Niall: Season 24 battles.
I've got an amazing team,
and I can't wait to see them perform.
Let's go.
**
Okay, it's the first day of battles.
I'm ready to go. Team Legend is ready.
We're gonna sound great, look great, feel great.
It's a great day.
Do I look a little eager? I'm the only coach out here.
This is my first battle round.
It's very exciting to me.
I'm a third-generation rodeo brat,
and I love to win.
Is Niall gonna mess up our color coordination?
I bet he is. Yeah, let's see what he's wearing.
Hey! Oh, and he didn't wear black.
He's here for Blake, basically.
Blake -- Blake's son. How are ya?
He's got the denim on. So good to see ya.
John: I love the battles.
We see our artists grow and blossom.
Team Legend is stacked.
It's gonna be a tough battle for all of us.
Daly: Give it up for our coaches --
John Legend, Gwen Stefani,
Niall Horan, and Reba McEntire! Yes! Yes! Yes!
Let's go! [ Cheers and applause ]
Come here, Reba. Oh, thank you so much.
First battle.
I'm so excited.
Niall: It's battle time. This is gonna be so fun.
The talent this year is crazy.
* You don't have to say what you did *
[ Laughing ] Oh!
* She's always a woman to me *
Beautiful!
Whoo!
* The heart won't lie *
Daly: We've got a steal!
We've got a second steal!
Wow!
Everybody ready? Let's do it!
[ Cheers and applause ]
Whoo!
Oh, I'm fired up. John: Let's go.
Daly: Which passionate vocalist
will win this Team Legend battle?
This opportunity to be here at battles is everything to me.
Deejay Young!
Deejay: Being a standby for "Hamilton" was very tough.
Deejay!
But this is an opportunity to show my artistry,
and I know that I have to give it everything that I have.
Ephraim: This is gonna be a tough battle
because we're both incredible showmen.
I'm not ready to go home.
Daly: Ephraim Owens!
[ Cheers and applause ] Cool.
And I want to show my kids
that you don't give up on dreams.
Yes! Yes!
Daddy's still got some more work to do around here.
Let's do this, brother. Let's do this.
Gentlemen. How are you, Ephraim?
Great to see you. What's up, brother? Good to see you.
Deejay, how are you? I'm great. I'm great. I'm great.
Welcome to the battles.
Yes, sir. Yes, sir. I'm excited!
John: I love being back at the battles.
There's something about just me having
this one-on-one conversation with my artists,
really imparting my knowledge.
It's a lot of fun for me.
We're gonna kill it. We're gonna kill it.
For this battle, I paired Deejay and Ephraim.
Both of them are great tenors.
Both of them are soulful, but only one can win.
Ephraim, what did it feel like
going through the blind auditions?
It was a whirlwind.
* Would you let me see beneath your beautiful? *
Yes! Let's go! Let's go! Let's go!
It felt absolutely amazing to get four chairs.
John: I loved that performance.
You were singing it like your life depended on it.
My daughter sings with me sometimes, too.
Do you want to bring her out?
* But I still get... *
Nervous.
[ Laughter ]
I'm dead.
John Legend -- he's a person I've looked up to
as an artist, as a father.
So, to be coached by John Legend, it's amazing.
My son is actually my biggest fan.
Like, he'll only listen to me,
but now my son is, like, making me review my whole catalog.
He listens to it all the time.
I got back to the hotel and my wife told me
that baby number three is on the way.
Oh! There you go.
During this process,
my wife gave me note cards of encouragement.
Then after my blind, she says,
"I have one more card for you to open up,"
and it tells me that we have baby number three coming.
Mommy told me that we're having another baby.
[ Squeals] Oh!
The goal is to pursue my dream,
but also create opportunities for my kids.
So, I'm here to win it.
Deejay, so, you were touring with "Hamilton" for how long?
Four years. Yeah. Oh, my gosh.
The experience of blinds...
* Thinkin' and thinkin' and thinkin' *
...I was probably the same nervous that I was
the first time that I performed with "Hamilton."
Now I get to show the world who I am as an artist,
so I'm very excited about that.
So, we're gonna do some JT.
Whew, that's crazy. I'm very excited.
Justin wasn't releasing the song
for singing competition shows for a long time.
Oh, shoot, the pressure.
It's, like, one of my favorite records of that time period.
* You were my sun, you were my earth *
Yeah! * But you didn't... *
John: I picked for Deejay and Ephraim
"Cry Me a River" by Justin Timberlake.
