Although their musical styles are different, Voice contestants Jesse Larson and Taylor Alexander have more in common than you’d think. Both of them got only one chair to turn during their blind auditions, and in both cases that chair belonged to Adam Levine.
Levine saw something in Larson and Alexander that no one else did. In Larson, he saw his potential as a soulful singer and vocal powerhouse. With Alexander, he saw a talented country singer who looks like the reincarnation of Hank Williams.
Since their journey on The Voice had been so similar, Levine decided to pair up Larson and Alexander for the battles. After lots of hard work with Levine and his team advisor, John Legend, the two contestants were ready to fight for their spot on the show.
Larson and Alexander ended up singing a song that country fans know well. The song was Garth Brooks’ “Shameless,” which was a number one country hit in both the U.S. and Canada. But the song’s roots are actually in rock music. It turns out that it was originally written and recorded by Billy Joel, and Brooks’ version is a cover!
Knowing how popular “Shameless” was, Larson and Alexander were well-aware that they needed to bring their A-game to their battle. They did just that, leaving the coaches visibly impressed with their talent.
Once the battle ended, the coaches lavished praise on both of the singers. Blake Shelton told Levine that he would go with Alexander, while Gwen Stefani suggested he pick Larson. Alicia Keys remained neutral, but her comments made it seem like she was leaning toward Larson.
Levine certainly had a hard choice ahead of him, especially since he felt such a strong connection to both singers when he first saw them. “I believe I see something in you that no one else saw, so I never want that to end,” he said.
In the end, Levine decided to keep Larson on his team. Shelton had already used up his steal at that point, but if he hadn’t then we fully believe he would have brought Alexander into his team!
Go ahead and tune in below to watch the powerful battle between Larson and Alexander unfold. Do you think Levine made the right choice? Let us know in the comments!