[Gretchen] In Memphis, Tennessee,
the remaining six battled for a spot
-in the semifinals. -[groans]
[Channing] One wrong decision on a song choice...
[voice breaks] ♪ Love♪
...could get you sent home.
[Keith] This week was gonna be brutal.
[Gretchen] It was the end of the tour for Cody...
♪ dramatic music ♪
...and Billie Jo.
Whoo!
[Gretchen] Tonight,
the tour comes to Nashville.
Music City, Tennessee, who came to party
-with us tonight?! -[cheering]
[Gretchen] The final four will do a set
at the legendary Bluebird Cafe...
You know, anybody could go home.
Just make sure they remember you by the time it's all over with.
[Gretchen] ...as they stop at nothing...
[Keith] He did that song acoustic,
-and I think it was better. -Yeah.
[Gretchen] ...to get to the finale.
One little slip, you know, that's it.
Based on audience votes tonight...
...unfortunately...
♪ "Stone's Throw" by The Red Clay Strays playing ♪
♪ Been gone way too long♪
♪ Can't count all the roads we've been down...♪
[Britnee] Y'all, we've been on the road for eight weeks.
Eight weeks on the road... that sound like a way
to start a song right there, don't it?
[Britnee] We have one more show till the finale.
I feel a lot of pressure.
Like, the closer I get, the more I want it.
[Cassidy] Nashville's a different ball game too, man.
It hasn't really settled in
that I'm in the final four.
You've got Adam and Channing,
who have multiple hits.
Britnee, who has, like, a million followers.
And then you have little ol' me. [laughs]
♪ Been gone way too long...♪
[Adam] To be back in Nashville is awesome.
You know, this is kind of like playing a home game for me.
[Channing] This was my main goal, was to try
to get back here.
And then kick all y'all's asses.
-That's right. -[laughter]
-[Gretchen] Hey, everybody. -[Adam] Look who it is.
-Welcome to Nashville! -Hello, Gretchen.
I have a huge surprise for you guys.
You are going to be joining Keith
-at the Bluebird Cafe. -[Channing] Aah!
Oh, hell yeah.
-Iconic. -Awesome.
[Channing] The Bluebird is legendary.
Songwriters started, uh,
coming in there, they were doing shows,
hanging out, people got famous.
Garth Brooks was one of
the first big names to come out of there.
Uh, having Keith sitting around with us, jamming our songs--
pretty excited about that.
Red Bull Recording Studios is gonna be there,
taping the whole thing.
-There we go. -Let's go to the Bluebird,
-boys and girls. -Yeah, I'm down for that.
-[Adam] Heck yeah. -[Gretchen] The winner
ofThe Road will be getting a spot at
Red Bull's Jukebox in 2026.
And they're also going to give five days
of recording time in the studio to the runners-up.
We want to thank James Musshorn from Red Bull Recording
for being a part of this.
And, hey, let's welcome the folks from The Road.
Thank you!
[Keith] The Bluebird's special for me and so many other
writers in town. I mean, it's, uh,
it's historic.
Hi, everyone.
Thank you, Erika.
Wow.
Before I made my first solo record,
somebody asked if I'd write
with these two girls from the Go-Go's.
And one of the girls said, "Well, I have this title called
'But for the Grace of God.'"
And I grabbed my guitar and I just, I was just going...
-[begins playing guitar] -And while I was doing that,
Jane Wiedlin started scribbling all these lyrics
and then handed them to me.
I think a few days later, I was playing here.
And I went, "Oh, we just wrote this," and I,
um, I ended up recording it.
And it became my very first number one song, so...
Yeah.
♪ I can hear the neighbors♪
♪ They're arguing again♪
♪ And there hasn't been peace♪
♪ On our street♪
♪ Since who knows when...♪
[Cassidy] It's so crazy to be sitting across from Keith.
You know, I had to sing his songs
on Broadway to afford to take a night off
to come play here at the Bluebird.
♪ But for the grace of God...♪
[Cassidy] The first time I came here, I was 13 years old.
I waited out in the cold, and I got to sneak in and sing.
And I've been singing here ever since.
[harmonizing] ♪ I look around and all I see♪
♪ Is your happiness...♪
[Britnee] I've always said, if you are the best in the room,
you're in the wrong room.
So, being in the room with people
that are so freaking talented...
-Thank you, Britnee. -[Britnee] ...makes me want to
work harder. It makes me want this even more.
♪ 'Cause no one comes to call on him...♪
[Adam] The goal is to win the competition,
but to be playing at the Bluebird
and having Keith Urban next to me,
I'm literally living in my dream.
[Channing] I'm looking forward to playing the show tomorrow.
I'm gonna bring it, just like the rest of these folks
are gonna bring it. It's gonna be a hell of a show.
♪ Grace of God♪
And this is Cassidy, ladies and gentlemen.
-Hello. [chuckles] -Cassidy Daniels.
[Keith] Channing.
-Britnee. -Thank you.
-Adam. -Thank you, guys.
