‘The Voice’ may have found its winner in week 4, but not everyone agrees
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: In week four of 'The Voice' Season 26, one performance got the coaches debating whether Gabrielle Zabosky could be this season's winner. Although she turned four chairs with her performance of "Mr Know It All," the reactions of the judges became very mixed between excitement and skepticism.
Reba McEntire called Gabrielle "adorbs" but showed a little hint that she needed refining. She acknowledged the talent but suggested that Gabrielle might need guidance to harness it effectively. Snoop Dogg was frustrated because he said Reba had blocked him, adding that he knew Gabrielle had great potential though he felt he'd been pushed to the side. He made his admiration for her talent clear, even as he sounded disappointed not to be coaching her. Gwen Stefani, who eventually filled the position and recruited Gabrielle into her team, called her a "diamond in the rough." She did say that she wanted to help Gabrielle hone her talent a bit more, meaning that there was more to find out in her singing.
Michael Bublé even managed to lighten it up when he referred to Titanic, suggesting that though Gabrielle's performance may have defects, he appreciated the charm in it. Although Gabrielle's four-chair turn might indicate that she is a front-runner, the quick judgments by the coaches that she is a potential winner may be well and truly premature. First, there is inconsistency in her performance. Although she was energetic on stage, her vocal performance was noted for being pitchy and overly dramatic, particularly during the high notes. Coaches typically prefer vocal quality to be the clear indicator of talent, and hers did not quite meet those expectations. What's more, Gabrielle's enthusiasm—while generally a positive trait—worked against her in terms of vocal inconsistency.
The judges all knew this but suddenly felt like overlooking the areas of needed improvement after being so excited about her audition. Finally, there is a belief that Gabrielle is a "diamond in the rough," which means she holds a lot of potential, but sometimes potential alone is just not enough to flourish in the cutthroat environment of 'The Voice'. The judges may want to see consistency before saying that she is a serious contender for the crown. This season, Gabrielle will need to fine-tune her skills and show that she can consistently deliver at a high level beyond the hype surrounding her Blind Audition performance.
Which team did Gabrielle Zabosky choose?
Gabrielle Zabosky joined Team Gwen Stefani on 'The Voice'. In her blind audition, she managed to get all four coaches—Gwen, Reba McEntire, Snoop Dogg, and Michael Bublé—to turn their chairs for her, which is an impressive achievement in the competition. After she finished her performance of "Mr Know It All," the coaches made sure to praise her talent while also pointing out areas that could be improved. Gwen Stefani was particularly excited about Gabrielle; she described her as a "diamond in the rough" and was enthusiastic about helping to refine her skills.
She iterated that she could mentor her in striking the right balance in her performances and bringing out the fullest potential in her. By choosing Team Gwen, Gabrielle had shown that she identified with Gwen's coaching style and vision for her as an artist.
How many spots are left in Team Gwen Stefani?
With 9 spots taken out of 14, Team Gwen has another 5 spots to fill. In 'The Voice', each team is allowed to have a total of 14 contestants. As the competition goes on, Gwen will start filling up those remaining spots with great artists. Since the Blind Auditions aren't over yet, she will still get a chance to pick more singers who amaze her with their performances.
In this way, she will have a strong team that can hold its own in later rounds of competition, including the Battle Rounds and the Knockouts. As of now, Gwen has Austyns Stancil, Felsmere, Frankie Torres, Gabrielle Zabosky, Jan Dan, Jaylen Dunham, Rowdy Shea, Sloane Simon, and Sydney Sterlace in her team.
‘The Voice’ Season 26 premieres on Mondays at 8 pm ET on NBC
