Dan + Shay will come to The Voice as new coaches in Season 25, but they earned a bit of practice on Tuesday night's episode (Nov. 7) when they stepped in for Niall Horan during Knockout rehearsals. During the episode, Horan broke the news to his team that he wouldn't be present for rehearsals this round due to this tour schedule, but he enlisted the capable and talented country duo to temporarily coach the singers in his place.
Of course, this means Dan + Shay got the chance to team up with this year's Mega Mentor, Wynonna Judd.
Team Niall Rehearsals
The duo first got to chat a bit with Judd — sharing their respect for her — before launching into the rehearsals for Team Niall members Azan, Olivia Minogue and Nini Iris. Dan +Shay showcased their coaching acumen and they proved to make a good match with Judd. The duo told Azan — who sang Anita Baker — to open her eyes more, and they suggested Iris use more enunciation while singing Radiohead's "Karma Police."
Judd gave great advice as well, suggesting Minogue display more showmanship in her performance of Evanescence's "Bring Me to Life." Judd was especially floored by Iris' performance, humorously asking, "Are we still alive?" after the rendition. She then said, "I think I went to Heaven." Wynonna also mentioned that she sees a lot of herself in Iris.
Team Niall Performances
Niall Horan returned for the official Knockout performance on Tuesday night's episode, and he had a massive challenge on his hands when it came to choosing only one artist. Each performer displayed their unshakable star power during their performances. Horan even joked he's going to purposefully pick a few "bad singers" for his team next year to make his job easier. In the end, Iris stood out to Horan as the winner, and he chose her to move through.
"I chose Nini as the winner of the Knockout because she's super natural," Horan said. "The things that she can do with her voice no one else in this competition can do. I actually think that Nini could win this whole thing."
The Voice airs Monday and Tuesday nights on NBC.
