The Knockouts are here! The Voice Season 26 has been filled with some incredibly difficult decisions, and three-way Knockouts are not going to be any different. Two Mega Mentors, Jennifer Hudson and Sting, are joining the quartet of coaches this season. The Grammy winner will be joining Team Gwen Stefani and Team Snoop Dogg, while the EGOT winner joins Team Reba McEntire and Team Michael Bublé.

With a spot in the Playoffs on the line, the coaches are revving up to solidify the perfect team that will take them to the finish line. With steals and saves still in play, no artist will leave the building until host Carson Daly dismisses them. They will just have to work harder than ever to maintain their spot on The Voice Season 26. While the artists know what they must do to stay, leave it to one rookie coach to play a brilliant game behind the scenes.

Snoop Plays a Strategic Game

Team Snoop kicks off the night as Sting joins him. They discuss Sting’s past as a school teacher as he hopes he can bring that enthusiasm to his team. The “Double S” is in the building, and like Martha Stewart and Snoop Dogg, it’s another combination that you likely did not have on your bingo card. If you enjoy their chemistry here, Sting will be a featured artist on the D-O-Double G’s upcoming album. For his first Knockout as a coach, Snoop lines up three incredibly different artists for the single spot. It’s Austyns Stancil, who Snoop previously stole, against Christina Eagle and Jake Tankersley. Snoop believes these three artists project emotion and wants the audience to feel something when they hear them sing.

In hopes of staying on Team Snoop, Austyns Stancil gets quite emotional with “Dance With My Father” by Luther Vandross. The song’s pairing with the one-year anniversary of his father’s death makes Stancil’s connection to the song devastatingly beautiful. It brought Snoop to tears as he thought about his own mother. His pristine projection captures the heart of the lyrics as he makes it personal to his journey. Vocally, it was quite straightforward, relying on the emotional connection rather than his vocal prowess. Christina Eagle selects a near-perfect song in Maren Morris’ “My Church.” Christina Eagle captures the essence of the song while still bringing her soul into the song. Her slides into certain words brings new life to the track. In the coaching session, Snoop was on his feet. Once again, she makes him stand with her performance. She takes the entire room to church and proves that she has legs as a country artist. Her stage presence was leaps and bounds above her competitors. For Jake Tankersley’s performance, he selects “Going, Going Gone” by Luke Combs. He brings out new elements into the track, but it stays inside the constraints of modern country music. Tankersley’s performance makes him fade into the background. It is an incredibly safe performance. Tankersley has the ability to translate to country music, but he lacks the spark of originality. The easy decision would be to select the promising future of Christina Eagle. Even with three sets of strong feedback from his fellow coaches, Snoop goes with his heart as he selects Austyns Stancil as his winner.

Before Christina Eagle could even say goodbye, not only does Snoop slam down his save button, but the other three coaches utilize their one and only steal, hoping to keep this country queen alive. Snoop was her only chair turn during the Blinds. She receives four chairs in the Knockouts. Eagle decides to remain on Team Snoop. But wait, there’s more! Jake Tankersley is not done yet. Both Reba and Gwen slam their steal button, keeping Jake Tankersley in the game. He opts to join Team Gwen. This major move proves that Snoop’s decision was more strategic because he knows that Stancil would not have been stolen by the other coaches. Snoop may have had three artists pit against one another, but he was magically able to keep all three in the competition. They have just now switched locations.

Reba Makes the Right Move

The last time Jennifer Hudson was a coach on The Voice was during Season 15. She’s back! Now with some new hardware on her mantle. The former American Idol contestant has come a long way since she made her television debut nearly two decades ago. Serving as one of the season’s Mega Mentors is brilliant. To kick off her season’s knockouts, Reba McEntire has Adam Bohanan and Jaukeem Fortson go against her stolen singer Cassidy Lee.

Adam Bohanan decides to sing “Colors” by Black Pumas, causing a guttural reaction from Jennifer Hudson. He wants to celebrate the diversity in Black culture. Hudson is immediately connected to Bohanan and his rendition. He discusses a major factor in his decision to sing the song is his own connection to colorism, being a half-Black, half-white Jewish man. Bohanan is using his platform to celebrate being accepted. His edge and grit in the texture of the song allow Bohanan to present his strongest performance to date. Cassidy Lee was hoping to give people something to talk about with her version of “Love Me Like a Man” by Bonnie Raitt. It’s an incredibly risky performance, but she lacks the storytelling and presence in the song. She doesn’t allow herself to let loose and have fun. She does not push herself to the levels her counterparts go. This comes down to poor song choice. Having a recent birthday, at only fourteen years old, Jaukeem Fortson is the gimmick pick of the season. He is endearing as a reality television character, but he does represent the show’s mission of being “the voice.” His rendition of “God Only Knows” by For KING + COUNTRY is ambitious. He says he connects to the song through his life experience, but there is so much more time before Jaukeem Fortson is ready to be a fully realized artist.

