Rounding out the final night of Playoffs of The Voice on Monday (May 8), coaches Niall Horan and Kelly Clarkson had to choose the final two contestants for their teams.
Videos by American Songwriter
“I’ve got two incredible young singers that are going to capture the hearts of the nation,” said Horan. “And I believe that the winner of ‘The Voice’ season 23 is on my team.”
At the end of the final round of Playoffs, Horan chose Gina Miles, 19, following her rendition of Chris Isaak’s 1989 hit “Wicked Game,” and 15-year-old Ryley Tate Wilson, who shared a riveting performance of Billie Eilish‘s 2019 hit “when the party’s over.”
In a pre-recorded interview before his performance, the Montgomery, Alabama, native, who is also the youngest contestant on this season of The Voice, revealed that he chose Eilish’s song because he related to the feelings of loneliness in the lyrics. He also linked it to his relationship with his siblings, who he said often feel distant from him.
Standing at center stage under the spotlight, Wilson allowed every verse of the woeful ballad to ring out. Quiet when I’m comin’ home and I’m on my own / I could lie, say I like it like that, like it like that sang Wilson, his voice echoing in the nearly pin-drop silent room. Backed only by a pianist, Wilson’s vocals were front and center and visibly captivated the coaches.
Following his performance, the teen received a standing ovation from all four coaches.
“Ryley Tate you are amazing,” said Chance the Rapper. “You surprise me every week. I don’t know how I forget that there’s a 15-year-old on the show that’s doing stuff like this, but I thought that was the greatest show of control out of all the performances today. I think it would be a shame if you didn’t move to the next round.”
Clarkson added, “You are so good,” while Blake Shelton interjected, “You have got to put Ryley through,” towards Horan.
Wilson’s coach only had praise for the young singer.
“I can see glimpses of myself in him,” said Horan. “But he has this maturity in him. He’s way beyond his years, and I definitely wasn’t like that when I was 15—put it that way.”
Horan added, “To think that Ryley is just 15 years old is mind-blowing to me. He’s an incredible talent. He is the future of our music industry.”
Below are the Top 8 Voice contestants moving on the Semi-Finals on Monday (May 15).
The final performances on The Voice will air on May 22, followed by the season finale on May 23.
Team Blake
- Grace West – “Love is Alive” by The Judds
- NOIVAS – “Come Together” by The Beatles
Team Kelly
- D. Smooth – “Location” by Khalid
- Holly Brand – “Bring On the Rain” by Jo Dee Messina
Team Chane
- Ray Uriel – “Essence” by Wizkid feat. Tems
- Sorelle – “Something’s Got A Hold On Me” by Etta James
Team Niall
- Gina Miles – “Wicked Game” by Chris Isaak
- Ryley Tate – “when the party’s over” by Billie Eilish
Photos: Tyler Golden / NBC
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