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'The Voice' fans slam Reba McEntire for saving 'coachable and country' singer Ashley Bryant over Elyscia Jefferson

Reba McEntire lambasted as 'The Voice' Season 25 coach saved Ashley Bryant and sent Elyscia Jefferson home

UNIVERSAL CITY, CALIFORNIA: Elyscia Jefferson and Ashley Bryant competed for a position on Team Reba in the last leg of 'The Voice' Season 25 Battle Round. However, Reba McEntire's decision following the Battles has enraged the country singer's fans.

Reba gave Beyoncé's 'If I Were A Boy' to Elyscia and Ashley's Battle Round. Ashley was shaky on her first note.

Elyscia was already winning, but it was entirely because of the music. Ashley seemed to be struggling with it.

It was directly inside Elyscia's wheelhouse.

Chance the Rapper stated it was "fire," they performed the song properly, Ashley shocked him, and Elyscia emanated star quality. Dan + Shay stated that Ashley demonstrated another side of her voice, while Elyscia's control is among the best in the competition.

John Legend praised Elyscia's artistic choices and Ashley's powerful vocals. Reba said Ashley soared beyond the low note, and Elyscia did an excellent job.

Ashley advanced to the Knockouts for Team Reba. "She can sing anything," Reba stated of the contender.

Ashley claims she will "prove" herself as a rural girl to Reba. Elyscia was sent home.

Enraged with Reba's pick, viewers took to X to slam the Country coach, "Elyscia slayed that song. But, of course, meemaw goes with the country singer." While another chimed in, "Nooooooooooo Reba!!! Lord Lord Lord. smh."

One fan pointed out, " Elyscia was good but @reba chose Ashley because she's a country singer. Remember both @reba and @DanAndShay prefer country singers over pop/Latin music. Seen before with @blakeshelton seasons 1-23 or Shakira S4 & 6." A fourth user asked, "REBA ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!????????"

Some fans asked, "What is Reba thinking?!? Rookie mistake." Another added, "I don’t know about that decision, Reba … Maybe it’s because Ashley is coachable and country." 

One viewer wrote, "I am not getting or understanding her picks this season. Sorry." Another enraged fan asked, "It's ABSURD not to pick Elyscia!!!! WTAF Reba!!!?!"

'The Voice' Season 25 coach Reba McEntire claims she 'came from a man's world'

The legendary coach Reba said she loves the Beyoncé song and can identify with it because she "came from a man's world" when her career began in the 1970s. "Demanding respect is a huge part of it," Reba added.

"Know that God gave me this gift. God gave me this body. And I'll respect it."

Who is Elyscia Jefferson on 'The Voice' Season 25?

Elyscia was raised in a music-filled family, due to her father, who had a music studio in the basement. Elyscia joined the family band Sound Connection at the age of 17 and has since performed at weddings and business events.

Elyscia currently makes a livelihood from gigging, but she also writes jingles for huge corporations and advertising. One of her jingles was also included in a commercial for the well-known sports company Champion.

In addition to her father influencing her musical tastes, her mother, a professional makeup artist and proud owner of the Faith Girl beauty company, serves as her stylist for all of her gigs.

Who is Ashley Bryant on 'The Voice' Season 25?

Ashley's life altered dramatically in 2019 when she was involved in a catastrophic car accident, which left her with hearing loss in her right ear. Despite the difficulties, she persisted and relearned to sing with restricted hearing.

Ashley's singing ability was previously unknown until she wowed everyone with a performance at a high school ceremony. She went on to seek a profession in dentistry while honing her singing abilities through karaoke, participating in contests almost every weekend.

After deciding to shift careers, she earned her esthetician certification and now does gigs on weekends rather than karaoke nights.

'The Voice' Season 25 airs on NBC at 8 pm on Mondays and 9 pm 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.