Snoop Dogg, Reba McEntire Make Their Playoff Picks As Michael Bublé Vows To ‘Save The Best For Last’

2nd round off Vote The playoffs kicked off on Monday’s episode with full focus on Team Reba and Team Snoop. The two-hour installment, which said goodbye to six out of 10 hopefuls as next week’s Top 8 live show fast approaches, featured an Olympian as an unexpected adviser to one of the teams.

Coach Reba McEntire recruited Yellowstone actress and country singer Lainey Wilson, who revealed that she tried unsuccessfully The voice seven times, to act as her team’s mega mentor.

To live up to his “wild card” name this season, coach Snoop Dogg recruited Simone Biles, the most decorated Olympic gymnast in American history, to be his team’s mega-mentor and share her words of wisdom. By choosing Biles, Snoop prioritized the intangible over vocal talent and stage presence — and the Olympian held her own.

“Sometimes mental is more important than anything else,” the rapper told Biles, who nodded in agreement.

Find out which singers from Team Reba and Team Snoop will join Team Gwen’s Jan Dan and Sydney Sterlace in the live shows.

How Team Reba matched up

Adam Bohanan kicked things off with a soulful performance of “Think I’m in Love With You” by Chris Stapleton. He earned unanimous praise from the coaches after his eye-catching turn, with McEntire listing all the reasons why the “dirty soul” singer is a standout: “He’s raspy, he’s grown, he’s got great range. (He) keeps to get better and better.”

Jazz crooner Edward Preblechanneling Frank Sinatra with his Rat Pack-inspired gray suit, Coach sang Michael Bublé’s arrangement of “All of Me.” It immediately impressed Bublé, who said Preble’s take was “a wonderful tribute”, while Snoop approved of his improved showmanship. “Everyone moves forward just a little bit more when Edward comes on stage to see what he’s doing,” McEntire said.

Country singer Katie O checked one thing off her bucket list: singing with Lainey Wilson. The duo had an impromptu duet during rehearsals when Wilson advised her on how to best perform her song “Hang Tight Honey”. After Katie O’s strong Playoff performance, McEntire applauded her confidence and said she was a good representative of country music.

Lauren-Michael Sellers left it all on Vote stage for her heartfelt rendition of Jelly Roll’s “I Am Not Okay”. During rehearsals, Wilson and McEntire were visibly moved by Sellers’ emotional vocals. “Her story, you can feel it just oozing out of her body,” Wilson noted. That translated to the Playoff phase; coach Gwen Stefani observed her ability to showcase the “nuances” in her voice, and McEntire felt she gave “her heart and soul to the song.”

Danny Joseph turned the Motown classic “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” by Marvin Gaye into a raucous rock cover that got everyone on their feet. (Joseph even ripped his pants during his rousing performance.) Stefani loved “how much spirit you have and how intense you are,” and McEntire celebrated the uniqueness he brings to The voice.

How Team Snoop matched up

Christina Eagle was the first artist from Team Snoop to take the Playoff stage. Singing McEntire’s “Fancy,” the Eagles’ version left the country star speechless. McEntire was a fan of how Eagle “changed (the song) around” and was impressed by her passion. Snoop said Eagle was the “complete package.”

Aliyah Khaylyn shocked the coaches and crowd with a powerful cover of Whitney Houston’s “I Have Nothing.” Khaylyn’s performance impressed the judges, especially Stefani, who repeatedly expressed how shocked she was. “When I heard that tone in your voice and heard those runs, I felt like this is your lane,” she remarked. An emotional Snoop said he “saw greatness.”

Austyn’s Stencil followed Khaylyn’s incredible performance with a showstopper of her own. Stancil, who covered “Adore” by Prince, showed off his remarkable falsetto and wowed the coaches with his vocal gymnastics. After the performance, Bublé jokingly hit his “steal” button (which didn’t exist). “Wow,” Stefani said in amazement. “I mean, no one can do that.”

Mikaela Ayira performed Keyshia Cole’s “Love,” receiving positive feedback from the panel. McEntire called it “beautiful,” while Stefani said Snoop helped her “find your way.” “She’s grown into the artist I want her to be: confident, strong and very coachable,” Snoop said.

Jeremy Beloate gave a theatrical performance of the Josh Groban ballad “The Impossible Dream (The Quest),” which was one of Bublé’s “favorite performances”. Beloate earned the special distinction of bringing McEntire and Snoop to tears. “You have a voice that got into my heart. It really got me,” McEntire said. “Something about the way you make me feel,” agreed Snoop.

Who came to the live shows?

Team Reba: Adam Bohanan and Danny Joseph

“Adam’s voice stands out because he’s powerful, he’s got great range, he’s got that grit in his voice,” McEntire said of advancing Bohanan to the live shows. “Because he’s been so consistent, I had to have him continue on the show.”

McEntire chose Joseph, whom she described as a classic ’70s rock ‘n’ roll guy, as her second singer to move on because “he’s not like anything else in the show.” “I think America loves him as much as I do,” she said.

Team Snoop: Jeremy Beloate and Christina Eagle

“He’s a natural born live performer,” Snoop said after choosing Beloate to represent him in live shows. “He’s on top. He was the most incredible singer that (sang) on The voice scene for season 26.”

The hip-hop mogul made the surprising decision to choose Eagle over artists like Aliyah Khaylyn and Austyns Stancil, who arguably had more show-stopping Playoff performances. “She’s a fiery woman who can sing good old country music,” Snoop said of Eagle.

A look forward to the next episode

Team Michael is in the hot seat for the final night of the Playoffs. Six places for the first live shows of the season have already been determined. All eyes are on Bublé as he looks to fill the final two semi-final spots.

“It makes me really nervous because my team has a lot to live up to,” Bublé admitted. “You know what they say: Save the best for last.”

The voice continues on Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET on NBC.