It’s Playoffs time on season 24 of The Voice — and that means the coaches have to make some major cuts!
Following Niall Horan’s tough trim down last week, Reba McEntire and Gwen Stefani were up next on Monday, with each Team Gwen singer performing a new song of their coach’s choosing before the No Doubt frontwoman was forced to cut the group down from six hopeful singers to just three — who will progress on to the live shows.
“I have such an incredible team,” Gwen said ahead of the big decision, noting how proud she was of her team’s diverse talents. “My stomach is in knots, I had a sleepless night. It’s always hard, every single time.”
“You’ve already won by doing what you’ve done,” she told her singers before the cuts.
See who made Team Gwen’s final roster for the live shows below!
BIAS
The eccentric singer has had a wild ride so far on The Voice, winning Gwen over in the Blind Audition’s with his performance of “God’s Country” by her hubby, Blake Shelton.
His high-energy stage presence helped him win his Battle Round performance of Jelly Roll’s “I Need a Favor” and his Knockout cover of Chris Stapleton’s “You Should Probably Leave,” but he slowed things down for the Playoff, delivering a heartfelt rendition of “Where I Find God” by Larry Fleet that earned him a spot on the live shows.
“I think that Bias is so authentic, and knows who he is,” Gwen praised. “He’s an amazing singer. I think he’s country, and country, and country.”
Kara Tenae
Kara earned a three-chair turn for her Blind Audition performance of Ella Mai’s “Boo’d Up” and surprised some when she chose Team Gwen. But she’s been on a winning track since, with Battle and Knockout Round victories with Brandy’s “Have You Ever” and JoJo’s “Leave (Get Out),” respectively.
For the Playoffs, Kara turned to an R&B classic, one of her favorite songs by one of her favorite groups: SWV’s “Rain” — and impressed the coaches once again.
“She really knows how to handle the stage,” Gwen raved of sending Kara to the lives. “She knows what songs suit her and she seems super reldy for that moment.”
Tanner Massey
The 19-year-old singer charmed the coaches instantly with Lewis Capaldi’s “Before You Go” in the Blinds — ultimately joining Team Niall.
After losing his Battle Round performance, Tanner was stolen by Gwen, and he went on to victory in the Three-Way Knockouts with his performance of Shawn Mendes’ “In My Blood.”
Tanner struggled at the start of his Playoff performance, with some pitch issues affecting his cover of “Impossible” by Shontelle, but by the end he had pulled it together, so much so that Gwen decided to take him to the lives.
“Tanner has so much range and he has so much power,” she marveled. “Being able to help him grow as an artist is just something that I thrive off of. I had to put him into the lives and see what he can do.”
ET spoke with Gwen ahead of this season’s Battles, where she opened up about how surreal it is to return to The Voice without hubby Blake Shelton by her side. The Cowboy departed the NBC singing competition earlier this year, after 23 seasons.
“It feels kind of like [my] first season, before I knew he existed,” she shared. “It’s kind of weird, but it’s also like, I’m having so much fun.”
“Like, I’m only here because it’s fun,” Gwen added. “The coaching and actually getting to know your team after the Blinds is my favorite thing, ’cause it’s like, the dream’s there.”
She admitted, however, that it is a little nerve-wracking to look to Blake’s chair and instead see The Voice‘s newest coach — the Queen of Country herself.
Of how Reba’s handled her first season so far, Gwen recalled the Blind Auditions with a laugh.
“She did great. She didn’t have to do anything,” she remembered. “She’d be like, ‘I think you were great. I’d love to have you on my team,’ and then they’d be like, ‘I pick you!'”
The Voice airs Mondays at 8 p.m. PT/ET and Tuesdays at 9 p.m. PT/ET on NBC.
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