The Voice 26 Recap: Playoffs 2 Live Blog Results with Videos
The Voice 26 Playoffs continues tonight with part 2 featuring Team Snoop Dogg and Team Reba McEntire. Each coach employs a celebrity mentor. Country singer Lainey Wilson will help Reba, while Olympic medalist Simone Biles assists Snoop.
After all five team members perform, Snoop and Reba will have the heartbreaking task of choosing only TWO singers to advance to the LIVE semi-final round. On Tuesday, Team Michael Buble is up. Gwen Stefani picked her team last week. Carson Daly hosts.
The Voice 26 Playoffs Top 20 Preview (Photos, Video)
The Voice 2024: Full Season 26 Schedule (Updated 11/18)
TEAM REBA
Reba invited Lainey to join the Grand Ole Opry, during her appearance on The Voice. Lainey is the gal who wins all the awards.
Adam Bohanan – Think I’m In Love with You by Chris Stapleton.
He’s giving the Stapleton song an Al Green spin. He’s inspired by his wife, whom he’s been married to for six years Lainey thinks he should rope the audience in earlier. She suggests he quit playing guitar in spots.
Adam’s style is deceptively laid back. It’s effortless, yet, he commands the audience’s attention with his sexy, swampy style. He’s soulful and urgently passionate. He hits a big note and Reba is delighted. He pushes his guitar behind him as he layers extra adlibs onto the last verse. Not a lick out of place. It’s a tasteful performance from Adam.
Gwen calls him calm and composed and “really really good.” Michael wants to drink whiskey with him. Snoop says, “You had no fear. We’re going to hear real music from you.” Reba believes he’ll get better and better.
TEAM SNOOP
So…Simone Biles is mentoring…to give the singers confidence, or something. OK. The Olympics are over, no cross promotion even necessary at this point.
Christina Eagle – Fancy by Reba McEntire (Bobbie Gentry)
Well, Christina was pretty excited and emotional meeting Simone. Her parents died in separate car accidents, and Simone went through the foster system. She is more or less acting as a cheerleader. Sorry. “Fancy,” about a mom who puts her daughter out for sale, is an extremely weird song.
Christina manages to put her own spin on the song. She’s a spunky presence on stage. If she lacks confidence, the audience doesn’t know it. Her stage presence and movement appear like second nature to her.
Reba calls her performance “incredible…wonderful job.” Michael says, “There are so many reasons to love you.” Gwen feels she performed a hard song beautifully under the circumstances. Snoop compliments her confidence.
TEAM REBA
Lainey auditioned for The Voice SEVEN times and never made it!
Edward Preble – All of Me by Frank Sinatra
Edward, a crooner, started on Team Buble. He is really nervous! Lainey and Reba seem delighted, but slightly confused by the stylish singer.
The 19 year old vocalist is a few years away from growing into his talent. The standards genre takes talent and a ton of musicality to pull off. If he can get away from the Sinatra knockoff and develop his own style, he might be great. He dances a little on stage, which delights the ladies!
Michael says, “Your humility shines through always. I’m proud of you.” Snoop is a big fan, and appreciates he stepped up his showmanship. Reba was thrilled to steal him from Michael.
TEAM SNOOP
Aliyah Khaylyn – I Have Nothing by Whitney Houston
Snoop chose the song for Aliyah. BORING! The young singer lost her mother recently. Simone stresses the importance of owning her own power.
Too bad Snoop didn’t make a creative song pick for Aliayah. It’s so hard to sing this song without sounding karaoke. Aliyah does a solid job hitting the notes, but barely changes the arrangement except for some of the phrasing–but these big songs are best left alone.
Michael felt Aliyah paid tribute, and made the song hers. Reba loves her voice. Gwen loves her tone and her runs. Snoop saw “greatness.” He says, “You set yourself up for stardom.”
TEAM REBA
Katie O – Hang Tight Honey by Lainey Wilson
The singer gave up typical kid experiences for music. But for her, it was worth it. Lainey loves Katie’s rendition. “Thank you for doing my song.” Lainey suggests she “bite” her words more.
Katie delivers a spirited rendition of the song. It’s fun, but not anything out of the ordinary. Lainey notwithstanding, Katie could have chose a better song to showcase her vocal talents.
Michael compares her to Taylor Swift. Gwen says, “You have such a warm beautiful round tone.” Reba can tell she had a good time on stage. “That’s what I wanted America to see. You’re a breath of fresh air.”
TEAM SNOOP
Austyns Stancil – Adore by Prince
The singer calls Prince the greatest of all time. Snoop suggests he stay in falsetto through the whole thing.
