Snoop Dogg learns new tricks as he gazumps other judges on 'The Voice'
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Nearly every Battle on 'The Voice' has some commentary about how difficult it is for the Coaches to select a winner. Along with building strong relationships with their singers, the Coaches have likely trained them to perform at their best, leading to tight contests where choosing a winner becomes truly challenging.
Thankfully, that’s where the Steal button comes in—and Snoop Dogg used it strategically to secure one of the season’s strongest vocalists during the final Battle of the Tuesday, October 29 episode.
Sofronio Vasquez and Aliyah Khaylyn gave 'The Voice' Season 26 rookie coach Michael Buble a run for his money
Coach Michael Bublé paired Sofronio Vasquez and Aliyah Khaylyn—two of the season's most powerful and soulful vocalists—for his final Battle of the Week, assigning them Celine Dion's iconic hit, 'The Power of Love.' As expected, both vocalists were outstanding, leaving the Coaches speechless and giving Michael a battle that was evenly matched.
Reba McEntire offered her compliments, even going so far as to say that the Battle was the episode's high point. Naturally, Michael had to make the choice, and it was a difficult one.
Sofronio Vasquez and Aliyah Khaylyn put up one of the best 'The Voice' Season 26 Battles performance
Micahel grouped the formidable artists, knowing that they would not be departing, after introducing them as two of the biggest vocalists in the competition. With a powerful power ballad 'The Power of Love' by Celine Dion, the Canadian crooner once again paid tribute to his home country. This song is a real talent test. Although no one can sing like Celine Dion, they can showcase their instrument's hues via the song.
Aliyah has a natural command of the music, delivering her performance with authentic emotion. Michael compared Sofronio to Bruno Mars because he was not scared to riff and run. He offered Sofronio valuable advice, saying, "Just because you can, doesn't mean you should."
This would be among, if not the finest, Battle Round performances this season if we were to rate them. Both Aliyah and Sofronio shine in their solo moments, but when they come together, their harmonies are nothing short of ethereal. Although Aliyah's pitch was not as flawless as Sofronio's, her commitment as a performer is impressive. Sofronio will be staying on Michael’s team, marking yet another victory for Filipino talent!
'The Voice' Season 26 coach Snoop Dogg ships Sofronio Vasquez and Aliyah Khaylyn
When Sofronio won the battle, Aliyah thanked Michael, and for a brief moment, it seemed that her journey had come to an end. However, Snoop pressed his Steal button as Aliyah was about to exit the stage, keeping both singers in the running.
Snoop moted, "Aliyah, she was able to stand in there with Sofronio, bar for bar, note for note," about his choice. "She was holding her own, so I felt like she deserved to be with my team, because I can give her exactly what she needs." We wish we could say that this battle moved us deeply, but it didn't. While both competitors were technically excellent, their performances failed to evoke any strong emotions.
Snoop didn't agree. As he watched, he thought the two were destined to be together "at dinner somewhere in Paris." In any case, if we were in Michael's shoes, we would have also chosen Sofronio due to his apparent wider range compared to Aliyah's.
'The Voice' Season 26 airs on Mondays at 8 PM ET and Tuesdays at 9 PM ET on NBC in the US. All episodes are available to stream on Peacock.
