Monday night is the first night of Knockouts on Season 27 of The Voice. And coaches Adam Levine, John Legend, Kelsea Ballerini and Michael Bublé will once again be pairing up their artists for sing-offs.
The Knockouts are not duets. Rather, each artist picks a song that best demonstrates their vocal abilities and then watches as their competitor sings.
The first video released by The Voice to tease the night was from Team Legend with four-chair turn BD.ii taking the stage with Brian McKnight‘s “Back At One” against two-chair turn Kolby Cordell performing Stevie Wonder‘s “Lately.”
“That’s quite a way to start it off,” Adam said. “BD.ii, I was just transfixed your whole performance. It is, obviously, a great song, but you gave it a little kick in the ass. Not sure I can say ass on TV, but I’m saying it. Kolby was like a discovery. I love your rasp, but it felt like there was a little bit of strain in there from being tired. But I could feel how you were managing it, and you did an incredible job. I’m thinking about what might take place, and you’re both going to be fine.”
Does that mean there’s a Steal coming up?
Then Kelsea was up. “BD.ii, I loved what you picked. It let you lean back into it a bit more to let you show the swag and the tone and the cool elements to your voice. Kolby, your tone reminds me of John Legend. It’s like that warmth and that smoothness and the open vowels, I was, ‘There’s a little Legend in there.’ I think you’re both so different, but so damn good. If I was thinking about who feels the most ready, I would say BD.ii.”
Related: Watch The Voice 4-Chair Turn That Michael Bublé Says Has a Voice Blessed By God
“BD.ii, I loved the song choice,” Michael agreed with Kelsea. “It was far more emotional than you’ve been before. I love how you played with it and made it yours. Congratulations on a great performance. Kolby, if that’s you tired, I’m getting three hours of sleep tomorrow. I don’t know that it sounded tired to me. I think maybe you’re just gifted with a voice that has that rasp. You told that story beautifully. If I had to choose, the winner would be Kolby.”
Then, it was time for their coach to weigh in. John said, “Kolby, yeah, man, you’ve got that raspy voice. It’s soulful, it’s been lived in, and it has a story to tell. BD.ii, I was concerned about this song choice for you. The first time I heard you sing it, it sounded a little flat. I was, ‘I need a little more energy; I need more urgency.’ And you did all that you needed, but you also didn’t force it. You sounded like you belonged on the stage and on bigger stages. That was fantastic.”
Then, host Carson Daly called for the decision.
Tune into The Voice on Monday night at 8 p.m. ET/PT on NBC to see who John puts through to the Playoffs. Streams next day on Peacock.
Next, Get the Details on The Voice Season 27, Including the Amazing Four-Chair Turns
