'The Voice' recap: Michael Bublé chooses 'one of my favorite voices' as Reba McEntire moves in for an unexpected steal
Team Bublé's Knockout round featured a 3-way battle with Shye, Edward Preble and J. Paul.
Night 2 of the Knockouts kicked off on Tuesday on The Voice.
The one-hour episode highlighted two three-way battles from Team Gwen and Team Bublé, and in a recap-style reel revealed the winning singer from Team Reba — Katie O — who will be moving on to the Playoffs. The episode capped off with an unexpected steal by coach Reba McEntire that surprised the rest of the coaches — and the lucky Voice hopeful.
Knockout battle of the episode
Coach Gwen Stefani matched up female singers Felsmere, Gabrielle Zabosky and Kay Sibal for their Knockout battle — and the result was nothing short of magic. It made sense that the three singers faced off against each other as they were closest in genre and singing style.
For their Knockout performances, they all opted for songs by female powerhouses: Felsmere chose “Son of a Preacher Man” by Dusty Springfield, Zabosky went with “Used to Be Young” by Miley Cyrus, and Sibal showed off her piano-playing skills with “One Last Time” by Ariana Grande.
Michael Bublé praised Sibal’s “beautiful,” “tender” cover of the Grande ballad, while Snoop Dogg said he felt the “strength of her vocals.” Bublé was a fan of Felsmere’s choreography during her performance, but he, Snoop and McEntire ended up preferring Zabosky’s version of the Cyrus song.
Stefani was impressed by Felsmere’s performance, telling her it was the best she’s seen during her time on The Voice. The No Doubt singer was moved by Sibal’s vulnerability, calling it her “favorite part of Kay,” and said Zabosky’s stage performance was “perfect.” Stefani chose to move forward with Zabosky because she had the whole package: “She has this quirky personality, she’s humble, she’s someone I can help grow.”
An unexpected steal
Team Bublé’s Knockout battle featured one of the most distinctive lineups of the season. Old-school jazz crooner Edward Preble was pitted against singer-songwriter Shye and R&B vocalist J. Paul, creating such a compelling matchup that whoever won would have done so based more on some personal preference than on talent.
In the end, Bublé named Shye the winner of the three-way showdown after her cover of “The One That Got Away” by Katy Perry. “She may not just be one of my favorite voices of the season, but she may be one of my favorite voices of all time,” he declared.
While Paul’s journey on The Voice ended with the Knockouts, Preble got a second chance after McEntire unexpectedly used her steal, shocking the 19-year-old and officially welcoming him onto Team Reba.
“I loved Edward from the very beginning, and he is a character,” the country star explained. “There are not many people who take that genre of music up, but when they do, they’re passionate about it and you see that with Edward.”
A look ahead to next week
Monday will be the final night of Knockouts. For those keeping track, Snoop has one steal left while Stefani and McEntire both have their saves. Expect the tension to be at an all-time high as the coaches look to advance the singers they believe have the best shot of winning. And the Playoffs are right around the corner!
The Voice returns Monday, Nov. 18, at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.