* Girl, I refuse... *
John: Deejay has a perfect tone for this song,
has great falsetto.
And you can tell he does it with a lot of polish.
But Ephraim's got this raw energy,
and he may not be as much of a polished pro as Deejay,
but he can put on a great performance, too.
And that raw energy is contagious.
* Cry me a river, yeah *
John: Both of these guys have a lot of swagger,
and you need that when you're doing
an up-tempo Justin Timberlake song.
Yeah!
Okay. Okay.
Ephraim, I love how powerful you are,
but just think, like, 10% more finesse
'cause when you go, like, full all the time,
it just takes a little bit of the charm of the song
off of it, you know? Okay.
Deejay, I would consider when you do,
"The damage is done, so I guess I'll be leaving,"
I think you should just change the melody.
Okay. * The damage is done, so I guess I'll be leaving *
Something like that. Sing. Come on, church.
* The damage is done, so I guess I'll be leaving *
* Oh, oh *
[ Laughs ]
It would mean a whole lot to make it to knockouts.
I'm trying to make my family proud.
I'm trying to make my nana proud.
My nana passed away in April of 2022.
She was my biggest cheerleader.
Before my grandmother passed,
I used her voice in a piece of music of mine.
Woman: I taught my daughter how to be a good mother.
And, you know, look what she produced.
Deejay: It's helped me to be strong.
Sometimes I'll listen to it just to hear her voice.
She was so proud of me and all of the things
that I've done to get to this moment,
and I know she's with me.
Make sure you guys don't sound too happy,
'cause the song is still --
It's grimy. He's pissed, you know?
There are two steals for every coach,
so my goal is that nobody goes home.
I'm excited to see Deejay and Ephraim do this together.
I can't wait to see how y'all stage it, too.
They have different styles.
Deejay's the polished pro,
Ephraim's the energetic, charismatic, raw singer,
and I'm gonna have a tough decision.
* This is "The Voice" *
Daly: Welcome back to the battles premiere.
[ Cheers and applause ]
[ Chuckles ]
Let the battle begin!
**
* You were my sun, you were my earth *
* But you didn't know all the ways I loved you, no *
* So you took a chance and made other plans *
* But I bet you didn't think *
* That they would come crashing down *
* No * Whoo!
* You don't have to say what you did * What?!
* I already know *
* I found out from him *
* Now there's just no chance for you and me *
* There'll never be *
* Don't it make you sad about it? *
* You told me you loved me *
* Why did you leave me all alone? *
* All alone *
* You tell me you need me *
* When you call me on the phone *
* Girl, I refuse *
* You must have me confused with some other guy *
* I'm not like them, baby *
* The bridges were burned, now it's your turn to cry *
* Cry me a river *
* Cry me a river, girl *
Whoo!
* Cry me a river *
* Cry me a river, girl *
* Yeah, yeah *
* Oh * * Oh *
* The damage is done, so I guess I'll be leaving *
* Leaving *
* Oh * * Oh *
* The damage is done, so I guess I'll be leaving *
* You don't have to say what you did *
* What you did * * I already know *
* Already know * * I found out from *
* Him *
* Now there's just no chance * Wow!
* There's no chance * * For you and me *
* There'll never be *
* Cry, cry, cryyyyyyy *
* Cry me a river *
* Oh, oh *
* Cry me a river * * Oh *
* Cry me a *
* Cry me, cry me *
* Cry me, cry meee *
* Cry me, cry me *
* Cry me, cry me-e-e-e-e-e *
Whoa! [ Laughs ]
[ Cheers and applause ]
**
Whoa, baby!
Yes, fellas!
Wow!
You guys are really terrific together.
I loved the way you guys engaged the audience.
It's like you've been doing this for years together.
Thank you so much. Deejay, I loved your vocals.
Your range is out of sight.
Ephraim, your attitude was really rocking.
I loved it.
Why do I have to choose?
You don't have to choose, but you can recommend.
Golly.
Right now, I'd say Ephraim because I liked his attitude.
Deejay was just terrific, also.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much.
That's a battle right there.
It felt like one of those, like, dance movies,
you know, like a dance battle or something.
[ Laughter ]
[ Cheers and applause ]
They're so cute.
When you guys were in harmony together,
it was electric.
Tell you what. Johnny Boy's team is stacked up.
Hey. Hey.
That's how we do at Team Legend.
