Two of Blake Shelton’s The Voice Season 21 powerhouse singers provided the opening performance for the first night of the challenging Knockout Rounds on Monday (Oct. 25). Setting the bar high for the evening, Wendy Moten went up against Johnathan Mouton, each hoping to move to the live performances portion of the TV singing competition.

First up was Mouton, who channeled Jimmy Cliff’s classic song “I Can See Clearly Now.” During rehearsals, he told Shelton and mega-mentor Ed Sheeran that he chose the song because it helped him stay positive when he was fighting Stage IV cancer.

Facing the coaches from centerstage, Mouton, backed by piano, poured his heart and soul into his moment. He waited toward mid-song to hold an incredible long note, which earned him plenty of cheers from the studio audience and a delightful scream from coach Ariana Grande.

After his performance, it was Moten’s turn to make her moment count. A member of the Grammy Award-winning country band the Time Jumpers, Moten opted out of singing a country song, instead offering a take on music icon Aretha Franklin’s “Ain’t No Way.” She warmed up the crowd with a slow approach to the tune before belting out the chorus with so much emotion.

Needless to say, Moten provided all of the tools during her performance to prove that she is a star in the making. “Am I alive?! There's too much talent this season!” Ariana Grande commented afterward.

Coach John Legend added that he loved the “a cappella” that Mouton provided at the beginning of his performance, but added that Moten was a “tour de force.” And Kelly Clarkson, who was partial to Moten’s performance, told the singer, “You’re one of the vocalists that is the reason why I’m sitting here.”

Shelton, who had the difficult position of only choosing one singer to continue in the competition, told Moten, “I can’t even imagine the offers that are going to come your way, Wendy.”

“Mouten made this tough for me, but the winner of this knockout is Wendy,” he added.

Fans can keep up with The Voice every Monday and Tuesday on NBC. The show airs at 8PM ET.

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