'The Voice' Season 25 fans disappointed with trio Josh Sanders, Karen Waldrup and Tae Lewis' 'over produced' semifinals act
UNIVERSAL CITY, CALIFORNIA: In the latest episode of 'The Voice' Season 25, which marked the beginning of the semi-finals, 9 talented contestants battled it out for a chance to secure a spot in the highly anticipated finale.
Each of the nine semifinalists took the stage to perform a solo song, as well as participate in a trio performance alongside two of their fellow competitors on Monday night's episode. The stakes were high as the contestants gave it their all in hopes of impressing the coaches and ultimately advancing to the next round of the competition.
During the trio performance, Josh Sanders, Karen Waldrup, and Tae Lewis collaborated to deliver a heartfelt rendition of Bob Dylan's classic tune, 'Forever Young', in honor of the upcoming film 'If.'
As the song started, Karen momentarily stumbled over the lyrics, causing a brief pause in the performance, but she quickly regained her composure and continued with a smile on her face.
Unfortunately, the trio did not manage to capture the audience's attention and leave a lasting impression with their semifinal performance.
An X user said, "All so over produced !! It’s about the singers and the journey not a kid and the cold play bear. Or the green bill with the back of her head in the middle Worst semi final production ever!"
All so over produced !! It’s about the singers and the journey not a kid and the cold play bear. Or the green bill with the back of her head in the middle 🤣 Worst semi final production ever!
— Jeffrey Berlant (@jeffberlant) May 14, 2024
Another user chimed in, "The trio performances were the worst part of tonight." A third user wrote, "This has been a terrible show so far."
Who is Josh Sanders on 'The Voice' Season 25?
Josh Sanders is a devoted father, talented musician, and respected spiritual leader who serves as the senior pastor of Living Grace Church in Kannapolis, North Carolina. He has competed in singing contests, including 'American Idol,' where he has impressed judges and audiences with his musical abilities and commitment to his craft.
He won his first competition in 2012 during Season 11, impressing the judges with his exceptional talent. He proved his skills again in Season 14 in 2015, establishing himself as a prominent figure in the music industry.
Josh made a standout television appearance in the eleventh season of the show, singing Elvis Presley's 'Burning Love' with a group of talented performers, including Caleb Johnson who eventually won Season 13.
In two seasons, Josh made it to the final stages of Hollywood Week, but he was eliminated before reaching the live shows both times.
Josh auditioned for Idol at 23 while also being the lead vocalist for Preacher Stone, a southern rock band. At his second audition, he was still involved in secular music and working as the music director at Mission Baptist Church in Locust, North Carolina.
Who is Karen Waldrup on 'The Voice' Season 25?
Karen Waldrup, a singer who rose to fame on 'The Voice' Season 25, has been performing for over a decade and recently gained popularity on social media with her rendition of a Lee Ann Womack song.
She moved to Nashville to pursue her singing career and looks up to country music legend Reba. Karen has released multiple albums and EPs, with one of her songs reaching over 500,000 streams on Spotify. She hopes that her appearance on 'The Voice' will help take her career to the next level.
The song 'Normandy' from Karen's 2023 album has a unique story behind it. She worked with D-Day veteran Jim Martin on the song after being asked to perform on his 100th birthday. Karen later sang the song for him on his 101st birthday. Sadly, he passed away shortly after the album was released, but Karen honored him by singing the song at his funeral.
Who is Tae Lewis on 'The Voice' Season 25?
Tae Lewis, a 31-year-old country singer from North Carolina, has worked with several 'American Idol' contestants on his music. He has released nine songs since 2019 and a five-song EP in 2020, with his latest single 'Summer of '21' being released in May. The song was co-written with Mary Kutterr and Chris Sligh, a former 'American Idol' contestant.
Tae discovered his love for music at a young age while attending church, and his interest in country music was sparked at 13 when his new neighbors introduced him to the genre.
Tae was inspired by Rascal Flatts, Vince Gill, and Dan + Shay before moving to Nashville, where his song 'Good Lovin' was featured on 'Shameless'. He was chosen as one of Tractor Supply's five young country musicians last spring and had the chance to be mentored by former 'American Idol' runner-up, Lauren Alaina.
'The Voice' Season 25 airs on Mondays and Tuesdays at 8 pm ET on NBC.