Let's go. Let's go.
I just think some of those runs
that Deejay did were just insane.
I just leaned a little bit more towards Deejay,
to be honest with you, Johnny.
Thank you.
Gwen: I really love just knowing
that you have this gift inside of you
and you just want to share it so desperately.
And it was just this magical artistry, you know?
And, Ephraim, you have a really good ability to work the stage
and really be, like, commanding with your facial expressions.
That takes a lot of talent,
and it's just something that's in you.
Deejay, equally, you did the same thing.
It's just different personalities.
I mean, you are like [Imitates explosion]
So, it's his problem, not mine. [ Laughs ]
Thank you, Coaches.
Alright, John, you got the final decision.
Give us some thoughts on the battle first.
Both of you have such different voices,
but the way you were able to just be really in sync
with each other -- NSYNC.
I didn't mean to say that.
Oh, my God.
John: [ Imitates rim shot ]
That was like an unintentional Dad joke.
That's what happens when you have four kids.
Ephraim, your tone is rich and has depth to it.
It was just fun to see you doing
all the things that make you yourself.
And then, Deejay, your voice is just elastic.
It can do so many amazing things.
Your range is crazy.
That's what makes this hard
because both of you could do really well in this competition.
Wow, John.
That is quite the praise for both of your artists,
making it an even more difficult decision.
Who is the winner of this battle?
[ Dramatic music plays ]
The winner of this battle...
**
...is Deejay.
Deejay, congratulations!
You're moving on to the knockouts for Team Legend.
I'm so proud of you.
John: Deejay versus Ephraim --
both of these guys are such talented performers.
Deejay's such a great tenor.
His background as a musical theater artist
has helped him be really flexible and just show up.
Thank you so much. Great work. Great work.
I think Deejay is definitely
going to be a threat in the knockouts
because his voice is so good and he can do anything.
Well done, Deejay, man. Great. So good. Thank you so much.
I'm going to the three-way knockouts, baby!
Team Legend all the way. Let's go.
Coaches, let me remind you that Ephraim is available to steal.
Ephraim, anything you want to say to John?
Thank you for all the wisdom
that you've been able to pour into us.
You are my favorite coach.
Oh, thank you. Thank you, Ephraim.
Give it up for Ephraim Owens, ladies and gentlemen.
Reba: The talent so far in the battles are out of this world.
And I didn't steal Ephraim
because I still had my eye on someone else.
That was good.
Yeah, that was amazing, John. That was fun.
I'm a huge competitor. I've got two steals.
I've got to use them right
'cause the three-way knockouts are back,
and I need the strongest team possible.
That was a vibe. Sounds so fresh on the show.
You know what I mean? Yeah.
Daly: Coming up... Hey, Miss Reba.
...Team Reba's first battle rehearsal ever.
Everybody said this was the most fun part
of the whole season.
I thought after the blind audition, "I'll never have to
sing a Reba song in front of Reba again." And there we go.
Being a love song, it's a duet,
I think glasses off.
Okay.
* The heart won't lie *
Oh, wow. I've got goose bumps. So good.
Daly: ...all leading up to a thrilling double steal.
We've got a second steal!
* This is "The Voice" *
Daly: Welcome back to the battles
at Universal Studios Hollywood.
This is my first battles.
I'm not that nervous about it because I know my team
and I love doing the coaching, so I'm ready.
I think you're gonna have a lot of broken hearts
because I feel like everybody picked you
because they were like, "I loved you when I was 10.
You were in my notebook."
How are you gonna send them home,
you cold-blooded man? Oh, God.
I do find the battles tough,
like, 'cause you've gotten to know them,
and now you have to, like, send one of them home.
But you never know what's gonna happen.
It could be one little thing
turns the page. I know. Crazy.
Let's do it. Let's go.
It's battle time, baby. Whoo!
Come on. Shamone.
Okay, so, Reba, now we get the fun job
of pairing your team.
Yeah, I'm excited.
So, I've been kind of in my mind
how I could pair 'em up, and... Great.
Who do you want to start with?
Jordan and Jackson.
Two country people, which I think works great. I think that's smart.
I put Jordan and Jackson together.
I'm country as cornbread. He's country as crawfish.
I try to be. Cornbread and crawfish go together.
Jackson -- he's got real round, big country voice.
Jordan's got more of a country twang to her voice.
So, it's opposites.
To me, opposites are the best to sing together.
