DEK of Hearts sparks new buzz on 'The Voice' — but not for the reason you think

DEK of Hearts is a country trio on Niall Horan's team, made up of Dylan John, Emily Clapp, and Kollin Baile
UPDATED NOV 11, 2025
A screenshot of DEK of Hearts from 'The Voice' Season 28 (Cover Image Source: YouTube | @thevoice)
A screenshot of DEK of Hearts from 'The Voice' Season 28 (Cover Image Source: YouTube | @thevoice)

With each new episode, the competition is only getting tougher on 'The Voice' Season 28. While the competition is in an intense phase with the Knockouts, fans have voiced their dissatisfaction with Niall Horan's team, DEK of Hearts, who once again proved their mettle and advanced to the next round. However, their victory isn't without ruffling some feathers, as fans think it’s completely unfair for a group to compete against solo singers.

A screenshot of DEK of Hearts from 'The Voice' Season 28 (Image Source: YouTube | @thevoice)
A screenshot of DEK of Hearts from 'The Voice' Season 28 (Image Source: YouTube | @thevoice)

Notably, DEK of Hearts is a group consisting of Dylan John, Emily Clapp, and Kollin Baile. In the latest episode, DEK of Hearts and Kayleigh Clark faced off with 'What If I Never Get Over You' and 'Blue,' respectively, as per TV Line. While Clark delivered a strong performance with impressive rasp, the trio's tight harmonies made them nearly unbeatable. In the end, DEK of Hearts won the Knockout, and Clark was eliminated. Not only that, but Horan also used his Mic Drop for the trio. 

As soon as the DEK of hearts advanced to the next round, fans flocked to Instagram to share their disdain, as many felt the trio had an unfair advantage over other contestants, with one commenting, "I think they’re great - just don’t think 3 against 1 is fair - 3 voices in harmony will always sound more powerful than 1." A fan shared, "They are great! BUT, how is it fair to a solo vocalist to have to compete with a trio?" while another added, "You guys don’t ignore the fact that HARMONIES never compare to ONE SINGLE VOICE. I didn’t talk about who’s better, but to decide who’s better, there’s must be an equality on base aspect."

Talking about Deck of Hearts, the trio first grabbed major attention when they stunned the coaches with their Blind Audition performance of Jo Dee Messina's 'Heads Carolina, Tails California.' All four coaches, Snoop Dogg, Reba McEntire, Horan, and Michael Bublé, turned their chairs. Knowing McEntire would be tough competition for a country act, Horan pleaded, "I know it's Reba, but please," as per the American Songwriter.

McEntire wasn't backing down, as she said, "I love with all my heart three-part harmonies. It touches the core of my being. I can't tell you how important this is to me, for y'all to be on my team… Y'all are going to make it to the finals and on my team, I hope." Snoop Dogg made his pitch, too, telling DEK of Hearts, "I understand music. I understand musicians. I understand showmanship and all the things that you guys represent. I would say, Dare to be different." 

Horan backed him up, saying, "I would say the exact same thing. I've never had anything like you on any of my teams, but I have won twice, so we should probably do that together as well." McEntire tried one last move by getting the audience to wave fans with her face on them, but despite all the efforts, DEK of Hearts ultimately chose Horan as their coach.

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