Zach Bridges was a country music fan-favorite from the start of The Voice Season 17. He knew how to impress the show’s country-singing coach Blake Shelton, opting to sing his hit song “Ol’ Red” in the blind auditions.
Bridges landed on Shelton’s team after that performance.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpE8IGdpgV4
Following the blinds, Shelton paired Bridges with Cory Jackson in the battle round. The two kept it country for their performance, and sang Toby Keith‘s “Should’ve Been a Cowboy.”
John Legend told Shelton to choose Bridges, Gwen Stefani said her pick was Jackson, and Kelly Clarkson just kept saying how the pair needed to form a duo like Brooks & Dunn.
Shelton sided with Legend and chose Bridges as the winner, and he then moved on to the knockouts.
https://twitter.com/countrynewsn1/status/1187014932325453824
With the knockouts being the only thing between him and the live shows, Bridges knew he had to deliver a standout performance. So he turned to one of the most iconic songs in country music history…Garth Brooks‘ “The Dance.”
Released in 1990, “The Dance” was a #1 hit on the Hot Country Songs chart. The song’s success helped catapult Brooks’ career and made him the country superstar he is today.
Due to its popularity, “The Dance” has been covered on many competition shows in the past. Jimmy Rose sang it on AGT during the 2013 finals, and Red Marlow performed it on The Voice in 2017 as a member of the Top 11.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UD9wxD05R0s
With Brooks’ original version and all of those past successful covers in his mind, Bridges knew he had a lot to live up to with his knockout performance of “The Dance.”
He put forth a pleasing performance, one that perfectly showcased his rich tone and pure country sound. But in the end, Shelton thought that his knockout partner, Ricky Braddy, delivered a stronger performance. Braddy was named as the winner of the knockout, and Bridges was sent home.
Although Bridges’ time on The Voice has come to an end, he should feel proud. He delivered three outstanding performances while on the show, including his performance of “The Dance.”
You can watch him cover the song in the video below.