‘The Voice’ contestant ran on a treadmill to master her powerhouse vocals—and stole the Battles spotlight
The Battle Round on 'The Voice' Season 28 has to be one of the most nerve-wracking phases in the singing competition. The contestants pour their hearts out to make their performances outshine their fellow competitors. However, there have been times when the participants employ out-of-the-box measures to stand out. One such contestant ran on the treadmill to nail her performance, leaving judges impressed and earning a spot in the next round.
To prep for her Battles performance on 'The Voice' Season 28, Team Snoop artist Lauren Anderson ran on a treadmill. Anderson teamed up with Makenzie Phipps for the Battles. Both singers had recieved single chair turns and had something to prove; Anderson had Snoop wait until the "last note" of her Blind Audition to turn his chair, while Phipps kept her eyes shut during hers, as per NBC.
With Lizzo serving as the Battle Advisor for Team Snoop, Anderson was thrilled as she said, "I am a huge Lizzo fan. I love how she's just unapologetically her. She says what she wants to say. We need more of those women in the media." Snoop Dogg then chose Carrie Underwood's 'Before He Cheats' for Anderson and Phipps's performance. To get fully into the spirit of Underwood's song, they visited a local rage room and literally wrecked a car, using baseball bats and hammers to unleash their energy.
After their battle performance, the coaches showered praise on both singers, particularly Anderson. Niall Horan said, "Lauren, you are a powerhouse. That scream that you do…" Reba McEntire added, "You gals are terrific singers, performers… Lauren, you came out of the gate ready. If I had to make a decision, I think it would be Lauren." Michael Bublé pointed out Anderson's spin move, prompting her to say, "You better believe I practiced that! I ran on the treadmill so I wouldn't go out of tune. That's how out of shape I am!"
Bublé responded, "I would move toward Lauren just because of that awesome spin move." Snoop Dogg also praised Anderson, saying, "Such a strong performance the way you came out the gate," and noting how she "assisted little sister" Phipps. He ultimately gave Anderson the win, explaining, "What I loved about Lauren's performance is how she can really go to another notch. She had a little bit more experience to get her to the Finals." Celebrating the moment, Anderson quipped, "Who knew a spin move would help me out?"
Notably, the second round of 'The Voice' Season 28 aired on Monday, October 20, featuring the third set of battles from the 12-artist teams assembled during the Blind Auditions by coaches, as per Gold Derby. Superstar guest advisors Lizzo (Team Snoop), Lewis Capaldi (Team Niall), Kelsea Ballerini (Team Bublé), and Nick Jonas (Team Reba), also assisted the coaches during rehearsals. Not only that, for the first time in The Battles, artists chose their duet partners while coaches selected the songs. The Steal and Save options also returned, allowing coaches to either steal an artist from another team or save one of their own from elimination.