‘The Voice': Teen Singer Captivates Blake Shelton With Gwen Stefani Cover
The Voice Season 16 kicked off Monday (Feb. 25), featuring veteran coaches Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, and Kelly Clarkson, with new coach John Legend joining the crew for the first time.
The premiere of the series didn't feature much country music, but it did spotlight several artists which caught country ambassador Blake Shelton's ears—including one 15-year-old, LiLi Joy, who made it clear from the very start that she loves Shelton and wanted nothing more than to impress him with her initial turn on the hit reality show.
To that end, the teenager cleverly chose a song by Shelton's girlfriend, Gwen Stefani ("Cool," off Stefani's 2004 debut solo effort). Like Stefani, the young singer showed off a penchant for pink hair and outré style; she also presented a uniquely sweet and delicate take on Stefani's tune, accompanying herself on a ukulele.
The coaches were in awe, with Clarkson hilariously hissing at Shelton, "You know this is Gwen's song, right?" He knew all right, and turned his chair accordingly. Nobody else turned, probably out of fear of broaching what could only be Shelton territory.
"I just want to be clear about something," Shelton took time to clarify. "You did Gwen's song, and that did get my attention. But I hit my button because of your voice."
He added, however, that his best girl is going to absolutely love the tribute. "I can't wait for Gwen to hear that," he enthused. "She's gonna flip out...she's gonna love it."
Clarkson agreed: "[Gwen] just has a really great way of having these intimate moments in a song. And what I found remarkable is that you have the same talent but in a completely different way," she told the teenager.
Tune in weekly as we follow the Voice team builds, with a focus on country music offerings!
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