It adds depth to the song and the staging.
Reba: Come in. Come in.
Hi, hon. How are you? Good to see ya. You look great.
Hey, Miss Reba. How are you doing? Jackson, give me a hug.
I'm doing good.
It feels amazing to be on the first Team Reba.
Your microphone awaits ya.
She's somebody that I grew up listening to,
someone that I idolized,
and she has all the knowledge to help me as a country artist.
Looking forward to today. Reba: Me, too.
Everybody said this was the most fun part
of the whole season.
I think so. We get to work hands-on with you. Lord have mercy.
Reba: This is my first battle rehearsals.
It means a lot to me to be able to help give advice
with people who are so hungry for knowledge.
I love that.
You probably don't remember this.
I actually hung out with you at a backyard barbecue
back about -- it was probably about a year or so ago.
The kids were roping and running barrels and things. Yeah.
I'll be danged. Yeah. Jackson: Wow.
[ Laughs ]
Jordan: Reba, she's my hometown hero.
She and I come from the same red dirt in Oklahoma.
As soon as I saw that red hair
and that chair turn around, I blacked out.
* Here's your one chance, Fancy, don't let me down *
**
You are a real-deal singer
with a great range, great charisma.
Why'd you pick that particular Reba song?
'Cause it's the best. [ Chuckles ]
Reba and I have crossed paths a few times over the years,
but she doesn't know me from Adam.
I wear these because it bothers my mother. [ Laughter ]
I'm a full-time working musician,
working in Nashville, and touring the country
doing my own music, writing my own songs,
and I just won New Female Artist of the Year in the state of Texas.
This is Mom. How you doin'? Oh, my God!
I couldn't be luckier or happier to be on Team Reba.
I thought after the blind audition, I was like,
"Thank God I'll never have to sing a Reba song
in front of Reba again." And there we go.
Y'all done did me dirty. Here we go again.
I gave them a song that Vince Gill and I did together
called "The Heart Won't Lie."
* The heart won't * * Lie *
* Sometimes life gets in the way *
Reba: It's about two people who can't be together,
but they're telling each other after years apart,
there's still sparks there.
* The heart won't * * Lie *
Reba: It's totally important for them
to be able to tell the story.
I'm not a perfectionist.
Hitting the right note, maybe a little sharp or flat,
is not as big a deal as if they are not connecting to the story.
That's what music is there for.
This song is a song that Tony Brown, my producer, said,
"Why don't we get Vince Gill to come in
and do the harmony parts?"
So, he called me -- Tony did.
He said, "You know, this is sounding really good.
Can we just let Vince take a verse?"
I said, "Heck, yeah."
And so, it turned out to be a duet.
I still do it on concert, and it's one of my favorites. Yeah.
It's perfect. Thank you for picking it.
You're welcome. This song means a lot to me, too.
My mom and my dad used to slow-dance to this in our living room...
Oh, no kidding. ...all the time when I was younger.
I love that!
The memories of me and my dad listening to Reba...
* ...live your life... *
...is a really close one to me.
We'd all just sit in the living room and enjoy music.
And Reba just so happened to be
one of our family's favorite artists.
My dad passed away when I was 7 years old.
* If heaven wasn't so far away *
When I was doing the blinds,
I feel like my dad was with me in that very moment.
He was the first person to say that I was going to be in music.
I am just so proud to be in the country music business
and proud that you're representing us
here on "The Voice" today.
My dad would have freaked out
the second Reba turned her chair,
so I definitely feel like
I'm doing him good by singing this song.
* The heart won't lie *
* No, the heart *
* Won't lie *
Very good.
Thank you. Yeah!
Love that arrangement of it, too.
Jordan, remember on the very end of that,
he's got a very powerful voice.
When you kind of get into those soft,
"The heart won't lie,"
really get in your mic on that.
Let's do it.
What are y'all thinking, choreography wise?
Ideally, I'd like to be
a little more angled toward each other.
And part of my brand is I wear shades on stage,
but should I lose the shades
to be able to connect with him, do you think?
Being a love song, it's a duet,
I think glasses off.
Okay.
This song is definitely not in my wheelhouse.
Naturally, being a divorced woman,
I typically don't sing love songs.
I want to take those shades off and say,
"Okay, here for just a brief moment, America,
here's my heart.
Don't break it."
And, Jackson, also feel free to take the mic out
'cause she's pretty much having to stay stationary.
That'd be neat.
