Kelsea Ballerini broke down in tears after ‘Voice’ singer performed ‘Dirt Cheap’ like never before
'The Voice' coach Kelsea Ballerini emotionally connected with contestant Angie Ray's performance during the Knockouts round for a personal reason. Rey beautifully rendered country legend Cody Johnson's 'Dirt Cheap' and brought Ballerini to tears. "This song is about the idea that memories are worth a lot more than just money," the 25-year-old Florida-based music artist explained during the rehearsals. As per Entertainment Weekly, when she noticed Ballerini sobbing, Rey halted her practice. "I can't do it with you crying," she said while requesting the coach to stop weeping. "I got emotional because my dog is super sick. But that is the thing about country music; it does talk about real life and the things that are hard to talk about," Ballerini explained the real reason behind her impromptu outburst later.
During the final performance, Ballerini was once again moved to tears. "You were just so lovely," she complimented Rey. "And I really appreciated you kind of reigning back a little bit and showing more of that storytelling side of your voice, ’cause that's a big part of singing country music. I just think you're amazing." Unfortunately, Iris Herrera, a Michigan-based contestant, won the round with the soulful rendition of Ray LaMontagne's 'Jolene.' The five-time Grammy nominee coach decided to keep Herrera and let go of Rey instead; however, Michael Bublé took the opportunity and 'stole' Rey for his team.
"Iris just feels further along in her vocal journey," despite being moved by Rey's performance, Ballerini explained why she preferred Herrera. "Watching her get vulnerable and emotional was the reason that I picked Iris. I already have some song ideas in my head for the playoffs of how to really lean into that grit," she said. "I never loved Michael Bublé more than him stealing Angie," she added in jest. Ballerini first joined the 15th season of the hit reality talent show as the fifth coach and mentored six contestants who unfortunately didn't make the cut through the blind auditions, NBC reported.
The next season, the 'Love Me Like You Mean It' star filled in as adviser for Kelly Clarkson's team; additionally, she temporarily took over mentorship during Season 20 when Clarkson was absent from the scene due to illness. Ballerini released her first studio album, 'The First Time,' in 2015. The solo hit 'Peter Pan' from the album earned her a Grammy nomination. 'Unapologetically,' her second studio album, created waves in 2017 with hits like 'I Hate Love Songs' and 'Miss Me More.'
“It starts with a breakup, and it goes into growing up, and then it goes into falling in love," Ballerini told Rolling Stone in an exclusive interview the same year. She released her fourth album in 2022, titled 'Subject to Change,' and scored an instant hit with 'Heartfirst.' The album also earned a nomination for Best Country Solo Performance at the Grammy Awards. “I loved the idea of going, ‘Change is inevitable.’ And we’ve all, as humankind, experienced that heavily the last couple of years," she told Rolling Stone.