On Monday (March 17), Season 27 The Voice coaches Adam Levine, Kelsea Ballerini, John Legend and Michael Bublé matched up two contestants from their respective teams to face off in the second night of the Battle round. Team Kelsea members Hailey Wright and Jaelen Johnston were chosen to go head-to-head with a country classic.
The pair of country singers united their twangy vocals, delivering their rendition of Brooks & Dunn’s “Neon Moon.” Johnston was first to step into the spotlight and instantly impressed the judges by how well his baritone vocals fit into the song that was released in 1992 as the third single from the duo’s debut album, Brand New Man.
Wright joined in, pouring her soul into every lyric with her authentic Texas vocals, which Bublé pointed out, “sounds like Reba [McEntire] a bit.”
The contestants united on the chorus, letting their unique sounds blend together so effortlessly that they had coach Kelsea beaming from her seat.
“Now if you lose your one and only/ There’s always room here for the lonely/ To watch your broken dreams/ Dance in and out of the beams/ Of a neon moon,” they sang while swaying together to the nostalgic tune.
They used the remainder of the song taking turns to showcase the extent of their talent in an effort to move forward in the competition and secure their spot in the Knockouts.
While earning a standing ovation from the audience and the judges, Kelsea Ballerini was quick to say, “That’s some damn country music, baby.”
“That was absolutely beautiful,” Bublé gushed before Ballerini jumped in to note, “I’m giddy.”
He continued, “You guys are so distinct, both of you. Hailey, your voice is so unique and so beautiful. Jaelen, I’m a baritone, not that deep, but a baritone… honestly, I found that to be such a romantic performance. I just want to go get my wife in a pickup truck. “
John Legend then shared his thoughts on the duet saying, first paying attention to Jaelen’s incredibly storytelling ability.
“Both of you have so much character in your voice. Jaelen, the richness in your voice, the texture in it is so special. And when you listen to a country artist, you want to feel that story coming through them, and I really felt like your way of delivering the song make me believe you and feel your authenticity. So it was really good.”
Moving onto Hailey, he shared, “I love the yodel in your voice. I felt your heart in it, and I felt your connection to it. In some ways, her voice cuts through more, but then Jaelen, because it’s so special to have that range and be able to sound really good, part of me wants you to pick Jaelen for that reason,” he added, looking to Ballerini.
Levine agreed with the previous coaches’ remarks and sympathized with Ballerini, knowing how hard of a decision this is going to be for her.
“Hailey, you were amazing. You really did cut in a way that…Obviously, Jaelen with his voice it’s like I don’t even feel like a man anymore. It’s just so powerful and masculine. But then Hailey, you balanced it out with your own unique thing. For me, fortunately, it’s not my decision, it’s Kelsea’s so have fun with that. I thought you guys both did a fantastic job.”
Finally, it was Ballerini’s turn to share her thoughts. She gave incredibly high compliments to both artists, claiming they “did country music so proud.”
“Jaelen, you sing like you’ve had your heart broken, and I mean that in a good way, I’ll kill her. My favorite country singers sing like they’ve had their heart broken, whether it be by life, by losing someone or by a partner, whatever it is. And you sing like that.”
She continued, “Hailey, you sound like you have just experienced so much life. I believe you. And again, this is like relatability. It’s country music, it’s authenticity, it’s vulnerability, it’s storytelling. You both have that. And this is very difficult for me and I don’t know.”
Jaelen was ultimately crowned the winner of this epic sing-off. Ballerini explained that it was his “reactive voice” that really sealed the deal for her as it feels like “lightning in a bottle.”
“I’m so proud of you. Country music is going to be like, where have you been and why aren’t you on our label?”
However, Jaelen isn’t the only one who took home a win last night. Seeing as how Ballerini wasn’t ready to say goodbye to his duet partner, she decided to use her save on Hailey.
“I just had that feeling when Hailey was walking off stage where I was like, I can’t…We’re going to do amazing things. It’s going to be awesome,” she told the contestant.
Hailey Wright and Jaelen Johnston were among the acts that will be moving on to Knockouts. Before we see them take the stage again, there will be a third round of Battles next Monday night.
The Voice airs Monday nights at 8 p.m. ET/PT on NBC, with episodes available to stream next day on Peacock.
The post Hailey Wright And Jaelen Johnston Of Team Kelsea Face Off With ‘Neon Moon’ In Epic Battle Round On ‘The Voice’ appeared first on Country Now.