And y'all went away from the melody a little bit.
* But the words didn't come easily *
Well, we can tighten that up, for sure.
Do y'all have any questions for me?
How do you deal with your nerves before you go on stage?
If you have any, 'cause you're, I mean, a living legend, so...
The way I make sure the nerves are at a minimum
is to be prepared, have fun,
and if you boo-boo, laugh at yourself
and the crowd will laugh with ya.
We were playing Strawberry Festival down in Florida.
Yeah! We started a song called "Somebody."
I start on the second verse. I get tickled.
I said, "Okay, stop. Y'all gonna have to help me."
And the whole crowd started singing "Somebody."
So, it was just fun. Yeah.
That's amazing. We love you, Miss Reba.
We love you, too. Let's take a picture together. Let's do it.
I love this stage of the game.
I'm really pleased with my team.
I'm surrounded by hats.
This one's really gonna be tough.
They're unique in their own right,
in their own way of singing, presenting themself.
I don't know what'll happen.
Thank God for the steals.
Team Reba. Team Reba!
Whoo-hoo!
**
* This is "The Voice" *
Daly: Welcome back to the battles.
Niall: I can't wait for the after-party this season
when me and you are smashing out.
[ Imitates dance beat ]
[ Cheers and applause ]
Told you he was good. [ John laughs ]
He's very good.
In this Team Reba country battle,
Jackson Snelling versus Jordan Rainer!
[ Cheers and applause ] This battle starts right now.
**
* Looking back over the years *
* Of all the things I've always meant to say *
* But the words didn't come easily *
* So many times through empty fears *
* Of all the nights I tried to pick up the phone *
* So scared of who might be answering *
* You try to live your life from day to day *
* But seeing you across the room tonight *
* Just gives me away *
* Gives me away *
* 'Cause the heart won't *
* Lie *
* Sometimes life gets in the way *
* But there's one thing that won't change *
* I know I've tried *
* The heart won't *
* Lie *
* You can live your alibi *
* Who can see you're lost inside *
* A foolish disguise *
* You try to live your life *
* From day to day *
* But seeing you across the room tonight *
* Just gives me away *
* It gives me away *
* 'Cause the heart won't *
* Lie *
* Sometimes life gets in the way *
* But there's one thing that won't change *
* I know I've tried *
* The heart won't *
* Lie *
* You can live your alibi *
* Who can see you're lost inside *
* A foolish disguise *
* The heart won't lie *
* No, the heart won't lie *
[ Cheers and applause ]
Yeah.
Oh, wow. I've got goose bumps. So good.
That was stunning.
Honestly, like, real goose-bump stuff.
Jackson, your tone is just so unique,
and you really sing from in here.
And that suit -- looking sharp.
They did me right. Yeah, they did you good.
Look at that. Whoa!
[ Cheers and applause ]
And, Jordan, to hear you come out and sing
a good old-fashioned country song
was really nice to hear that side of your voice
and a completely different tone.
Just out of pure excitement, Reba,
I want to see what happens with Jordan.
[ Cheers and applause ]
Jackson, you're so young.
You're only 21, with a voice like that.
I mean, it's just so warm and strong
and perfectly tasteful.
And, Jordan, it was really nice to hear
that airy part of your voice,
yet you still have so much power.
I feel like we want to see a little bit more
of Jordan just because of it's like,
what else do you have, you know what I mean?
If you ask my ex-husband, there are many sides of me.
[ Laughter ]
You ain't scratching the surface.
Exactly. John: I love it.
[ Laughter ]
I can't take it. [ Laughs ]
He couldn't, either.
[ Laughter ]
Oh, my God. That was so great, both of you.
It was really wonderful.
But with Jackson, it was very, like, inviting and welcoming.
And I feel like Jordan showed us a different side of her.
But going on this moment, I think I would go with Jackson.
Thanks, man. Thank y'all for that.
Daly: Thank you, Coaches.
Alright, Reba, you've got the final decision, of course,
but give us some thoughts first on the battle. Okay.
Jordan and Jackson, thank y'all very much
for being so coachable.
I can tell a drastic difference
from when we were in there rehearsing to now.
Jackson, you did such a good job.
You're smiling, you're cute as a button,
and I just love you to pieces.
Every time I see you, you're just so friendly and open,
and your voice is the same way.
And, Jordan, you did take the glasses off
'cause we wanted to see your eyes in this.
That was a wise decision on your part.
