Published: 7:00 PM PT, October 2, 2023
Ste had all the coaches. Voice his performance sold out, but it was his personal story that made them even more emotional.
The singer took the stage during Monday’s blind audition to perform a falsetto rendition of Maroon 5’s “Sugar,” earning her a four-chair turn from John Legend, Gwen Stefani, Reba McEntire And Niall Horan – although Niall was blocked by John.
“You did a great job, the song choices were great, I love your dance moves and everything,” Reba praised. “You have the whole package!”
“Anyone who takes on an Adam Levine song is brave in my eyes,” agreed Niall. “He has a damn cool voice and you suit him.”
However, when it came time to choose a coach, Ste made the decision with a heavy burden on his heart.
“I have a cousin, his name is Matthew,” the South Carolina native explained before turning to John. “He’s your biggest fan. And he was supposed to be here tonight, but he passed away three weeks before we arrived.”
“I dedicate all of this to him,” he continued. “He should have been backstage and I should have said, ‘John, I want you to meet my cousin Matthew!’ “I just want to say thank you so much for giving so much to Matthew, you really helped him get through some tough times.”
The coaches were clearly excited by the story, with Reba assuring Ste, “I’m pretty sure Matthew is here with us, watching everything you do.”
When ET spoke with the coaches Before the season premiere, Reba said that Gwen, Niall and John welcomed her to the show “as warmly as a sister.” However, she noted that the friendly atmosphere fades when it comes time to get down to business.
“They helped me, guided me and taught me, and then when I got to that point, they say, ‘You’re on your own,’” she recalls.
“We still want to beat her,” John agreed with a laugh.
Voice airs Mondays and Tuesdays at 8:00 pm PT/ET on NBC.
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