Keith Urban just opened for me, everybody.
-[laughter] -Happy to do it, Adam.
♪ "Stay Country or Die Tryin'" by Blake Shelton playing ♪
♪ From the born in the cut till the day that I'm dust♪
♪ I'm-a stay country or die tryin'♪
♪ upbeat music ♪
[Keith] Hi, guys. I got some people
to introduce you to who are gonna assist me tonight.
One's named John
-and the other one... -Aah!
-...is T.J. -[Channing] Oh, right on, man.
Otherwise known as Brothers Osborne.
-What's up, y'all? -How goes it?
How you guys doing?
[Cassidy] Seeing Brothers Osborne walk in
is absolutely bonkers to me.
They're such an iconic band in the country music community.
♪ To one more, "Here we go again..."♪
[Adam] Brothers Osborne have
the coolest voices
in country music right now.
If you're a country music fan,
you like Brothers Osborne's music.
[T.J.] You guys are really, uh, getting along
for this being a competition. I like to see it.
We've lived with each other for-for
nine weeks at this point.
So you're doing it.
You sure you want to keep doing this?
[laughter]
I'm only 19 years old.
-Yeah, right. -[laughter]
-[audience cheering] -[country music playing]
[Gretchen] Nashville, Tennessee!
We have four amazing musicians that are gonna get up here
and play their hearts and their souls out for you,
and you guys will decide who is going home.
-[cheering] -Also in the house, we have
the incredible Keith Urban!
-[cheering] -Thank you.
And the very, very talented Brothers Osborne!
-Yes! Whoo! -[cheering]
[Gretchen] Let's get this party started!
This week, our semifinalists
will be paired up to sing duets
in addition to their two solo songs.
Channing and Cassidy have two of the biggest voices
and will have to figure out how to make them harmonize,
while Britnee will have to figure out
how to keep up with Adam's energy.
[Adam] All right, let's crush this.
♪ I got a little change in my pocket♪
♪ Going jing-a-ling-a-ling♪
♪ Want to call you on the telephone♪
♪ Baby, I give you a ring...♪
Britnee and I will be performing
"Keep Your Hands to Yourself."
I think it's gonna crush.
♪ Always "No hugee, no kissee until I get..."♪
So, we talked about
what would be best for her to sing,
what-what would be best for me to sing,
and we just kind of came up with a plan.
♪ She said, "Don't have me no lines♪
♪ And keep your hands to yourself"♪
Oh, yeah.
♪ Hands to yourself♪
-Yeah, that'd be cool. -Cool.
[Britnee] Adam's an amazing entertainer,
and his stage presence is so good.
♪ Oh, baby, baby, baby♪
♪ Why you treat me this way?♪
Sometimes I feel like I have to keep up with him.
Get more animated with it.
The meaning-- what you're saying--
comes across way better than trying to nail the melody.
-More Little Richard. -[Britnee] Okay. Cool.
-You know, more, more of that -Yeah. More of that, okay.
kind of thing, 'cause he's doing it,
-and you-you can do it, too. -Okay.
[Britnee] Keith was kind of, like, picking my sound check
apart a little bit, and I know he's doing it to help,
but it just stressed me out.
Okay. Can I have, like, a minute? I need to breathe.
Adam has an amazing energy onstage.
Yeah, I don't know how he breathes
when he's doing all of that.
That's not me.
I was out of breath today after our duet.
And so I'm like, if I have to go into this out of breath...
I'm just like... [sighs]
I want to show them me. I don't want to show them
someone I'm trying to be that I'm just not.
And that's just... that's all I can do.
So...
[short chuckle]
What's up, Nashville?!
-[cheering] -How y'all doing?
Yeah.
Let's kick it.
["Keep Your Hands to Yourself" playing]
♪ I got a little change in my pocket♪
♪ Going jing-a-ling-a-ling♪
♪ Want to call you on the telephone, baby♪
♪ I give you a ring♪
♪ But each time we talk♪
♪ I get the same old thing♪
♪ Always "No huggee, no kissee until♪
♪ I get a wedding ring"♪
♪ My honey, my baby, don't put my love♪
-♪ Upon a shelf, she said♪ -♪ I said♪
♪ "Don't hand me no lines♪
♪ And keep your hands to yourself"♪
Oh!
[Britnee] Come on.
♪ Oh, baby, baby, baby♪
♪ Why you treat me this way?♪
♪ You know I'm still your lover girl♪
♪ I still feel the same way♪
♪ Next thing I told him♪
♪ Was free milk and a cow♪
♪ I said, "No huggee, no kissee♪
♪ Till I get a wedding vow"♪
♪ My honey, my baby, don't put my love♪
♪ Upon the shelf♪
♪ She said, "Don't hand me no lines and keep♪
♪ Your hands to yourself"♪
Come on!
