‘The Voice': Blake Shelton Jokes He’s Quitting After First-Ever Three-Way Knockout Round [Watch]
Blake Shelton had a tough time choosing the winner of his knockout round during the latest episode of Season 22’s The Voice. So much so that he joked that he was going to quit the show right then and there.
“This is awful. You guys all did incredible. Two of you were supposed to suck,” Shelton teased after three of his contenders took the stage for separate performances. “....I quit. I’m quitting the show right now. You guys broke me. You three broke me. I quit.”
Bodie, a California native who received a four-chair-turn during his blind audition performance of the Fray’s “You Found Me,” was first to kick off the intense challenge. He sang a cover of “Better Now” by Post Malone. The Team Blake hopeful sported his signature beanie atop his head and paced the floor as he effortlessly tackled the lyrics of the tune over the microphone.
Matched up against fellow competitors Kevin Hawkins and husband and wife country duo the Dryes, Bodie also kicked off the first ever three-way knockout in the history of the reality TV competition show. Normally, two artists are paired to go head-to-head on a song of their choice.
After Bodie gave it his all, Hawkins stepped out dressed in sparkly purple from head to toe. Putting his vocals on Maxwell’s version of “This Woman’s Work,” originally written and recorded by Kate Bush, he let his vocals shine. Coaches listened intently for errors while he flaunted his unique and exceptionally high falsetto throughout the impressive take.
Lastly, the Dryes, made up of Katelyn and Derek Drye, sang a tenderhearted rendition of “Chasing After You,” a collaboration by Maren Morris and Ryan Hurd. They were a definite contrast to their opponents as a duo, showing off their stunning harmonies on the song. But, it was their romantic chemistry that stood out the most as they lovingly stared into each other’s eyes. At the end of the performance, they planted a kiss on each other's lips, earning a reaction from coach Camila Cabello.
“The Dryes, I don’t know if you guys are in a little honeymoon period, but I really felt the performance. I was kind of mesmerized and lost in it,” Cabello shared before turning to the other singers. “Kevin. You were hitting all the right notes, but I wanted to feel more from your body language and from your face, but I always thought you were a star. Bodie, I really liked your arrangement of that song. Rhythmically, you were on point. It sounded like a record and that’s hard to do. I was vibing.”
“I am super impressed, Bodie. Doing a Post Malone song is almost impossible. But you did it!” Gwen Stefani said. “Everything about your voice I love so much. Then to go to Kevin after that, you look gorgeous and to be able to go from high to low, it was excellent. Then the Dryes. This was my favorite performance of yours for sure.”
John Legend also shared comments, applauding Bodie on his “song choice” and “execution” of the tune. He also said that while he loved Kevin’s voice, the performance felt “disjointed.” He then called the Dryes performance “assured” and “confident” and the “right choice” in such a high stakes moment.
“It stings a little bit to hear what John said,” Shelton then said. “He’s not wrong. In rehearsals, Kevin was probably 80 percent in the falsetto. I’m the one who said, ‘Give me more of the full voice.’ I take responsibility for that happening. The Dryes, this guy, who has been the guitar player, supporting the duo, stepped up and sang like that. It was like, ‘What the hell? Where have you been hiding all this time?’ Then Bodie, I don’t think we’ve ever seen an artist quite like you on this show. What you're doing in the moment sounds like something somebody's been jacked with in the studio, but you do it all live.”
After a tough decision, Shelton chose Bodie as the winner of the knockout round. In a twist, Stefani and Cabello also slammed their red buttons to "steal" Hawkins for their respective teams. He chose to continue his run on the show competing on Team Gwen, since she was first to hit her button for him. As for the Dryes, their journey on the show has come to an end, but they sure made their final moment count!
Be sure to tune into an all-new episode of Season 22’s The Voice, which returns Tuesday (Nov. 1) night on NBC.