I like that. Thank you. Thank you.
You did a great job. Your vocals were wonderful.
Y'all's harmony is spectacular.
I'm very proud of y'all.
Thank you. Well, Reba...
[ Dramatic music plays ]
...who is the winner of this battle?
Yeah, this is not the fun part.
**
The winner of this battle...
**
...is Jordan.
Jordan, congratulations!
You're moving on to the knockouts!
Reba: Jackson and Jordan, two of my favorites.
Jordan is so different from anybody else
on all of the coaches' teams.
Good job, girl.
She's witty, she's quirky,
and it takes talent,
but it takes also a unique personality to go forward.
That's why I kept Jordan.
I'm excited. I'm relieved.
I've worked so hard to get past this round.
And by the grace of God, here we are.
We're moving forward. Couldn't be happier.
Daly: Coaches, let me remind you that Jackson's available to steal.
Jackson, anything you want to say to Reba?
Jackson: Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity
to be on your team and work with you.
I will be forever grateful for the chance you gave me.
Give it up one more time for Jackson Snelling!
I'm crying right now.
You are super, super, super.
I love you to pieces. I love you, too.
It's horrible to see talented people go home.
Everybody loves him. You're making me cry.
I love you. You are so amazing. Thank you.
But then you have to make a choice.
And it's really hard. That's the hardest part.
Good job. Thank you so much.
John: Jackson was actually better
in this particular performance in my mind.
But if anybody knows me, you know, I'm a bit picky.
I'm waiting for the perfect artist to steal.
* This is "The Voice" *
Daly: Welcome back to the battles.
**
[ Indistinct conversation ]
Hello. Hey.
Whoa, those look good.
Fried pickles.
A little mid-battle pick-me-up.
Oh, I love fried pickles.
Do you? Yeah, yeah, yeah.
[ Patter! Zip! ]
**
He's taking this steal thing a little too seriously.
Yeah.
Wait a minute.
Where's my wallet?
**
Alright, Team Niall. Battle pairings are here.
Lennon VanderDoes,
you will be battling Tanner Massey.
[ Cheering ]
You are a legend.
This is crazy. This is crazy.
I feel like we have very similar voices,
but at the same time, we have different styles
and different ways of singing.
Kelly: You will be singing...
"She's Always a Woman" by Billy Joel.
Oh! Oh! Oh!
I haven't heard this one.
Oh, my God. It's a good one.
Tanner -- I remember hearing him for the first time,
and his tone was just something that stands out on its own.
I've never been happier to do a song
with such a talented individual.
Alright, we're back for battle rehearsals
with the foam finger.
I cannot wait to see the team.
I love the battle rehearsals.
Let's go. Season 24, baby. Come on.
I feel like I'm in my element.
I know exactly how it feels to be on a show,
in the cameras, in front of all the lights.
And I feel very empathetic with the artists.
Let's do this. Here they are.
Hey. Look at this.
Niall. How are you doing, man?
Walking in and seeing Niall
was a different experience than at the blinds
because the pressure is on now
in the sense that I need to prove
that I was worth turning around for.
* I had all and then most of you *
* Some and now none of you *
* Take me back... *
Going through the blind auditions
was the craziest experience.
That's honestly one of my favorite voices
I've heard on the show this season.
I've got one spot left on my team.
I would give anything.
I definitely feel like I made the right choice
when I went with Niall.
I just feel like he gets who I am as an artist,
and I want to help him win again.
Both of your auditions were, like, incredible.
Like, I was nervous coming back.
You know, it's my second season. But what a way to start.
* She can kill with a smile *
* She can wound with her eyes *
Niall: I paired Tanner and Lennon together
because it felt like they were just two
very sweet, folky, singer-songwriter, male voices.
* She hides like a child, but she's always... *
And the Billy Joel "She's Always a Woman"
is the perfect example of that.
* And she'll promise... *
Lennon's individual tone will stand out
like crazy on this show.
He's an incredible talent.
* And she'll carelessly cut you... *
I love the youth that I can hear in Tanner's voice.
He's a very tasteful, colorful singer.
Tanner: Singing in front of Niall was definitely tough.
There's so many nerves. There's so much overthinking.
But it's been one of the most incredible experiences
of my life.
* So before you go *
The blinds was an absolutely insane experience.
It just sounded really beautiful and airy and warm.
Niall: It's so cool to hear a tone like yours come through,
and I feel like I'm talking to a, you know,
a younger version of myself.