♪ Y'all, I wanted her real bad♪
♪ And I was about to give in♪
-[laughs] -♪ But that's when she started♪
♪ Talking 'bout true love♪
♪ She started talking 'bout sin♪
♪ Said, "I'll be with you♪
♪ For the rest of my life♪
♪ But there's no huggee, no kissee♪
♪ Till you make me your wife"♪
♪ My honey, my baby♪
♪ Don't put my love upon the shelf♪
♪ I said, "Don't hand me no lines♪
♪ And keep your hands to yourself"♪
Whoo! How you doing, Nashville?
Nashville, get your hands up like this!
[cheering]
[Britnee] Y'all, give it up for this band.
Oh, yeah.
Come on.
♪ My honey, my baby, don't put my love upon the shelf♪
-♪ I said♪ -♪ She said♪
♪ "Don't hand me no lines♪
♪ And keep your hands to yourself"♪
[cheering]
Nashville, we love you guys so much. Thank you!
-[song ends] -[cheering continues]
Whoo, whoo, whoo.
[John] Yeah, you can definitely tell
-he's... he's done clubs. -Yep.
[Gretchen] Now Channing and Cassidy
will have their turn to bring it home.
Do you have any guests in the audience?
I do. My wife is here tonight. Yeah.
-Yay. -No pressure, right?
She gonna throw something at me for singing "Jackson" at you?
No, she'll be happy.
Me and Cassidy are gonna do, uh,
Johnny and June's "Jackson."
I've definitely had a lot of drunken karaoke nights
with my wife singing that song and...
and whoever else was standing around.
Is that "We going to Jackson" on this first one?
"We're going," uh... "I'm going to Jackson."
So it's "I'm going to Jackson," but we're both singing it?
-Yeah. -Cool.
From the very jump,
I knew that I wanted to sing with Channing.
♪ We got married in a fever...♪
He's got such an outlaw spirit
that's perfect for a Johnny Cash song.
And I'm obviously not sassy at all,
so, um, I'll be a perfect little June Carter for that one.
-♪ I'm going to Jackson...♪ -[Keith whoops]
♪ Gonna mess around♪
[Keith] Your voice is so good up in there.
The first time it really cut through
was when you harmonized with her.
Right, yeah.
♪ We got married in a fever♪
-It's like... -I-I'll try to pick
-a couple spots and just... -Exactly.
-Right, right. Yeah. -When you do that, you...
-It's good... -You got it, brother.
-Thank you, man. -[Cassidy] Adam and Channing
have multiple number ones,
and I'm just starting out as a songwriter,
is intimidating.
But Channing is the type of person
to welcome me with open arms,
and that's really made my little heart happy.
♪ I'm going to Jackson♪
♪ Gonna mess around♪
[harmonizing] ♪ I'm going to Jackson♪
♪ Look out, Jackson town...♪
-[Channing] Get on, now. -♪ Well♪
♪ Go on down to Jackson♪
♪ Go ahead and wreck your health♪
♪ Go play your hands♪
♪ You big-talking man♪
♪ Make a big fool of yourself♪
-♪ Go on down to Jackson...♪ -Yeah!
[Channing] Cassidy is a train whistle, man.
She has a dirt bike for a voice,
you know, it's like it... she's going wide open
and just when you think that's all she's got,
she just finds a little power band to kick on
and here comes a whole 'nother gear.
♪ Well, now when I breeze into that city♪
♪ People gonna stoop and bow...♪
Ha!
♪ All them women gonna make me♪
♪ Teach them what they don't know how♪
♪ Honey, I'm going to Jackson♪
♪ You turn-a loose-a my coat♪
♪ Honey, I'm going to Jackson♪
[laughs] ♪ Goodbye♪
♪ That's all she wrote♪
-♪ Well, now♪ -♪ So♪
♪ We got married in a fever...♪
[Cassidy] Let me hear you!
♪ Hotter than a pepper sprout♪
♪ We've been talking about Jackson♪
♪ Ever since the fire went out♪
♪ I'm going to Jackson...♪
Yeah.
♪ And that's a fact♪
-♪ Yeah, we're going♪ -♪ I'm going♪
♪ To Jackson♪
♪ Ain't ever coming back♪
-[cheering] -[applause]
Thank y'all. Channing Wilson, y'all.
Miss Cassidy Daniels, everybody.
Yeah.
♪ slow, suspenseful music ♪
[Gretchen] It's time for Adam, Channing,
Cassidy and Britnee to go solo.
-Last girl standing, baby. -Last girl standing.
[Channing] Man, that was stressful.
[Gretchen] With only one cover and one original left
to make a lasting impression on Keith's crowd,
who has what it takes to make it to the finale?
At this point, I mean, shoot.
Everybody's... right here.
♪ upbeat country music ♪
[Cassidy] I love you.
-I'm so happy to know you. -Same.
This is gonna be so good. You're such a star, dude.
-Dude, so are you. -Cassidy is
so talented, and...
her energy and character is so sweet.
Throughout this process,
I've learned a lot from Cassidy.
She's an insanely talented vocalist,
but also, an incredible performer.
[audience cheering]
How we feeling, Nashville?
