Paramore‘s “All I Wanted” isn’t the easiest song to tackle. One contestant from The Voice, Elizabeth Evans, decided to use the 2009 release as her Blind Audition song on Monday night (October 9). It was a bold choice, but it paid off to the tune of two celebrity coaches turning around for her: Reba McEntire and John Legend.
Videos by American Songwriter
Like Hayley Williams’ original rendition, Evans kicked off the song with soft vocals. Think of me when you’re out, when you’re out there / I’ll beg you nice from my knees, she sang, instantly prompting a chair turn from Legend. McEntire followed suit.
[RELATED: Top 10 Songs From Paramore That You Should Revisit]
By the time the powerful chorus came around, Evans had both coaches on the edge of their seats. Most of Paramore’s catalog has Williams belting out impossibly high notes, but “All I Wanted” is arguably her most impressive effort. Evans made a strong showing, going for gold with the final high note in the chorus.
“Man, I was so surprised when I turned around,” McEntire told Evans. “This big voice comes out of a little thing like you. You’ve got such a powerful voice. I turned for you because I would love to be your coach. I think we could have a lot of fun together.”
Fellow coach Niall Horan then explained why he didn’t turn for Evans. He said that in this stage of the competition he had to be “100 percent” sure he could be her coach. “But, you’re no doubt in good hands with either the Queen or that guy on the end there…”
“I heard the beginning and I was like ‘Oh, cool voice,'” Legend added. “Then when you went to that big scoop and went into that big note, I was like ‘Okay I want Elizabeth on my team.’
“Sometimes people get flustered, but with good coaching I can make sure that doesn’t happen again,” Legend continued. “I would love to be your coach because I really think I can help you think about the right songs. We could have so much fun together.”
Legend’s pitch was enough to sway Evans to his side. Check out her full performance, below.
Photo by: Greg Gayne/NBC
