Meet Voice Finalist Jaelen Johnston
Voice finalist Jaelen Johnston collaborated with his coach, Kelsea Ballerini, for a cover of “Whiskey Lullaby” during the Season 27 finale.
During Johnston’s blind auditions, he performed “Where the Wild Things Are,” impressing all the judges with his deep voice and country twang.
The 21-year-old singer received a three-chair turnaround from Kelsea, Michael Bublé, and Adam Levine. John Legend was the only coach who did not turn around, knowing that Jalen would likely choose Kelsea, who has spent a decade in country music.
Kelsea highlighted her experience when trying to persuade him to join her team. While convincing Jaelen to pick her, she stated, “In all seriousness, I love all kinds of music, but I’m die-hard country. I’ve spent ten years putting out music in that genre, and your voice is unreal. And your range—you’re not just a singer, you’re an artist.”
She also inquired whether he was a songwriter, to which he said he was. Kelsea proposed that they could work together on his songwriting skills—a fantastic opportunity for a young artist to learn from a country superstar.
She added,“I really think leaning into your songwriting is going to be fun, and I want to see where that takes us. Exploring your full discography, what you listen to, and figuring out the full scope of who you are as an artist—that’s my bread and butter. I love it. I want to do it.”
Watch his blind audition below.
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Ultimately, Jaelen chose Kelsea Ballerini as his coach, remaining on her team until he reached the Top 20. He was eliminated after that, but Kelsea eventually chose him as her “Wildcard” singer to bring back for the live semi-finals.
From there, Jaelen earned enough votes to reach the top five. Jaelen was Kelsea’s only remaining contestant who competed in the grand finale, which aired on Tuesday, May 20th.
When asked about her competitive nature and her thoughts on the season, NBC shared that the country star said.
“I am competitive, That shifted now that we’re deeper into the season … The win really is knowing that these Artists are having these moments, and whether it’s the finale where they win and that’s attached to one of us, or it’s the Knockouts and they don’t make it past that but it’s an impactful moment on the show and for their career, that’s a win.”
Jaelen Johnston And Kelsea Ballerini Perform “Whiskey Lullaby”
When it came time to pick a song for their duet on the finale, Jaelen and Kelsea quickly agreed on “Whiskey Lullaby.”
Brad Paisley and Alison Krauss originally recorded the devastating duet. Often referred to as one of the saddest country songs ever made, “Whiskey Lullaby” tells the story of love, betrayal, heartbreak, and death.
The song reached the third spot on the Hot Country Songs chart and has since been certified 2x Platinum by the RIAA.
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Jaelen and Kelsea channeled feelings of pure heartache into their version of “Whiskey Lullaby.” They sang in front of a fireside setting, with Jaelen’s pure country voice opening the song.
He and Kelsea united in several moments, singing together in gentle harmony. It was a beautiful showcase of their friendship after weeks of working together on The Voice.
Watch Jaeleen Johnston and Kelsea Ballerini deliver their “Whiskey Lullaby” duet in the video below.