-[cheering] -[applause]
Man, it is so good to be back home,
I can't even explain it.
Thank y'all so much for being here.
My name is Cassidy Daniels,
Cassidy like the Grateful Dead song,
Daniels like Jack. Um...
[laughs] I'm-a do a little song
by The Black Crowes. Come on.
[upbeat intro plays]
♪ Baby, here I am♪
♪ I'm a man on the scene♪
♪ I can give you what you want♪
♪ But you got to come home with me♪
♪ I have got♪
-♪ Some good old lovin'♪ -Oh, yeah.
♪ And I got some more in store♪
♪ When I get through...♪
♪ That ain't nothing but drugstore lovin'♪
♪ Hey, little thing, let me light your candle♪
♪ 'Cause, mama, I'm so hard to handle now, yes, sir, I...♪
I'm singing "Hard to Handle" just because
it's just such a crowd-pleaser.
And a Nashville crowd
is way different
than anything that we've ever played.
There's somebody great playing everywhere all the time,
so they're not very easily impressed at all.
It's really important to me that I crush tonight
just because my family's gonna be there.
They have always been so supportive.
As soon as they figured out that I was gonna do this
with or without them, they were all in with me.
They moved to Nashville for me.
They're gonna follow me
to the depths of hell if they have to.
But they're also my biggest critics.
♪ Baby, here I am♪
♪ I'm the man on your scene♪
♪ I can give you what you want♪
♪ But you got to come home with me♪
♪ I have got some good old lovin'♪
♪ And I got some more in store♪
♪ When I get through throwin' it on you♪
♪ You got to come back for more♪
♪ Boys and things that come by the dozen♪
♪ That ain't nothin' but ten-cent lovin'♪
♪ Hey, little thing, let me light your candle♪
♪ 'Cause, mama, I'm so hard to handle now♪
♪ Yes, sir, I♪
♪ Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah♪
-[cheering] -[applause]
Whoo! Whoo!
-Yeah! All right. -[cheering]
Cassidy definitely has "it."
Whatever "it" is, she has got it.
A lot of different people have covered "Hard to Handle,"
but she came out and made it her own
and delivered like 11 out of ten.
You usually wait till the end to go to the high note.
No, she just, first note out of the gate
-was this high note. -Yeah.
I'm like, "Oh, who is this human?"
-What? -I love her.
-God. -Ridiculous.
[Cassidy] This song ain't nothing fancy.
This is my love letter to
the music industry.
I always joke and I say, "Music's been my man forever
and always will be, and..." [laughs]
Um, this is just kind of how I feel about it.
Um, this one's called "What Have I Got to Lose?"
♪ Sitting here looking at you♪
♪ What have I got to lose?♪
♪ Sitting here rubbing my head♪
♪ With the things I should have said♪
♪ And all this time we've wasted♪
♪ Playing these games we're playing♪
♪ Maybe that's why my heart♪
♪ Keeps breaking in two...♪
[Adam] Cassidy, in my opinion,
is the best singer that we have here.
So, she's a very, very tough act to follow because you know that
her personality sort of draws people in.
♪ Oh♪
♪ I love you, I love you, oh♪
♪ I'll give it all up, give it all up to you♪
♪ What have I got if I don't say♪
♪ That I need you, I need you...♪
Sound like Cassidy to me.
-I need a drink. -[laughs]
♪ It's coming out true♪
♪ So what have I got♪
♪ What have I got to lose?♪
♪ Ooh, yeah♪
♪ No, I can't, can't hold back♪
♪ Anything, there you go♪
♪ Now you know everything♪
♪ I love you, I love you♪
♪ Oh, I'd give it all up, give it all up to you♪
♪ What have I got♪
♪ If I don't say♪
♪ That I need you, I need you♪
♪ So there goes my pride♪
♪ And I think inside coming at you♪
♪ It's coming out true...♪
-Whoo. -♪ So, what have I got♪
♪ What have I got to lose?♪
♪ Oh, oh♪
♪ Ooh♪
-♪ What have I got♪ -Yeah!
♪ To lose?♪
-[cheering] -[applause]
Thank y'all so much. My name is Cassidy Daniels.
Whoo, whoo!
Oh, my gosh, I can't believe I got a standing ovation
from Keith and Brothers Osborne, man.
That's-that's so cool.
-Whoa! -I mean, unbelievable.
-Girl can sing. -I love that sh...
-I've got chills, dude. -Well, also, I feel like
she wasn't, like, putting on a performance, it was like,
-it was, like, natural for her. -She's had that reaction
every night since the first night.
Really? I believe it. I was like, literally...
-I've got chills. Golly. -I was,
I was lost in the moment there for a minute.
[cheering]
[Cassidy] I gave it my all,
and I felt so good having my family
within arm's length tonight, it just,
it made me feel like I was just on top of the world.
Thank you.
I felt like this was more of my, like, in-the-pocket shows
and I feel like I did enough to make it to the finale.
So, she's 25?
[John] Dude, she gets it.
Absolutely gets it.
