Riley Green Duets ‘My Way’ With “The Voice” Contestant After Teenager Nails His First-Ever Performance

Riley Green is pulling out all the stops on The Voice. The country star made his coaching debut on the show’s season 30 premiere, and worked hard to land 19-year-old country artist Joe Henley on his team.

“Country music is back on The Voice in a big way. Riley Green is here. I love him to death,” Henley told the cameras ahead of his audition. “Hopefully I could get more than one to turn. I would love to see new blood Riley Green and Kelly Clarkson go at it.”

Henley, who grew up singing in church and with a focus on classic country, went on to wow the coaches with a performance of Travis Tritt’s “Anymore.”

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In fact, he got exactly what he wanted, with both Green and Clarkson turning their chair for him, despite his audition being his first-ever gig.

“That’s my boy right there,” Green said with a grin after Henley’s time on stage. “… Let’s just talk like it’s me and you here.”

“I think it is,” Clarkson joked. “He was singing it to you! Quit looking at him!”

“It’s his eyes. I can’t help it,” Henley replied.

Clarkson tried to draw Henley’s focus away from Green by standing in front of him and donning a cowboy hat as she gave her best pitch.

“I have won this show, man, with country singers. Plural!” she said. “Where do you think all the country singers are gonna go? Riley Green! Wouldn’t it be incredible to be the only country superstar on my team.”

Riley Green Duets With a Contestant on The Voice

With Clarkson done, Green took back the attention by asking about Henley’s favorite artists. The 19-year-old named artists including Keith Whitely, Don Williams, and George Strait, but didn’t name drop Green, a fact the coach went on to question.

“I didn’t get to my number one,” Henley replied.

Green was delighted to hear that, and, upon learning that “My Way” was Henley’s favorite song, the country star hopped onto the stage to sing it with him.

After the impromptu performance, Adam Levine chimed in to joke, “As we all sit here with bated breath, wondering, ‘What’s he gonna do?’ Who do you pick as your coach?”

“I love you Ms. Kelly, so much, I promise, but I’m gonna go with Mr. Riley Green,” Henley answered.

The news thrilled Green, who went on to tell the cameras that his Voice journey is already “more fun than I even thought.”

“Kelly’s coming after my country guys,” Green said. “My strategy is to get as many country artists as I can. I want to get all of them, because I think there’s a great chance of a country music artist winning this whole show.”

Clarkson agreed, telling Green, “He could win you The Voice. He didn’t even look at me. He was locking eyes [with Riley], like didn’t even see me. It was like junior high all over again.”

The Voice will continue its premiere week with new episodes set to air Tuesday and Wednesday on NBC.

Photo by Trae Patton/NBC