The Knockout rounds continued on Monday night’s (April 24) episode of The Voice and hopeful Ross Clayton was in a fighting mood.
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The 33-year-old Oklahoma native of Team Niall delivered a mesmerizing performance of Steely Dan’s “Dirty Work,” punching up the tune with soul-fired vocals. It was an overall impressive interpretation that showed off the singer’s confidence, stage presence, and show-stopping range.
The all-star coaches – Blake Shelton, Niall Horan, Chance the Rapper, and Kelly Clarkson with celebrity mentor Reba McEntire – bobbed along to the display as the crowd cheered and sang along.
Clayton was pitted against fellow teammate Jerome Godwin III, who took on Lewis Capaldi’s hit “Someone You Loved.”
Following their performances, the coaches weighed in with Chance, Kelly, and Blake all leaning toward Clayton’s “Dirty Work” performance. The decision, however, was up to the pair’s coach.
“Jerome, I thought you really put everything into it,” Niall said, but then called Clayton’s showcase “unbelievable.” Ultimately, he chose the latter to continue on in the competition, giving Clayton a shot at the Playoffs. Check out his performance below.
Clayton has been one to watch from the beginning when he started his own battle during his blind auditions. Sparking the coveted four-chair-turn with his rendition of Keith Urban‘s “Blue Ain’t Your Color,” the singer forced the four coaches to duke it out for his decision.
Niall even took to begging, pulling out the theatrics to sway his decision. “I need to pitch you properly,” he told Clayton, pressing the chair buttons of the coaches so they would turn around and face the audience.
“Your voice is absolutely incredible,” Niall said. “You have that country tone to your voice, but to me, I was hearing so much soul.”
The former One Direction member also related to Clayton by sharing his own success on The X Factor in 2010. “I’m telling you please, please,” Horan said dropping to one knee. “Forget about whatever any of them said. That’s why I spun them around. I didn’t want to hear any more crap.”
The groveling proved successful and Team Niall gained a star.
Photo by Tyler Golden/NBC
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