[Gretchen] Nashville, Tennessee.
You guys ready to keep it going here?
[audience cheering]
[Adam] I'm just excited to get on stage.
I'm two songs away
from making it to the finale.
In Memphis, my back went out.
It was a painful show for me to do what I did,
but I went out to the crowd and cheers'ed everyone with a drink,
and we just turned it into a big party.
Typically, I have so much energy
that it, like, it's almost too much sometimes,
so I'm trying to learn to halter that just a little bit.
I feel like I'm at my best when I'm an eight versus a 12,
but I want to be a 12 all the time.
[audience cheering]
Well, put your hands together
for Adam Sanders!
[Adam] Music City, Tennessee,
who came to party with us tonight?
-[cheering] -[applause]
My name is Adam Sanders.
Thank you guys so much for being here.
It feels so good to be back in Nashville.
It means so much to have family and my girlfriend
there at the shows.
If I had to handpick any three people,
it would 100% be those three.
We've been to a lot of places,
played for a lot of amazing crowds.
But there's one thing I know:
there ain't no party like a Nashville crowd.
Where's all my '90s country music fans tonight?
So, how are we gonna do this? Like...
my mic will already be on the stand.
That needs to disappear.
See, this is what you do, you take charge.
This is what Adam's doing right now.
He's up there
directing everything.
'Cause his ass is on the line.
♪ I dropped by one Friday night♪
♪ And said, "Can you help me, Creole?♪
♪ I got a little girl waiting on me♪
♪ And I want to treat her right..."♪
My cover song is "Dust on the Bottle,"
David Lee Murphy.
It's just a classic '90s country song.
From the second you hear the intro lick,
you know what song it's gonna be.
♪ There might be♪
♪ A little dust on the bottle♪
♪ But don't let it fool you♪
♪ About what's inside♪
♪ There might be♪
♪ A little dust on the bottle♪
♪ But it's one of those things♪
♪ That gets sweeter with time♪
♪ You're still with me♪
♪ And we've made some memories...♪
[T.J.] Adam chose one of the banner cover songs to do.
It's like the "Free Bird" of country music, so...
[Channing] Whenever you play "Dust on the Bottle,"
it's like, "Time to give 'em the dust."
He's giving 'em the dust.
-[laughs] -♪ It keeps getting better♪
♪ As the days go by...♪
[holds note]
Oh, Nashville, I need your help.
♪ There might be♪
♪ A little dust on the bottle...♪
Come on!
♪ But don't let it fool you♪
♪ About what's inside♪
♪ There might be♪
♪ A little dust on the bottle♪
♪ But it's one of those things♪
♪ That gets sweeter with time♪
Nashville, y'all sound so good tonight!
-[cheering] -[applause]
You can't not dance to Adam, bro.
-Yeah. -He picks such good songs.
That's a good choice for a cover.
That's a really good choice for a cover.
That's a hard one to follow, though.
So, before I play this next song,
I, uh, I want to give you guys a little bit of a backstory
about how I wrote this, um...
[birds chirping]
I got the idea for this song, I was in a rental car
in St. Louis, Missouri,
and I saw a mobile home that was in a house fire.
That image just really hit me hard.
Uh, I grew up in a double-wide trailer my whole life,
and I kind of thought about, man,
how-how devastating that would be,
you know, your house burned down and...
Then I immediately started thinking about
a photo of a Bible
that is the only thing in a house fire that is untouched.
And I married those two thoughts together,
and, uh, I wrote down "Bible in a House Fire."
A few weeks later, I bring it to Nashville
to a writing session, and, uh, this is what we come up with.
[gentle intro playing]
♪ You kept that King James on your nightstand♪
♪ But I never saw or heard you praying♪
♪ Never was a Sunday morning...♪
[Cassidy] The thing about Adam is he's got
such a songwriter brain.
At the same time, he's such a born entertainer.
I'm either taking notes or shaking in my boots.
♪ You kept the faith♪
♪ My demons poured the gas and struck the matches♪
♪ Tried like hell to burn this love to ashes♪
♪ You held on heaven strong♪
♪ When that heat started rising♪
♪ Walked right through the smoke♪
♪ Kept right on fighting♪
♪ You didn't let my rebel wild side♪
♪ Burn us to the ground♪
♪ You stayed unfazed when the flames got higher♪
♪ Like a Bible♪
♪ In a house fire♪
♪ Bible in a house fire♪
♪ My demons poured the gas and struck the matches♪
♪ Tried like hell to burn this love to ashes♪
♪ You held on heaven strong♪
♪ When that heat started rising♪
♪ Walked right through the smoke♪
♪ Kept right on fighting♪
♪ You didn't let my rebel wild side burn us to the ground♪
♪ You stayed unfazed when the flames got higher♪
♪ Like a Bible in a house fire♪
♪ Bible in a house fire♪
Nashville, we love you guys. Thank you so much.
-[cheering] -[applause]
♪ gentle, upbeat music ♪
[Keith] We did a show at the Bluebird.
