John Legend slammed down his buzzer to steal Chance the Rapper‘s team member in the final seconds of Tuesday’s intense Battles round episode of The Voice on NBC.
Val T. Webb, 43, from New Braunfels, Texas, was shocked that she was suddenly saved. Val had just said her goodbyes to Chance and was walking off the stage when John hit his buzzer.
‘You ain’t going nowhere,’ John, 45, said.
‘As soon as Chance said Rletto, I was like, well Val’s coming to team Legend,’ John said to the camera. ‘Her voice is smooth. She has gorgeous range, gorgeous tone.’
Rletto, 27, from Orlando, Florida, battled against Val singing Whitney Houston‘s Saving All My Love For You. Rletto said he planned to sing this song for his mother.
John Legend slammed down his buzzer to steal Chance the Rapper ‘s team member in the final seconds of Tuesday’s intense battle round episode of The Voice on NBC
Val admitted she had a little bit of nerves doing this song, but was going to devote this song to her husband. Chance, 30, knew that singing a Whitney song was a challenge.
‘That was one of the most iconic performances I’ve ever seen,’ Dan Smyers, 36, said when they finished. ‘Rletto you are a star man. That richness in the lower register of your voice, I was getting goosebumps. I was feeling it.’
‘You guys were so good,’ Shay Mooney, 32, said.
‘Pick them both,’ Dan said.
Shay said Val’s voice was ‘silk.’
‘Val you just reminded all of us why you got a four chair turn,’ Reba said.
Chance picked Rletto as the winner of the round.
John then swooped in to steal Val as the Battles round concluded.
Val T. Webb, 43, from New Braunfels, Texas , was shocked that she was suddenly saved
‘You ain’t going nowhere,’ John, 45, said as he nabbed Val for his team
Rletto, 27, from Orlando, Florida , battled against Val singing Whitney Houston ‘s Saving All My Love For You
Chance picked Rletto as the winner of the round
Team Reba’s players were the first contestants of the episode. Elyscia Jefferson, 20, from Baltimore, Maryland, battled against Ashley Bryant, 26, from Louisville, Kentucky, singing Beyonce’s If I Were A Boy.
Reba, 68, picked the song for them because she loved the song and loved Beyonce.
‘I came from a man’s world,’ Reba said. ‘I started professionally in the 70’s. Before me was Loretta, and Tammy and Dolly, and they helped pave the way for me and the females in my decade. Demanding respect is a huge part of it.’
Elyscia said her mother taught her to not back down. Ashley said the harmonies were hard for her because she was hard of hearing in her right ear.
‘I love Ashley’s willpower,’ Reba said.
Chance told Ashley that she surprised him after her show stopping duet performance with Elyscia.
‘Elyscia, you exude this star quality the way you carry yourself,’ Chance said.
‘Ashley you showed a new side of our voice with all the runs and I think you crushed it,’ Dan said.
John told Ashley she was a ‘wonderful, wonderful singer.’
Reba ultimately picked Ashley to move on to the knockouts but said she was proud of both of them.
Elyscia Jefferson, 20, from Baltimore, Maryland, battled against Ashley Bryant, 26, from Louisville, Kentucky, singing Beyonce’s If I Were A Boy
Reba McEntire ultimately picked Ashley to move on to the knockouts but said she was proud of both of them
‘She’s got the great package,’ Reba said.
Team Legend contestants Mafe, 22, from Miami, went up against Rivers Grayson, 27, from Muscle Shoals, Alabama, and blended their vocal styles performing James Taylor and Carole King’s hit You’ve Got A Friend. John paired them because they both had a sense of classic songwriting. John said they got special permission to do a bilingual version of this song.
Mafe said she thought of her friends that she met when she moved to the US when she sang the song. John hoped that they both gave graceful and beautiful performances. Rivers played the guitar as he sang in the duet.
‘Rivers our tone made me relax and just feel so good,’ Reba said. ‘Mafe you sang two or three different ways through this song. There was a lot of depth to your singing. I guess if I had to choose one, Mafe I would choose you.
‘I just love seeing your dynamic on stage,’ Chance said. ‘Two vastly different styles. Rivers, I really like your tone and your vibrato that you use is nostalgic.’
Chance told Mafe she had a strong sense of identity. Chance said he would go with Rivers.
‘The blend was amazing,’ Dan said. ‘Rivers you’ve got that breathy airy tone and I felt like whenever you were harmonizing with Mafe, the texture of those voices were so beautiful together.
Shay told Mafe her range was incredible and he would choose Mafe. John told Rivers he did a perfect job. He told Mafe that she had a great future ahead of her.
John picked Mafe as the winner.
Team Legend contestants Mafe, 22, from Miami, went up against Rivers Grayson, 27, from Muscle Shoals, Alabama, and blended their vocal styles performing James Taylor and Carole King’s hit You’ve Got A Friend
AJ Harvey and Anya True also battled it out during the one-hour episode
Dan + Shay joined the show as coaches this season
‘Mafe sounded so beautiful singing in both English and Spanish,’ John said. ‘I think she is definitely one of the best artists on Team Legend, and one of the best artists in this season’s competition.’
Team Dan + Shay’s Anya True beat out AJ Harvey singing Half of My Heart by John Mayer. Anya was looking forward to working with AJ because she thought their voices would sound good together. The two played guitars while they performed.
Dan told them that they loved them both after they performed. He then huddled with Shay and ultimately picked Anya as the winner.
‘Anya had to really step it up for this battle and she really did,’ Dan said. ‘I feel like she can do really well in this competition because she knows who she wants to be.’
‘She has just that intangible star power,’ Shay said.
The Voice will return on April 8 with the premiere of the Knockouts round.