‘The Voice’ Season 28 Live Blog: The Battles Premiere (October 13, 2025)

Team Bublé’s Austin Gilbert and Rob Cole paired up for an incredible country Battle. As a nod to Voice legend Blake Shelton, Bublé had the guys perform his track, “Honey Bee.” The energetic performance earned praise all around, but the four coaches were split about who should be the winner. Bublé wound up going with “country super star” Cole, which left Gilbert vulnerable. McEntire was there to save the day, though, using her one-and-only Steal to add Gilbert to her team.

Snoop decided to have Kanard Thomas and Kenny Iko sing Joe’s “All the Things (Your Man Won’t Do)” in their Battle. The R&B match up was one to behold, but Snoop wound up selecting Iko as the winner, sending Iko packing.

Niall Horan decided to have Lewis Capaldi, one of his best friends, serve as his team’s advisor. First up, Revel Day and Dustin Dale Gaspard paired up to Battle with a duet of Hozier’s “Too Sweet.” While he praised both artists, Horan wound selecting Gaspard as the victor, stating, “We could potentially have a winner in Dustin.”

Much to Bublé’s dismay, two of his female powerhouses, both of whom turned four chairs in the Blind Audition, decided to Battle each other. For Jazz McKenzie’s Battle against Trinity, Bublé had them perform Jamiroquai’s “Virtual Insanity.”

All four coaches were left awe-struck by the performance. After Bublé selected McKenzie as the winner, all four coaches pressed their button to keep Trinity on the show. Though the other three coaches made a case for why Trinity should jump ship, she decided to stick it out with her original coach.

One year after her debut as a coach on The Voice, Kelsea Ballerini returned to the show, this time as an advisor for Michael Bublé’s team.

Team Reba’s Aaron Nichols and Daron Lameek decided to Battle each other. With that choice made for her, McEntire assigned them Elvin Bishop’s “Fooled Around and Fell in Love” to sing. While both men performed admirably, McEntire was so impressed with a high note that Nichols unexpectedly hit that she selected him as the winner. That choice sent Lameek home.

Snoop literally started crying at the idea of losing one of the women. While he chose Yoshihanaa as the winner of the Battle,  he wasn’t ready to say goodbye to Albertini. That was so true that Snoop opted to use his one save of the round to keep Albertini on his team and in the competition.

The first Battle of the season saw Team Snoop’s Yoshihanaa and Natalia Albertini face off. Snoop had the women sing Carole King’s “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” which was made famous by Aretha Franklin. During both their rehearsal and their live performance, Snoop was moved to tears. All four coaches praised the performance, and Snoop was left with a tough decision.

For the Battle Round, Snoop tapped Lizzo to serve as his team’s advisor.

“All these years of experience, just like the things I’ve learned, like learning how to sing, because I was a rapper! I studied music for years,” Lizzo said. “To be able to do this with his team, I trust your taste. This man, he’s a hit maker. This is what I do 24/7 in the studio, I just do it to myself.”

The Battles have arrived, but they won’t be the same as in years past. Snoop Dogg welcomed his team to the show by revealing that they’ll be picking their own Battle partners this season. Coaches will still select the song, but it’ll be up to contestants who they’re paired against.