He did that song acoustic
-and I think it was better... -[John] Yeah.
-...than the full band. -[T.J.] It's a little hard to--
-Yeah, exactly. It was... -'Cause you heard every word,
-Right. -and you got the sense of what,
you know, what the song was.
I agree, but I will say, they were,
they seemed really into it the whole time.
[John] Yeah.
[Adam] It feels great to be in a place that, uh,
you know, I've known, you know, since 2009 and...
It means so much to have family and my girlfriend
here at the show.
For them to see my dreams
become a reality is very special.
[Gretchen] We're halfway through the show and Britnee is up next.
After nine weeks, it's clear
that the road is taking its toll.
[Britnee] Physically, I'm exhausted,
like, not sleeping great,
having, like, ridiculous dreams
about getting cut.
It's really easy to question
whether or not you're good enough to keep going.
[Britnee] Let's play some music, shall we?
♪ I got a girl crush...♪
My plan to get to the finale
is honestly just to be authentically myself.
♪ I got a heart rush...♪
My cover's "Girl Crush" by Little Big Town.
It's a great song, it shows off my voice.
♪ Want everything she has...♪
I am doing two slower songs, but that's authentically me
and what I love, so...
I'm hoping my voice gets me through.
♪ I want to taste her lips♪
♪ Yeah, 'cause they taste like you♪
♪ I want to drown myself♪
♪ In a bottle of her perfume♪
♪ I want her long blonde hair♪
♪ I want her magic touch♪
♪ Yeah, 'cause maybe then♪
♪ You'd want me just as much♪
♪ I got a girl crush♪
-[cheering] -[applause]
♪ Oh, oh♪
[holds note]
♪ Oh, I got a girl crush♪
♪ Hate to admit it, but♪
♪ I got a heart♪
♪ Rush♪
-♪ And it ain't slowing♪ -[audience cheers]
♪ Down♪
-Yeah. Great control. -Yeah.
-[audience cheering] -Thank you so much.
Sometimes in a rowdy club, to get their attention,
-go quiet, -[Britnee talks indistinctly]
and they-they stop talking.
Yeah, she sounded great on that "Girl Crush," didn't she?
This is called "If I Said That."
It's about saying things you don't mean.
[gentle intro playing]
I love the storytelling part of country music,
and I want people to be able to listen to my music
and go like, "Wow, I'm not alone in what I'm going through."
And I wrote this song about marriage and how hard it is.
It's called "If I Said That."
♪ I put my ring♪
♪ In the bathroom drawer♪
♪ I feel like I don't know you anymore...♪
I've been away from my family for a really long time.
Of course they miss me, I miss them,
but I am so lucky that I have
such a supportive family.
I could never do this without them.
I'm in a really beautiful, healthy,
happy marriage.
It wasn't always that way.
♪ And we only kiss good morning now♪
♪ When the kids are up...♪
I'm very nervous about the elimination.
We all deserve to be here.
You know, anybody could go home at this point.
I have to give it everything to get to the finale.
♪ Then I'd be lying...♪
[sings high note]
[sings high note] That note.
It'd be better if you emoted it.
I mean, it's definitely in your range like that.
Like passionate, you know what I mean?
-♪ I'd be lying♪ -Yeah, yeah.
-Okay. Okay. -Sing from here. Less precious.
♪ If I told you♪
♪ That I'm sick and tired of crying♪
♪ That I'm fed up with the fighting♪
♪ And I'm finally done trying♪
♪ If I say that♪
♪ I'd be lying♪
♪ And if I told you♪
♪ That I'm sick and tired of crying♪
♪ That I'm fed up with the fighting♪
♪ And I'm finally done trying♪
♪ If I say that♪
[holds note]
♪ Then I'd be lying♪
[holds note]
-Yeah. -Yeah!
My name is Britnee Kellogg.
Thank y'all so much.
-[cheering] -[applause]
[T.J.] Once she kicked into her falsetto,
we really understood that her pitch was really good.
-That's super, super hard to do. -[John] Really hard.
[Britnee] The crowd was great, but...
it's Nashville, there's a lot of people, like,
looking at you like, "Mm, I don't know."
I was authentically myself, and that's all I can ask for.
[Gretchen] They're loving everything so far.
Let me check this mic real quick.
-All right. -[Channing] This is probably
the most nervous I've been this whole time,
because watching Cassidy,
Britnee and Adam crushing it
definitely puts the pressure on.
My wife's in the audience, so that also puts
a little more pressure to perform really well.
[guitar tuning]
I want to make it to the end of this thing,
but you don't know how this stuff's gonna shake out.
It's hard to win over a Nashville crowd
because they're subject to, uh,
so many great artists all the time.
I feel like they can get a little spoiled.
I mean, these aren't Channing Wilson fans,
and they're just finding out about me,
so you just never know.
[Channing] All right, y'all, how you doing?
Hope you like this one
by my boys from, uh, Georgia here, the Allman Brothers.