Going from a bar to a club to a church, Reba’s three artists take the coaches on a journey. In the end, Reba McEntire selects Adam Bohanan as her winner. While it is the end of the road for Cassidy Lee, it’s not for Jaukeem Fortson. Michael Bublé opts to add the youngster to his roster. It’s a risky move, but in a game where the audience will eventually be voting, expect Fortson to have the chance to continue floating to the finale.

A Team Gwen Singer Departs Early

Gwen Stefani is a massive fan of Sting and is eager to use his strengths to aid her singers. And don’t worry—The Voice does include a photo of Gwen Stefani, with a mullet, receiving an autograph from Sting when she was in 8th grade. For her first Knockout, Gwen pits Camryn Brooks against Jose Luis and Deon Jones, whom she previously stole from Reba.

Camryn Brooks opts to honor her mom with one of her favorite songs, “Glitter in the Air” by Pink. While Brooks does not entertain with any circus tricks, Brooks brings vocal gymnastics to the track. Brooks allows her heart to sing as a strong storyteller. While she does look like a glamorized version of Kim Possible, her performance shows why she is on the show. It just is not to keep her. It is too melodic of a song to be a shining moment. While it is an incredible song, Deon Jones decides to sing a major Tina Turner anthem for his Knockout performance. “Nutbush City Limits” may not be the song one might think would be ripe for this occasion, but Jones’ ability to rail gives him the opportunity to show his stage presence. During his coaching session, Jones shares his experience of being shot with a rubber bullet that broke his entire face. He brings joy through the song as he is not wasting this opportunity to entertain. His performance prowess is easily the best of the night. In his coaching session, Sting advises he rip away his constricting jacket. He does it on stage, allowing him a fantastic moment. Jose Luis shares he went through heartbreak when “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait For Your Love)” came out. He hopes to bring that emotional vulnerability into the Ariana Grande track that will allow him to stay in the game. He soars vocally with a beautiful tone, but he holds back as it becomes an internal performance at first. When he sets himself free, it’s a convincing performance that proves his potential as an artist.

With a tough decision in front of her, Gwen Stefani selects Jose Luis as her winner. In the last two rounds, artists were stolen or saved. Would this trend continue? Unfortunately for Deon Jones and Camryn Brooks, neither of them was given another shot. While Brooks’ failure to earn a button is not shocking, Jones’ is. Stage presence is half the battle, but with similar artists like him left in the competition, perhaps this is why he was held back from continuing on. No matter what happens next, the first night of Knockouts was just that. The competition is heating up, and the winner could easily come from this group of artists.

Related Snoop Dogg Breathes New Life Into ‘The Voice’ Season 26 It’s the D.O. Double G.

Michael Bublé Keeps His Team Intact

For Team Bublé, he presents the first head-to-head Knockout of the night. It’s Sloane Simon, who Bublé stole from Gwen Stefani, against Cameron Wright. Both artists have already proven they are brilliant singers who both have star potential. Wright and Simon offer two drastically different performances. Making a decision is almost like comparing apples to oranges. This Knockout comes down to taste and a moment.

Cameron Wright knows who they are as an artist. They have already showcased an immense ability to shatter the roof off of the building. In their performance of Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell’s “You’re All I Need To Get By,” Wright displays a career-ready performance. It’s a performance that engages Jennifer Hudson as they celebrate queer love. It’s a classic track brought to today. Cameron Wright continues to prove they are one of the standouts of the season. There is a freshness and lightness when Sloane Simon hits the stage. Even dealing with darkness, Simon brings hope through her performance. She has a subtly when performing “Can’t Catch Me Now” by Olivia Rodrigo, and yet, she captivates. It’s not a giant vocal performance, but Simon displays who she would be as a recording artist in today’s climate. Easily the hardest decision of the night, Michael Bublé selects Cameron Wright as the winner. Having previously been stolen, Sloane’s time on Team Bublé is not over yet, as he utilizes his save on her.

The Voice airs Mondays and Tuesdays at 8:00 p.m. on NBC. All episodes are available to stream on Peacock.

The rookies bring strategy to ‘The Voice’ProsSnoop Dogg played a brilliantly strategic game.The Coaches are button happy, allowing excellent performers to remain.The contestants are right at home with their own song choices.

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