Country-pop duo Dan + Shay made a splash on season 25 as the occupants of the first-ever double chair on The Voice. The “Speechless” singers got off to a rocky start with some viewers. A handful of social media users even went so far as to accuse them of “ruining The Voice.” Perhaps they were still mourning the loss of two-time champ Niall Horan, who stepped away for season 25 to focus on touring. Either way, Dan + Shay have slowly won over hearts (and ears) during their coaching debut. Now, with the finale only a week away, the country-pop duo is leading the pack.
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Team Dan + Shay Have Three Semi-Finalists on ‘The Voice’
Tae Lewis found himself in the bottom four during the May 9 Live Rounds. Viewers had only five minutes to decide between Lewis, L. Rodgers, Nadège and Zoe Levert for the Instant Save. The 32-year-old gospel singer belted ‘The Church on Cumberland Road’ by Shenandoah, saving himself from elimination and securing his place in the Top 9.
Lewis’ victory gave Team Dan + Shay a distinct advantage heading into the Live Semi-Finals. The GRAMMY-winning duo is currently leading the pack with three singers still vying for the season 25 title. Lewis joins 22-year-old Madson Curbelo and country singer Karen Waldrup, 37.
“Team Dan + Shay. Three showed up tonight, three are moving on to the Top 9,” a jubilant Dan Smyers said in a video posted Monday (May 13) to the county-pop pair’s X/Twitter account. “Let’s go!”
“Tate, Karen, and Madison — what a squad,” added Smyers, 36.
His partner, Shay Mooney, is positively swelling with pride in the video. “I’m honestly so proud of each one of them,” said Mooney, 32. “They’ve worked so hard, and that hard work is paying off.”
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The comments section is a far cry from the beginning of season 25, when incensed viewers accused the pair of being “too over the top.” Now, one viewer declares they “only watched the show for you guys this year.”
Unfortunately for their newfound fans, Dan + Shay will not return to the double red chair for season 26. But even if they are one-and-done, that “one” just might be a championship.
Featured image by Terry Wyatt/Getty Images)
