The latest episode of “The Voice” saved the best for last. At the very end of the second night of battle auditions Tuesday, Minnesota’s Cori Kennedy, 28, paired up with Aubrey Nicole, 20, in a roof-raising version of “Somethin’ Bad,” originally performed by Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood.
Their team captain, Reba McEntire, had to pick a winner who would advance to the next round.
“If I could be anyone I would be Reba McEntire, but not today and not right now,” said fellow judge Michael Bublé after the performance. “I don’t know how she could choose one of you over the other.”
She didn’t.
McEntire initially followed the advice of Snoop Dogg and Niall Horan by picking Kennedy. But just as Nicole was getting ready to depart, the country-music legend used her “save” option to keep her around. Snoop Dogg also tried to recruit Nicole by using his “steal.” But the Pennsylvania-raised singer decided to stick with McEntire.
Kennedy, a standout softball player at Minnesota State University who calls the Kasson-Mantorville area outside of Rochester her home, shared more about herself earlier in the show, telling guest mentor Nick Jonas that her trip out to California for the singing competition was the farthest west she had ever been.
She wasn’t the only person on Tuesday’s episode with Minnesota ties.
Lizzo‚ who jump-started her hip-hop career in the Twin Cities, is serving as a mentor on Team Snoop Dogg. After hearing two of her mentees run through Rihanna’s “Love On the Brain,” she expressed her enthusiasm by throwing down a chair.