Hearing that come from Niall,
I knew who I was picking.
I just feel like he can help me so much
because he had also been doing competitions
whenever he was young.
I grew up kind of in the music industry
and kind of trying to get into the acting industry,
and I did a few commercials whenever I was younger.
I actually landed a commercial
for a toy called the Drop Dot Ball.
It was super exciting,
but I was, like, I wanted something more.
I wanted to really push myself
to really pursue my music career.
I'm definitely going to try my best for Niall,
and I don't want to let him down.
[ Laughing ] Yes.
Oh, I like that. I like it a lot.
Tanner, one thing I would say
is he's rallying on the -- on the piano.
I think sometimes it's easy to get ahead of it.
But you've actually got more time than you think.
* She can lead you to love *
* She can take you or leave you *
* She can da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da *
Flow with it. Yeah.
Instead of * da-da-da-da-da *
Just keep the... like you're waltzing.
Lennon, always try your best to tell the story
and have that in your head as you're singing it.
Think of all those great women in your life
while you're singing it.
That's the perfect song for that, man.
To me, this song just perfectly captures
what it means to be in love with someone.
And I remember just listening to this song
when I was dating my wife, Morgan.
The lyrics hit so perfectly because that's what love is.
It's messy, but at the same time, you're here for it.
My wife, Morgan, is the dream for every musician.
I quit my job, 50 cents in my bank account,
to play music full time.
I wouldn't have been able to do that
without the support of my wife.
And I know that if I can keep going,
I can just prove to her that all the hard work
that I've been putting in is worth it.
* Blame it all on yourself 'cause she's always... *
Niall: I personally think that Lennon and Tanner's battle
really comes down to who can tell the story.
* But she's always a woman to me *
Yeah, there we go. That's better.
So, I think whoever can really put that emotion down the lens
to the people of America and to us here in the chairs,
I think is gonna win this battle.
You boys are doing this justice. I would like to win it again.
So if you could do your best, please, that'd be great.
Thank you. We'll help you out.
[ Laughter ]
That's the goal. We'll be sure to do that.
Cheers, dudes. Thanks very much.
This is going to be such a tough battle.
I hate this part of the show.
Why do I sign myself up for it?
* This is "The Voice" *
Daly: Welcome back to night one of the battles.
Who will win this battle from Team Niall?
Lennon VanderDoes...
Lennon. Come on, Lennon!
...taking on the 19-year-old from Oklahoma City,
Tanner Massey!
I'm fired up. Let's go!
The performances just keep getting better and better.
Fired up! Let's go!
I have two steals, and I'm just looking for a great singer
that has a lot of personality.
I've got no idea what I'm gonna do.
I didn't, either, until right at the end, and I knew.
You just have to go with it, don't you?
Yep. Go with your gut.
This battle begins right now.
**
* She can kill with a smile *
* She can wound with her eyes *
* And she can ruin your faith with her casual lies *
* And she only reveals what she wants you to see *
* She hides like a child, but she's always a woman to me *
* She can lead you to love *
* She can take you or leave you *
* She can ask for the truth *
* But she'll never believe you *
* And she'll take what you give her *
* As long as it's free *
* Yeah, she steals like a thief *
* But she's always a woman to me *
Oh! Wow!
* Ohhh, she takes care of herself *
* She can wait if she wants *
* She's ahead of her time *
Beautiful!
Whoo!
* Ohhh, and she never gives out *
* And she never gives in * Oh, my God.
Oh!
* She just changes her mind *
* And she'll promise you more than the Garden of Eden *
* Then she'll carelessly cut you *
* And laugh while you're bleedin' *
* Yeah, she'll bring out the best and the worst you can be *
* Blame it all on yourself *
* 'Cause she's always a woman to me *
Yeah!
* She is frequently kind *
* And she's suddenly cruel *
* And she can do as she pleases *
* She's nobody's fool *
* And she can't be convicted *
* She's earned her degree * Whoa!
* And the most she will do is throw shadows at you *
* But she's always a woman to me *
* La da da da da da *
* Da da da da da da *
* Da-a-a-a *
[ Cheers and applause ]
**
Wow!
Wow. Wow, wow, wow.
That was so incredible.
I mean, both of you are mind-blowing in your own way.
I mean, Lennon, we are all fascinated by you
because you're so original.
Your tone is just so unique.
But when Tanner started, I was like, "Wait a minute."
