"The Voice" coach John Legend dubbed Tuesday's blind auditions a "block party."
Reba McEntire and Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney, the duo known as Dan + Shay, hit their block buttons to keep the other from persuading an artist to join their team. McEntire, entering her second season as coach of NBC's singing competition (Mondays and Tuesdays 8 ET/PT), was the first to use her block on Part 2 of the Season 25 premiere.
Donny Van Slee, a chiropractor living in Nashville, quickly hooked McEntire with his rendition of LANCO's "Greatest Love Story." McEntire increased her odds of landing the hopeful by blocking Dan + Shay, new additions for this season. "You've started the battle," Mooney warned. "So guess what? Buckle up, Reba!"
Coaches may only use their block buttons on one aspiring participant in the blind auditions, and they only know they've been blocked if they turn their chair and see the word "blocked" illuminated on the floor before them.
"I loved your voice," McEntire told Van Slee. "I loved the little raspiness and when I heard you, my first thought was block them! Because I knew they were going to go for it so quick."
But McEntire's celebration was short-lived. "Donny, we're gonna steal you later, brother!" Smyers vowed.
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Smyers and Mooney quickly got their block revenge. Karen Waldrup, a lover 90s country who's been performing for 12 years, took the stage after Van Slee, doing justice to Jo Dee Messina's "Bye, Bye."
Shortly after Waldrup began, Smyers and Mooney turned their chairs, hitting their block button for McEntire. It took a little longer for the "Fancy" singer to turn, and when she did, she realized her changes at vying for Waldrup were zero.
Borrowing from Messina's tune, Dan + Shay taunted their country rival singing, "Bye bye, bye bye my Reba, bye, bye."
"Vengeance!" Legend shouted.
"You did a wonderful job," McEntire told Waldrup. "I tried to turn around 'in true lover’s fashion' here, but I got blocked."
"You started this," Mooney said. "I think you finished it, too," McEntire replied, admitting defeat.
Legend explained the playful tension between the coaches to Waldrup. "There's been a little feud started here between Reba and Dan + Shay … they've been blocking each other to get to the country artist that they want," he said.
"Hey, I got two for one. I love it. I'm really excited," said Waldrup, who previously saw her coaches "way up in the cheap seats" when they performed at the Grammy Awards in 2019. "It was so incredible and so moving. I just loved every second of it, and I’m so excited about working with you guys."
Later, in an interview Smyers and Mooney recounted their ability to execute their revenge.
"You gave me the look," Mooney said to his partner. "I could see you looking at Reba, and I knew exactly what to do. Had to hit that button, and it felt so sweet."
"Oh, it felt awesome," Smyers agreed. "Blocking the queen of country music. Man, put that one on the resume."
"We have a little war starting," Legend predicted. "Is the queen going to keep dominating country, or does she have some real competition with Dan + Shay?"
Only time will tell.
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