The Voice welcomed seasoned country music artist Tae Lewis to the stage for the season 25 premiere, and he shared his heart-wrenching story as well as an amazing cover of Keith Urban’s “Somebody Like You.” He then had to make the tough decision between coaches John Legend and Reba McEntire, who fought a little dirty over him.
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First, Lewis introduced himself and how he got his start in upstate New York. He shared that he was trying to play at a popular bar, but was turned away because the organizers had never heard a Black country artist. Lewis teared up while telling his story, recalling the emotionally stressful time in his life.
That didn’t deter him from pursuing his dream, and soon the organizer of the Black Opry contacted him and asked him to join the artist collective.
For his audition on The Voice, he performed “Somebody Like You” by Keith Urban, citing the song’s message as something he has struggled with—loving yourself before you can love somebody. Lewis got up on the stage and used his full, raspy vocals to his advantage, getting a two-chair turn from John Legend and Reba McEntire.
McEntire was of course the natural choice for a country singer, but Lewis struggled to choose between McEntire and Legend. Hijinks ensued as Legend and McEntire attempted to bribe Lewis, with McEntire bringing out actual chicken tenders. Eventually, after a tough deliberation, Lewis went with Team Reba. He’ll have to compete against many other country artists on the Queen of Country’s team, but he definitely proved himself to be a strong and knowledgeable performer.
[RELATED: LIVE: ‘The Voice’ Premiere — Reactions, Results, and Recap from Season 25, Episode 1]
Featured Image by Tyler Golden/NBC