I am dead in love with you.
You are just magical.
It's hard to not want to just keep watching you.
If I had to choose right now,
I would say Tanner.
I really appreciate that.
[ Cheers and applause ]
John: Really, both amazing.
I was just going back and forth like,
"Oh. Oh, okay. Eh! Yes, that, too."
[ Laughs ] I know. I heard you.
Yes.
That song has an interesting story for me
because I wrote "All of Me" like 10 years ago.
My manager was like, "You should write a song to Chrissy..."
'cause we were about to get married at the time,
"...that's kind of like 'She's Always a Woman.'"
And this song is so beautiful.
It's so well-written and inspired me
to write the song that changed my life.
Oh, I didn't know that. Cool.
[ Cheers and applause ]
And hearing you two sing it, it was just magical.
And I just felt like you were making it your own.
And I think I would lean
just ever so slightly toward Tanner.
I appreciate that.
Congratulations to you both
on such a wonderful performance.
Lennon, your voice is just wonderful
because you sing so high.
That performance was really good.
It suited you very well.
Tanner, the subject in the song
would change, and you changed.
You got more serious, and then you would smile.
To be as young as you are, you've got great stage presence.
Thank you. Good luck there, buddy.
[ Laughter ] Daly: Thank you, Coaches.
Alright, Niall, you've got a big decision to make here.
I think this was always gonna be a great battle
with the difference in their two voices.
The way Lennon can sing up there with such control.
And, Lennon, your tone is just so captivating.
And, Tanner, like, some of those little riffy, flairy things
at the end of sentences are just so beautiful to listen to.
The control that you have in such a short space of time
is -- is impressive.
This is one of the battles where I've been, like,
really battling with myself,
and now I regret putting you in the same pairing.
Daly: Niall, tough one here for you.
Who won this battle?
[ Dramatic music plays ]
If I was to go with my gut, what makes me super excited...
**
...the winner of the battle is Lennon.
[ Cheers and applause ]
Lennon, congratulations!
You are moving on to the knockouts for Team Niall.
Niall: Something deep down in my gut said Lennon.
I've always been super attracted to really interesting tones.
There's nobody in this competition
that has a tone even remotely near him,
and that makes him a very, very dark horse.
Thank you for believing in me, my friend.
Thank you. Very good job.
That was tough. Very tough.
Lennon: It's up to me now to dive deep and give it my all
to prove Niall made the right decision.
Coaches, let me remind you that Tanner is available to steal.
And we've got a steal!
We've got a second steal!
John Legend and Gwen both use their steals for Tanner!
Congratulations, Tanner.
That didn't take long.
Not at all.
John, what did you hear in Tanner?
I just really believe that Tanner just has a magical voice.
I loved the way you carried yourself on stage,
and I think America is gonna love you.
So, I feel like we could go pretty far together.
[ Cheers and applause ]
Thank you so much. Daly: Alright. Gwen?
You have something in you that you're showing us
that we want more of.
What I could do to help you bring even more of that out
is put a mirror up and highlight, like, yes, do that.
And I'm a mother of three boys.
I have a son about your age, and he's a singer.
Like, I feel like I could just hug you into the winning spot.
Please be on Team Gwen.
[ Laughs ] Please.
Daly: Alright, Tanner, it is up to you, my friend.
This is the hardest choice I think I'll ever make.
Oh, gosh.
Listen, this is my second, like, beg.
Come on. I know!
Tanner, the power is yours.
[ Audience shouting ]
Come on.
Ah!
**
I...
I-I choose Gwen. Oh, my God!
Daly: Gwen Stefani steals Tanner...
**
...from Team Niall and beats out John in that steal!
Gwen: I've had my eye on Tanner since the blinds.
Being his age and being able to command the stage
and have that kind of confidence was so exciting to see.
And I beat John -- John Legend,
and I-I can't believe I have Tanner on my team.
It's so exciting.
So good. Thank you so much.
I cannot believe I got two steals.
Right now, you're not going home.
You're going on Team Gwen.
Yes! I'm so excited.
It was whenever you said you have a son
who's a singer, and I'm like,
"That means you've got to know what you're doing."
Well, what's so crazy, I was blown away.
Blown away. Thank you so much.
And you're, like, everything that I love, so...
Yay! [ Laughs ] Okay.
Bye!
Have a good one, Gwen.
Okay.
[ Sighs ]
Ahh! [ Chuckles ]
**