["Midnight Rider" intro playing]
[Cassidy] Is that just in D or what?
-Say what? -Is that in D?
No, it's in, uh, A.
I was about to say, it sounds low.
Yeah, it's, uh...
It's, uh, it's like the... Willie did a cool version of it.
I'm doing "Midnight Rider..."
...uh, by the Allman Brothers, being a Georgia boy.
♪ I got to run♪
♪ To keep from hiding♪
Yeah... it's up there, you know?
Which, I could have done it, but, uh,
the other one's more me, it's groovy.
I hope that this song's gonna be right
on the nose, uh, for the crowd.
I mean, if you... you know,
if you don't know this song, you got to...
you got to get out, man, and l-listen to some stuff.
You ain't even got to get out anymore, man.
Put some headphones on, you know?
Dig up some old stuff.
♪ Silver dollar♪
♪ But I ain't gonna let 'em catch me♪
♪ Lord, I ain't gonna let 'em get the Midnight Rider...♪
[Cassidy] Channing knows
exactly who he is as an artist
and picks really great songs for his voice.
In this competition,
he's a pretty tough feller to beat.
♪ I don't own♪
♪ The clothes I'm wearing♪
♪ And this road♪
♪ Goes on forever♪
♪ And I've got one more♪
♪ Silver dollar♪
♪ But I ain't gonna let 'em get me, Lord♪
♪ I ain't gonna let 'em catch♪
♪ The Midnight Rider♪
♪ I've gone past♪
♪ The point of caring♪
♪ Some old bed♪
♪ I'll soon be sharing♪
♪ I got one more♪
♪ Silver dollar♪
♪ Said I ain't gonna let 'em get me, no♪
♪ I ain't gonna let 'em get♪
♪ The Midnight Rider♪
-[cheering] -[applause]
That's a cool way to play that song.
-Yeah. -[Channing] Thank y'all so much.
This, uh, this song's on a record
that I put out in 2023.
It's called "Dead Man Walking."
It's really an honor to be here,
Keith, uh, to get to jam with you a little bit, brother.
-Likewise. Yeah. -It's really cool, man.
You know, depression, anxiety,
you got to be able to pull yourself out of the hole,
and everybody's got their-their crutches and things,
and, uh, one of mine is writing songs.
It helps me get over and get through things.
[guitar playing]
I almost died from a blockage in my heart.
This song is kind of my way of dealing
with all those emotions.
-♪ Dead man walking...♪ -It's tough
to admit that you're hurting sometimes, you know?
Kind of like Cassidy lighting a sage
to get rid of the bad vibes.
My way of doing that is to write the song,
get it out of there,
and as long as I can sing that song,
it doesn't come back.
♪ Lord, if you won't save me♪
♪ The devil will♪
♪ I'm a dead man♪
♪ Walking♪
♪ I'm a dead man♪
♪ Walking♪
♪ Dead man walking♪
♪ Without a prayer♪
♪ One foot out of a world♪
♪ That don't care♪
♪ But don't cry for me, no♪
♪ Save it for the sun♪
♪ It's burning out faster♪
♪ Than my old legs can run♪
♪ 'Cause I'm a dead man♪
♪ Walking♪
♪ I'm a dead man♪
♪ Walking♪
♪ I'm a dead man♪
♪ Walking♪
♪ I'm a dead man♪
♪ Walking♪
♪ Dead man walking♪
♪ Oh♪
♪ I'm a dead man♪
♪ I'm a dead man...♪
♪ Dead man walking♪
♪ Dead man walking...♪
♪ Oh♪
♪ I'm a dead man♪
♪ Walking♪
-[cheering] -[applause]
Thank y'all so much.
My name's Channing Wilson.
Thank y'all.
[cheering]
-[Keith] Excellent. Excellent. -[John] That song's badass.
The fact that he can just stand there,
and just, and y-you can't look away from him.
He's not even moving.
I thought to myself, "Should we just, like, cut this
-in the studio next week?" -[laughs] Yeah, with him.
This song... that song was badass.
-Hey, girl. -Hey.
What's up, baby?
-Baby? -Yeah, how was that?
Mm, God, you kicked
-so much ass, baby. -Oh. Thank you.
[Channing] I was up there playing,
I looked to the right and I seen, uh, Kristi, my wife,
about four or five people back watching,
smiling like she always does, it was really cool.
Man, nine weeks, I can't believe you're standing
-in front of me right now. -I know.
In real life, man,
-instead of on a screen. -Right?
There's not a more me song
than my original right there,
so let's hope it was enough.
That was fun, wasn't it?
-Went so fast, though. -[Britnee] So fast.
I mean, it's done, y'all.
-Here we go. -It is done.
Hey, well, whatever happens,
I have grown to love each and every one of you, man.
-[Adam] Same to you, man. -This has been fun.
[Britnee] It's honestly insane, knowing that I'm this close,
but it feels really far away
at the same time.
You just have these three other people
that are so talented,
sand it gets you in your head.
[audience cheering]
[Gretchen] Are you ready
for Keith Urban?
