‘The Voice:’ Wynonna Judd and Dan + Shay Coach Team Niall as Nini Iris Advances
The Voice returned for its second edition of Knockouts on Tuesday night (Nov. 7), but one coach was noticeably absent during rehearsals.
Sometimes life gets a little hectic, and Niall Horan couldn't make room in his schedule to accommodate his coaching session with team members AZAN, Olivia Minoque and Nini Iris. Not wanting to leave his hopeful singers hanging, Horan enlisted the help of country duo Dan + Shay. The pair will serve as duo coaches during Season 25, so it only makes sense.
Before taking off for his obligation, Horan encouraged Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney to coach his team to focus on bringing their own individuality while leaning into the emotion of their unique tracks. He urged Mooney and Smyers to tell AZAN, Minogue and Iris to “connect to the song as much as they can."
As if the contestants didn’t have enough country power on hand to help them out, the singers were soon introduced to the season’s Mega Mentor, Wynonna Judd. Like the duo, Judd was there to help coax AZAN, Minogue and Iris to reach their full potential.
Azan kicked things off during the team's coaching session. After showcasing some of the song she's been working on, Anita Baker's "Caught Up in the Rapture," Judd shared that it made her feel some sort of way: “I felt sexy when you started to sing.”
She offered up some additional feedback to consider while on the stage: “I want you to sing it to me like you’re living it.” Press play below to watch Azan's polished Knockout performance.
Minogue was next to stretch her vocal muscles for the country mentors. Mooney and Smyers expressed that they wanted Minogue to embrace those more “vulnerable moments” on stage. Judd encouraged the young singer to leave the safety of the microphone stand and make the most of the space on stage instead of focusing on the more technical elements. Watch Minogue take Judd's advice in the video below.
Lastly, Iris brought Radiohead's "Karma Police" to life on rehearsal stage. After she hit an incredibly high note, the room seemed stunned and Judd playfully asked, “Are we still alive?” She continued, “I just went to Heaven.”
Pure vocal talent aside, Mooney and Smyers and Judd encouraged Iris to focus on enunciating a little more to make sure each word landed with the audience. Iris' take on "Karma Police" is below.
When it was time to hear from the coaches, positive feedback was shared with all of the contestants, and it was clear that it was going to be incredibly difficult for Horan to pick just one person to send on in the competition.
When it came down to it, Horan decided to advance Iris to the next round based on her impressive vocal talent. The Voice airs on Monday and Tuesday nights at 8PM EST on NBC.