Torre Blake, Chrisdeo & Mikaela Ayira’s The Voice Season 26 Knockout

The stakes get higher and things get more emotional as The voice is progressing – not only for the artists, who everyone hopes will be the one to make it to the next round, but also for the coaches. Sometimes coaches form real bonds with the singers on their teams, and that was certainly the case for Snoop Dogg, who seemed seriously devastated to have to send two of his team members home when Mikaela Ayira, Torre Blake and ChrisDeo faced off in the match. Knockouts.

Over the course of the competition so far, Snoop has really taken on a mentor role with the three singers, perhaps in part because two of them were only 17 years old. (In fact, when ChrisDeo, whom Snoop called “probably one of my babies that I’m most proud of,” competed in the Blind Auditions, she was still only 16.) As Mega Mentor Sting said, “I’ve got socks older than .”

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ChrisDeo chose to sing “Beneath Your Beautiful” by Labyrinth feat. Emelie Sande. Ayira chose Alessia Cara’s “Scars to Your Beautiful,” surprising and impressing Snoop because he had expected her to choose a soul or R&B song. Blake, who at 31 is the oldest member of the trio, also made an unexpected song choice when she settled on Kacey Musgraves’ “Slow Burn.”

“She has a very, very soulful voice and the choice of song was not what I would expect,” Sting noted, saying it was “lovely.”

“It’s going to be really hard because I really love these three girls,” Snoop said before Knockout began. “They could all be something. They all have star quality.”

Watch Torre Blake vs. ChrisDeo vs. Mikaela Ayira in The voice Season 26 Team Snoop Knockouts

Immediately, ChrisDeo brought Snoop to tears and asked Reba McEntire for some tissues, only for the country legend to say she was fine. After all was said and done, McEntire was inclined to give the young singer the win.

“I’m not going to pull a Snoop,” McEntire said, referring to his fellow coach’s habit of not giving other coaches a recommendation when faced with their artists. “I would take ChrisDeo.”

“Snoop, this is the deal, if I had to pick my favorite as a fan right now, I really enjoy Torre. But then, Mikaela, she just worked the stage in a way that was like, ‘How do you do this at 17?’ It was so natural. And then ChrisDeo is just this pure genuine artist. There are three different choices to make,” Gwen Stefani said before taking the opposite route as McEntire. “Guess what, Snoop? I don’t have to choose.”

“I didn’t think I’d get this emotional,” Snoop said when it came time for him to make what might have been the toughest decision any coach has made this season of The voice yet. “I’m so torn right now because I can’t take you all together, but I want to. And I have to be strong right now. I have to make you all strong. But that’s how you affect me. I love each and every one of you.” ​you like my daughters up there, man, that’s how it feels. I’m sitting here with my daughters, and they’re going to college, and I’m going to send two of them off, and one of them is going to stay home.”

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“Not sure who the winner is in that situation,” Carson Daly joked from the stage.

“It’s definitely not me!” Snoop replied.

After saying that he was honored to have been their coach and that he hoped he gave them something they would be able to carry with them for the rest of their lives, Snoop named Ayira the winner.

“Mikaela’s voice is big and I don’t feel like she knows how to use it yet. I feel like the right song, the right production, she could win this whole competition,” Snoop said, explaining his choice.

ChrisDeo and Blake both thanked Snoop before leaving the stage. ChrisDeo was in tears as she thanked her trainer for teaching her to be confident.

“These decisions that I have to make tonight? They’re heartbreaking,” Snoop said. “It’s up to me to comfort them and let them know, ‘No, you didn’t do anything wrong. You just had your time.'”

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