Singing an entire song in falsetto is really hard! Prince could do it, but he was PRINCE. Austyns, however is pulling it off. Compare this to Aliyah covering a well known Whitney song. She sounded generic. But here, singing a less known Prince song allows him to honor the song, while adding his own special twist. He’s like the KING OF ADLIBS and GROWLS.
Gwen has seen him grow since she coached him. Michael wants to push a steal button. “That was awesome.” Snoop says, “You can make records.”
TEAM REBA
Lauren-Michael Sellers – I’m Not Ok by Jelly Roll
She has struggled with mental health issues as Jelly Roll did. Lainey suggests she smile during the part of the song where she is assuring herself things will be OK. “You’re the voice of The Voice,” Reba compliments Lauren-Michael.
Big emotional ballades are Lauren-Michael’s wheelhouse, and she been smart not to stray from that formula. When she takes the stage, she knows how to move an audience with her big emotional vocals. She sings with a bit of a rasp, which adds character to her rendition.
Snoop thinks she keeps growing. “You’ve become a real superstar.” Gwen loves the nuances in her voice. Reba says, “You have chosen songs that touch my heart. You can deliver a message so well.”
TEAM SNOOP
Mikaela Ayira – Love by Keisha Cole
She and her mom love this song. Simone senses that the teen singer is holding back. “Sing it like it’s Jennifer Hudson.” Simone suggests visualizations, like she’s singing with her mom.
The best part of Mikaela’s voice is her standout tone. She doesn’t have a big voice, but it’s soulful and easy on the ears. She subtlety builds the song bit by bit, saving adlibs in her head voice for the end. Her phrasing is mature for a 17 year old.
Reba says, “You’ve got some kind of range.” Gwen says, “You really shined tonight.” Michael calls her “perfect.” Snoop says, “You need to be making real records.”
TEAM REBA
Danny Joseph – I Heard it Through the Grapevine by Marvin Gaye
Reba saved Danny in the Knockouts. From the UK, Danny is a skilled guitar player. Lainey tells him to make his guitar solo a moment. She calls him “authentic.”
Danny is a throw back to soulful southern rockers, whom he obviously loves (he grew up in England). His growly voice brings intensity to the performance. But the highlight is his guitar solo. He’s the full package. He almost loses it singing “I’m just about to lose my mind.” He brings all the frenetic emotions to the song.
Gwen loves his spirit and intensity. Oh he ripped his pants. Hah. Snoop claims he is one of his favorites. Michael says, “You’ve earned your place.” Reba notes that his talent is stand out.
TEAM SNOOP
Jeremy Beloate – Impossible Dream from Man of LaMancha
NBC previewed this performance earlier. Watch it HERE. Snoop stole the theatrical singer from Team Buble. Jeremy shares that it’s close to the anniversary of the passing of his brothers from drug addiction. Snoop, who suggested the song, wants clearer enunciation at the beginning. Snoop advises Jeremy to think about the family members he’s lost while singing.
Jeremy brings Broadway vibes to the stage. His performance is emotional without being bombastic. That’s not easy, singing this particular song. He needs to improve his mic work though. Sometimes he moves it away from his mouth while he’s still singing.
“Damn Snoop,” Michael calls it one of his favorite performances so far. Gwen declares the two a ‘weirdo combo” that works. Reba is very choked up. “I can see you on Broadway.” Snoop says, “I’m crying and I don’t care.” Snoop believes Jeremy can win The Voice.
RESULTS
TEAM REBA
Reba thanks her team for giving their all. She must choose two singers to move on to the Top 8. The First artist moving on to the Top 8 is Adam Bohanan. Reba was impressed by his consistency and ability to entertain the audience. And the second artist to move on is Danny Joseph. WOW It’s the two I would have picked, but I thought she’d go for at least one of the gals, Katie or Lauren-Michael.
TEAM SNOOP
The first artist moving on from Team Snoop is Jeremy Beloate. Snoop calls him a natural born live performer. His last artist moving on is the one with the most room to grow. Christina Eagle. Dang. Austyns was ROBBED. But it appears he wanted to bring a country singer to the lives. It’s notable that Snoop did not pick any of the R&B singers on his team for the lives.
The Voice 26 Top 8
Adam Bohanan – Team Reba
Danny Joseph – Team Reba
Jeremy Beloate – Team Snoop
Christina Eagle – Team Snoop
ELIMINATED
Edward Preble – Team Reba
Katie O – Team Reba
Lauren-Michael Sellers – Team Reba
Aliyah Khaylyn – Team Snoop
Austyns Stancil – Team Snoop
Mikaela Ayira – Team Snoop