coaches Chance the Rapper and Reba McEntire with his tender, acoustic performance of âRedemption Songâ by Bob Marley and the Wailers.
The emotional cover, which served as a tribute to Kawaâaâs native Hawaiian roots, struck a chord with Chance.
âDoing âRedemption Songâ in front of millions of people, it brought something out of me,â Chance said. âItâs a very radical song, and it means a lot to all oppressed peoples around the world. And I think having you on here and representing Pacific Islanders, indigenous people, HawaiiansâŚI think itâs really important for the show to have.â
McEntire was similarly moved by the âvery spiritualâ nature of the 26-year-oldâs performance. âThat song touched my heart,â she said. âI knew that I had heard it before but not like the way you sang it.â
But it was Chanceâs heartfelt praise that won out in the end, with Kawaâa choosing Team Chance. âChance comes through with the best pitches Iâve ever heard,â McEntire said afterward. âHeâs sincere; heâs to the heart.â
Chance the Rapper says heâs âhurtâ by sudden loss to Reba McEntire
Alabama vocalist Asher HaVon earned a quick chair turn from Chance with his powerhouse rendition of âSet Fire to the Rainâ by Adele, followed by interest from McEntire and Dan + Shay.
âI could tell youâre trying to win this competition, and you should. Everything that you did was phenomenal,â Chance told HaVon. âI was blown away by it, thatâs why I immediately turned around.â
But McEntire was sure to toss her cowgirl hat into the ring for HaVon, lauding the 31-year-oldâs vocal strength. âWhat an incredible voice you have: your range, your power,â she said. âI couldnât wait to turn around and see what you look like, and (it was) not disappointing at all.â
HaVon opted to join Team Reba, but not before getting Chanceâs hopes up with a last-minute reveal.
âChance, I really love you,â HaVon said, prompting Chance to start getting out of his seat in victory. âBut Iâve got to choose Reba.â
Chance found out the hard way that the early bird doesnât always catch the worm. âThat one hurt,â he said afterward. âWhy start out with my name? Start off with âsorry.ââ
John Legend is âreally disappointedâ after losing four-chair singer to Dan + Shay
Singer-songwriter Madison Curbelo, who unsuccessfully auditioned for Season 20, redeemed herself with a soulful, bilingual cover of âStand by Meâ by Ben E. King. The 21-year-old scored a four-chair turn.
Legend was quick to own up to his past rejection of Curbelo in his pitch to the Massachusetts vocalist.
âIâm keenly aware that I was one of the people who did not turn for you in Season 20. Theyâll point it out, so Iâm saying it now,â Legend said. âI feel like youâre just ready now.â
Shay Mooney of Dan + Shay wasnât one to let bygones be bygones, even while agreeing with Legendâs praise of Curbelo. âIâm always right, though, thatâs the thing,â Legend said, to which Mooney quipped, âYou werenât last time she came, but itâs all right.â
âIt is true when you get told no sometimes in your life I think that pivots you and puts you on a different trajectory and allows you the opportunity to grow in those moments,â Mooney told Curbelo. âYour voice was just flawless.â
Itâs now Legendâs turn to receive a no. Curbelo chose Dan + Shay to be her coaches.
âIâm really disappointed that Madison is holding this grudge against me,â said Legend in a post-audition interview. âBut Dan + Shay are pretty good at this. Iâve got to say theyâre picking this coaching thing up pretty quickly.â