The Voice Season 27 returned on Monday night for the first round of Knockouts, as the show’s coaches continued to narrow down their teams. They paired up their artists to compete with solo performances, before choosing one of them to move on. Monday’s episode also featured two coach steals.
Adam Levine Steals John Legend’s Artist in The Voice Knockouts
The first Knockout of the night was on John Legend’s team. He paired up his artists BD.ii and Kolby Cordell. BD (who was a four-chair turn in his audition) performed “Back at One” by Brian McKnight, while Kolby (who turned two chairs in his audition) sang “Lately” by Stevie Wonder.
Both singers showed off great vocal ability and impressive range, leaving Legend with a difficult decision to make. Coach Adam Levine said BD.ii gave the song a “kick in the ass.” Kelsea Ballerini said that Kolby’s tone reminded her of Legend himself.
When asked what he thought about the Knockout, Legend admitted that he was “concerned” about BD’s song choice, but he proved him wrong. He also complimented Kolby’s “soulful” and “lived-in” voice. When it came time to make a decision, Legend chose BD as the winner, keeping him on his team for the Playoffs round.
But it wasn’t the end of the road for Kolby. Both Adam Levine and Michael Bublé hit their buttons to steal him for their own teams. Kolby chose to join Levine’s team. This is the second time this season that Levine has stolen one of Legend’s artists. In the Battles, he stole Legend’s artist Ari Camille.
The final Knockout of Monday night’s show was on Kelsea Ballerini’s team. She paired up her artists Iris Herrera and Angie Rey. Iris (who turned three chairs in her audition) sang “Jolene” by Ray LaMontagne, while Angie (who only turned Ballerini’s chair) took on “Dirt Cheap” by Cody Johnson.
Both singers delivered impressive performances, showing off strong country voices with stunning emotion. Bublé said it was “hard to believe” that Iris is only 19 years old, while Legend praised Angie’s “gospel energy.”
Ballerini told the two artists that they both have a “firecracker quality” to them. She got emotional as she talked to Angie about her song choice, praising her for showing the “storytelling side” of her voice. Ultimately, she chose Iris as the winner of the Knockout, sending her to the Playoffs on Team Kelsea.
Angie is also going to the Playoffs, because Bublé hit his button to steal her. This is the second time this season that Bublé has stolen one of Ballerini’s artists, after stealing Simone Marijic in the Battles.
Words by:
Jill O'Rourke Jill O’Rourke is a contributor at Talent Recap, writing news stories and recaps for shows like ‘AGT,’ ‘The Voice,’ and ‘American Idol.’ She graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in English and Film Studies, and has been writing about pop culture since 2012, with previous bylines at Crushable and A Plus. Jill spends her free time binge-watching sitcoms and daydreaming about life as a hobbit
