Dressed in head-to-toe black, topped in a black wide-brimmed hat and opaque shades, a dark silhouette shared a brooding rendition of Bobbie Gentry‘s 1970 classic “Fancy.” A bold choice, Jordan Rainer chose the signature song of new coach Reba McEntire to open the season 24 Blind Auditions of The Voice on Monday (September 25) and was rewarded with the first four-chair turn.
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A woman of mystery, the 33-year-old Atoka, Oklahoma native captured the attention of McEntire, who was the first to hit her red button, followed by coaches Gwen Stefani, John Legend, and Niall Horan, who all vied to get her on their team.
Legend kicked off a line of praise for the shadowy performer. “I heard an exceptional vocalist on this stage,” said Legend. “Any of us would be lucky to work with you.” Legend also asked the Nashville, Tennessee-based singer why she chose that particular McEntire song. “Because it’s the best,” said Rainer.
She added, “It was written by a strong woman, it was made famous by a strong woman, and it represents lyrically what women do to survive. And I’m a woman who has done what I’ve had to do to survive, so I feel that song in every bone in my body.”
When originally released by Gentry in 1970, “Fancy” reached the Top 40 of the Billboard Country chart (at No. 26) and Hot 100 (No. 31). McEntire’s ’91 cover peaked at No. 8 on the Country chart.
Stefani added, “This is really difficult. The queen [McEntire] is here. You sang her song, and I’m Gwen Stefani doing ska music from Anaheim, California.” She confessed that though she’s new to country music, she got deeper into the genre after meeting her husband, and former Voice coach, Blake Shelton eight years ago.
“It’s really about how I can get you to grow and compete with everybody else on the show,” added Stefani, who hinted that she could call on Shelton to advise on future song choices.
“Oh, pulling that card,” said McEntire. “Is that fair? I’m going to call Keith Urban.”
[RELATED: The Meaning Behind the Song Lyrics: “Fancy” by Bobbie Gentry]
Horan offered more praise for the singer, who released her debut EP, Revolver, in 2023, along with several original singles, including “Better Liar,” “Straight Shot,” and “Painted Horses.”
“When we turned, it all matched up,” said Horan, “the energy in your vocals to the energy in the performance to the sunglasses and the hat.”
Rainer joked that she wore the glasses because it bothered her mother. “Being Irish there’s an element of our music that really feeds into country music,” added Horan, “a lot of folk, a lot of finger-picked stuff. I have definitely fallen in love with country music, and you are a country star.”
The last coach to speak to Rainer, McEntire asked her when she last returned to Atoka. The singer revealed that she recently performed at McEntire’s restaurant and bar Reba’s Place. McEntire then asked her how long she’s been living in Nashville.
“I moved to Nashville eight years ago with a husband and a wiener dog,” said Rainer. “I still have the wiener dog.”
In the end, Rainer joined Team Reba.
The Voice Blind Auditions will continue to air each Monday and Tuesday on NBC and stream on Peacock.
Main Photo: Greg Gayne/NBC
