Viewers on “The Voice” pay close attention when a celebrity coach compares a contestant to Whitney Houston.
During Tuesday’s episode of the NBC reality series, John Legend made a striking observation about Val T Webb from Birmingham. He remarked that she reminded him of the legendary pop and R&B singer.
During the show’s Battle Rounds, Webb showcased her impressive vocal skills by performing a duet with her teammate RLETTO. They sang one of Houston’s hits, “Saving All My Love for You.” Legend was highly impressed by Webb’s performance and rated their Battle as A+.
Legend praised RLETTO for their unique and vibrant voice, emphasizing their artistic perspective. He also commended Val for their pure and beautiful voice, highlighting their exceptional control and sweet tone.
Both contestants were part of Chance the Rapper’s team, giving him the ultimate authority to make the final decision during the Battle.
“Legend presented listeners with a choice between a pure, beautiful vocalist like Whitney and the funkier RLETTO. He emphasized that he wouldn’t influence their decision and left it up to them.”
Chance faced a difficult decision, as all the celebrity coaches on the show acknowledged. Webb and RLETTO received enthusiastic praise from Legend, Reba McEntire, and Dan & Shay. While Reba leaned towards Webb, Dan Smyers of Dan & Shay suggested that Chance should “pick them both!”
Dan Smyers expressed his admiration for Val’s performance, describing it as one of the most iconic he has ever seen. He praised Val’s impressive vocal range and beautiful tone in the higher register, as well as his exceptional control. Smyers also commended RLETTO, acknowledging the richness in the lower register of his voice that gave him goosebumps and evoked strong emotions.
Reba McEntire praised Val for her incredible vocals and reminded everyone why she received a four-chair turn. She described Val’s voice as stupendous, beautiful, and sweet, and expressed her admiration for Val’s singing style. Reba admitted that she could listen to Val’s voice all day long and ultimately chose her over RLETTO.
When it came down to it, Chance ultimately chose RLETTO as the winner of the Battle, resulting in Webb’s elimination. Webb, however, handled her defeat with grace, embracing Chance and expressing her gratitude for his encouragement and support. Just as Webb was about to leave the stage, Legend surprised everyone by pressing the “steal” button on his chair, declaring, “You’re not going anywhere, Val!”
In Season 25 of “The Voice,” each coach is granted one steal during the Battle Rounds. This allows them to pick up an eliminated contestant and add them to their team.
When Chance announced “RLETTO,” it was clear to me that Val would be joining Team Legend,” Legend revealed. He further praised Val’s smooth vocals, stunning range, and beautiful tone, stating that she can truly sing.
In the upcoming round, Webb will be competing in the Knockouts as a solo artist. She will choose a song to perform in a head-to-head contest against another teammate. This season on “The Voice,” Webb is one of three talented singers from Alabama who successfully advanced past the Battles. The other two are Asher HaVon from Selma (Team Reba) and Ducote Talmage from Auburn (Team Dan & Shay).
In this week’s episode, two other Alabama contestants, Rivers Grayson and Corey Curtis, unfortunately, lost their “Voice” Battles and were eliminated. Grayson, hailing from Muscle Shoals, delivered a powerful duet with teammate Mafe, performing Carole King’s classic hit “You’ve Got a Friend.” Although their coach, Legend, had to make a tough choice, he ultimately selected Mafe over Grayson.
Legend praised Rivers for his impressive ability to sing low and quiet while maintaining pitch and resonance in the room. He commended Rivers for a perfect performance, acknowledging the difficulty of the task.
Curtis was eliminated in the recent episode of the show. He performed “Best Part” by Daniel Caesar alongside his teammate Dani Stacy. Although this particular Battle wasn’t fully shown on TV, their coach, Chance, chose Stacy over Curtis. Chance believed that Stacy had a stronger understanding of the song and showcased better vocal control.
“The Voice” showcases a dynamic competition divided into five stages: Blind Auditions, Battle Rounds, Knockouts, Playoffs, and live performance shows. On April 1, the upcoming episode will showcase the best moments from the Season 25 Blind Auditions and Battle Rounds. The highly anticipated Knockouts will commence on April 8, and the show will have the privilege of having Keith Urban as a “mega mentor” during this stage.
Alabama has yet to produce a winner on “The Voice” in its 13-year run on television. However, the state has seen more than 30 contestants leave their mark on the show over the years. It all began with Nakia Reynoso in Season 1, and the trend has continued into Season 23 with four talented Alabama singers making their way through the competition.
During the Season 23 finals in May 2023, D. Smooth, a talented R&B singer from Birmingham, impressed audiences and secured the third place on “The Voice.” Although three other Alabama contestants, Ryley Tate Wilson, Jerome Godwin III, and JB Somers, were eliminated earlier in the season, their passion and dedication were evident throughout their journey on the show.
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