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'BORING': Team Reba's Zeya Rae and William Alexander deliver 'horrible' Battle Round in 'The Voice' Season 25

Zeya Rae's voice was able to break through the song more effortlessly than William Alexander's, and when the big notes came, they were just larger

UNIVERSAL CITY, CALIFORNIA: Zeya Rae and William Alexander competed for a position on Team Reba with 'Just Give Me A Reason' during the second round of Battles on 'The Voice' Season 25. Fans say that although, though only one person was eliminated from this Battle, both deserved to be.

P!nk and Nate Ruess' duet was arguably too wide-ranging to begin with for Reba McEntire's two "sweet, soft-voiced" vocalists, so this wasn't exactly a Battle for the ages. However, Zeya got closer to nailing it than lovable William.

Her voice cut through the music better than his, and when it came to the big notes, hers were just larger. John Legend described her performance as "flawless." Even though the coaches had a clear winner, fans on X felt different, "My God, that was awful," as one tweet read. Another person chimed in, "I’m not fond of either of them, but I guess….."

One user also wrote, "This pink song battle is horrible." Another sighed, "That was not the best battle BUT I think Zeya won." 

Speaking of William, one user wrote, "Idk what chance is hearing but it isn’t top tier." One criticism also read, "They’ve gotta go into making sure that they get a piece of the limelight. Otherwise, I agree, they are toast!" 

One viewer wondered after the Battle, "I’m curious if some of the coaches regret hitting their button so fast to turn their chair." "That performance was boring as fuck," added another. 

Why did Reba McEntire choose Zeya Rae over William Alexander on 'The Voice' Season 25?

Reba launched her own war, which featured a new duet of 'Just Give Me a Reason' by William and Zeya. Reba highlighted throughout rehearsals that they needed to "hone in on the audience" since emotion is the most important component of a great performance.

She enjoyed it much more when they turned into each other to sing. Chance the Rapper commented that he would have stolen William if he still had one to use, but he also praised Zeya.

Shay Mooney believed William could "open up more vocally" due to his age, while Dan Smyers thought the song was more in Zeya's range. John felt that William was "trying to find [his] way around the melody" and appreciated his selections, but Zeya delivered the "flawless" rendition. Reba felt they were both "incredible," but she chose Zeya because of the "maturity and warmth" in her voice.

Who is William Alexander on 'The Voice' Season 25?

Despite his lack of fluency in Malayalam, William, a first-generation Indian American, was introduced to music through Indian tunes. His father fostered William's singing abilities.

Winning first place in a religious talent event increased his confidence. With his parents' support, William auditioned for Kidz Bop and was given the opportunity to record songs, appear in a music video, and play at prestigious locations such as the Apollo Theater.

Since his parents value academics, William excels in difficult AP classes, notably mathematics, while keeping music as his primary career goal and academics as a backup plan.

Who is Zeya Rae on 'The Voice' Season 25?

Zeya is from a family of gifted vocalists who have never pursued professional careers. Everyone in her family enjoys music and regularly gets together to sing and play instruments.

Zeya's favorite memories are singing Alicia Keys songs with her mother. At the age of 11, she chose to pursue her ambition of becoming a professional pianist.

She played on a variety of occasions and garnered popularity, with the local radio station contacting her about gigs. Zeya opted to become a medical assistant after becoming dissatisfied with her singing career.

She enjoyed working there, but she missed music and longed for a more flexible career. Zeya obtained a job as a nanny for two different households. She thought it was a wonderful fit because she grew up supporting her eight siblings.

'The Voice' Season 25 airs on NBC at 8 pm on Mondays and 9 pm ET on Tuesdays. The episodes will be available on Peacock on demand the next day. The streaming site also includes entire episodes from the show's prior seasons.