Chance the Rapper sheds tears over My Funny Valentine cover during The Voice Playoffs
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Listen, The Voice Playoffs are stressful, so it makes sense that some tears will be shed. Is it surprising, though, that the first one to succumb to those heightened emotions is newbie coach Chance the Rapper? A little, until you hear the performance that brings him to tears.
Things are actually extra-stressful for our coaches in season 23's revamped Playoffs round. This season, since the Playoffs aren't live, that means America won't have any say in who moves forward to the Top 8 Semi-Finals. Instead, each coach will have to cut their team down from five members to just two based on their one performance during this round.
Trae Patton/NBC Chance the Rapper on the first part of 'The Voice' playoffs.
So, suffice it to say that Chance was already feeling the pressure before his Knockouts steal artist, Kala Banham started singing her rendition of the jazz standard "My Funny Valentine" in rehearsals — and after? Well, he finally realized just how agonizing the Playoffs were going to be. Kala, who was initially on Niall Horan's team before Kelly Clarkson stole her in the Battles, wound up on Team Chance after impressing him with her emotional version of "Iris" by Goo Goo Dolls in the Knockouts. He's even more impressed when in his first rehearsal with her, she moves him to tears with her gorgeous take on the classic Ella Fitzgerald song. "I am broken right now, I literally just started crying" he says, wiping away some tears after she finishes. He tries to give her advice about sustaining some notes instead of using so much vibrato but then cuts himself off: "what do I know?" he tells her, obviously her vocal choices worked if he's this torn up emotionally. Now he knows he made the right choice in using his steal on her.
Tyler Golden/NBC Kala Banham performing 'My Funny Valentine' during 'The Voice' playoffs
Once we get to hear Kala perform, we know he did, too. It's a stunning version of the song done with some real precision and emotion (a tough combo!), and it gets Kelly Clarkson, Niall Horan, and Blake Shelton all on their feet to give Kala a deserved standing ovation. Blake calls it "perfect" and tells Chance that she needs to be one of his picks to move forward. "It's my show," the long-time coach adds, "so you have to do what I say." Kelly tells her former artist that she "made it Kala's version, as if that was a brand new song," before calling her version "so beautiful and dark, but inspiring." Chance couldn't be more proud, calling the performance and Kala's ability to make songs her own "insane."
Surprisingly, however, Kala Banham does not end up being one of the two acts Chance decides to send to the semi-finals. It's clearly a tough choice for him — Kelly, whose team will be competing next week alongside Team Niall — informs Team Chance that their coach has been angsting over his choice all day. In the end, he goes with his sister pop trio Sorelle, who perform "Something's Got A Hold on Me" by Etta James and again standout simply for how different they are from other acts, as well as R&B singer Ray Uriel who impressed with his version of "Essence" by Wizkid featuring Tems, in his most confident performance yet. They'll be joining Team Blake's NOIVAS, who blew the roof off the place with "Come Together" by The Beatles and country female vocalist Grace West, whose consistency and authentic country voice has stuck out to Blake since the Blinds (and again here in her version of The Judds' "Love Is Alive").
It's a tough break for Kala Banham, who easily had one of the best performances of the night. But, she'll always have that teary rehearsal, I guess?
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