The Voice battle rounds commenced this week, and Ashley Levin and Casi Joy tackled a Reba hit in excellent fashion. Ashley and Casi sang "How Blue" from McEntire's 1984 hit record My Kind Of Country.
Both Levin and Joy seemed perfectly suited for the song. And as rival coach Adam Levine said after the performance, the round felt like a boxing match disguised as a singing competition.
Joy relies on a heavy dose of guttural growling to get those notes out and convey emotion, while Levin takes the song with a bit more reservation. However, the pair totally shine together as partners.
The harmonies are spot on and the tone actually blends really well. That's not always the case when coaches pair up two different singers. If neither of them make it all the way, maybe they should consider teaming up in real life.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_DL5s4DNik
As you can see, Shelton ends up going with Casi Joy. But Ashley could barely get a word out in thanking him before all three coaches jumped in to steal her away. So really, it's a happy ending for both singers.
But Shelton points to one of the problems with the industry. In his comments after the performance, he talks about the round potentially removing one singer from the other's "lane." Basically, that's just industry talk for saying if two artists seem similar, they can't coexist on the same team/roster.
But unlike sports, artists don't fill a "position." And seeing as music fans keeps consuming more and more music, there's no reason to think both Ashley Levin and Casi Joy can't peacefully sing alongside one another.
READ MORE: Lauren Duski and Brennley Brown Take on Little Big Town's "Better Man" for "The Voice"
Either way, both singers essentially survive the round. And they're hoping "How Blue" helps spark similar success for them. The song became McEntire's third No. 1 single of her career. It also sparked a string of hits throughout the 1980s and 1990s.
Catch more battle rounds from The Voice season 12 on Monday and Tuesday nights.