-[cheering] -[applause]
[Keith] Are we feeling good, Nashville?
-One, two, three, four! -♪ Ooh, ooh, ooh♪
♪ Ooh, ooh, ooh♪
♪ Ooh, ooh, ooh...♪
♪ Ooh, ooh♪
-♪ Wasted time♪ -♪ Ooh, ooh, ooh♪
-♪ Oh, yeah♪ -♪ Ooh, ooh, ooh♪
-♪ Wasted time♪ -♪ Ooh, ooh, ooh♪
♪ Come on, now♪
♪ I say time♪
♪ Don't you feel it coming on back now?♪
-♪ Time♪ -♪ Yeah♪
♪ Whoo, ooh, ooh♪
-[cheering] -[applause]
Thank you, Nashville.
[Keith] How'd you guys all feel about tonight?
♪ slow, somber music ♪
It was tough, man, in some ways,
-because... -We back in Nashville.
...the pressure's on, right?
Nashville crowd, man.
-Oh, yeah, yeah. -Mm-hmm. For real.
You guys killed it. You really did.
-[Channing] Appreciate it. -[Cassidy] Thank you.
Yeah. You brought 'em in.
[Keith] I mean, I think it's the best
I've seen every single one of you perform.
So, I was super proud, especially the originals.
And the covers were spot-on.
Channing, you killed it tonight, too, on the original.
-I appreciate it, man. -It was great.
-Can't get it out of my head. -That's a heck of a song.
[Channing] Awesome, brother. Thank y'all, man.
And the audience were great tonight, you know?
They really responded great, but at the same time,
it is a Nashville audience,
so their standards are pretty high.
Yeah, they're hard to impress sometimes.
Yeah, hard to impress.
-Yeah. -[Channing] Very hard, yeah.
So, obviously,
the voting reflected that tonight.
Based on my audience votes...
...unfortunately,
Britnee...
...Marathon Music Works is your final stop.
But I want to say to you,
you've survived nine weeks.
So, the name Britnee Kellogg right now is known
by so many people.
So I want to say congratulations on that...
-Thank you. -...'cause that's extraordinary.
-Thank you. -Absolutely.
And I hope we get to see more of you.
I hope so, too. Love you.
[clears throat]
[exhales sharply] I'm going in. I can't, uh...
[Britnee] I'm just disappointed.
[sniffles]
I'm...
I'm just bummed.
You're so great.
You know how talented you are. I believe in you.
I've just been fighting for a long time.
I know, but look at where you made it to.
[Britnee] This experience has been, like,
life-changing, it's been incredible.
Of course, the 40 year old in me is like,
"Maybe this was my only opportunity,"
so I'm just... I'm sad.
-[Cassidy] We love you, Britnee. -Love you, Britnee.
-See you. -[Britnee] I'm just gonna keep
playing shows and be a mama
and continue to inspire other moms to do the same.
-Look at you. Top three. -Congrats, y'all.
-Can you believe it? -Oh, my God.
-Man. -I love that you three
represent so many different sides
of country music as well.
And, uh, the Ryman's the perfect place for the finale.
Course, this is gonna be the final night
of playing in front of my audience.
-Yeah. -[Gretchen] Oh, and just being
at the Ryman in itself is very intimidating.
[Keith] So, the combination of that is gonna
make for a, uh... a challenging night
-for all three of you, I think. -[Adam] For sure.
[Channing] It doesn't surprise me that three people
tied to the Nashville music scene are at the end
of this thing at the Ryman.
Good luck.
-Thank you. -Thank you.
-You bet.
[Channing] This little journey I've been on
is eye-opening.
I don't feel pressured
to be anything that I'm not.
I'd be lying if I said I-I didn't think
that I could make it to the end of this thing.
-Lead the way. -All right.
[Adam] It's definitely been a crazy,
interesting journey for me, uh, to this point,
but this is all I've ever thought about,
all I've ever wanted to do since day one.
[Adam] We did it, ladies and gentlemen.
We are in the finale.
[groans] What's up?
Last girl standing.
For the ten-plus years I've been doing this,
I've either been
the only girl in the room
or the youngest one in the room.
And at this point, it don't matter who you are,
it don't scare me. [laughs]
Everybody in the world wants to play the Ryman.
[Adam] That's right.
It's the original Opry, man, Johnny Cash and Elvis
-stood on that stage. -[Channing] Hank Williams, man.
-[Cassidy] Oh, my God. -Rocked that place.
And they're putting my redneck ass on there?
[laughter]
[Cassidy] That's nuts!
[Adam] Ryman Auditorium, it's the grand finale.
How we feeling?
[Gretchen] It all comes down to this.
I've played outside of the Ryman before.
I've never played the actual one. [laughs]
[Gretchen] The biggest show of their lives.
With special guest performances
from Blake Shelton and Keith Urban.
The winner is gonna get a quarter of a million dollars,
a slot on Stagecoach and a record deal.
Really making me want to drink right now.