24x08 - The Battles Premiere

[bunniefuu]

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 k*ll it.
We're gonna k*ll 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, sh**t, 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,


'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 ♪

♪ 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 ♪

♪ Cry me a river ♪ ♪ Oh, oh ♪

♪ 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 expl*si*n]

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 ♪

♪ 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


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 k*ll 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 k*ll 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 ♪

♪ La da da da da da ♪

♪ 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 ]

♪♪

♪♪