Walker Hayes is headed to the set of The Voice on Tuesday (Dec. 14), where he’ll perform as a part of the Season 21 live finale.
He’s the latest in a string of country performers to take the stage during the televised singing competition; Blake Shelton, who’s a coach on the show, recently performed his “Come Back as a Country Boy,” and Carly Pearce made her debut last week to perform “29.” It’s not yet clear what Hayes will perform when he hits the stage. He shared news of his performance slot with fans on Twitter earlier in the week, writing simply, “See You Tuesday.”
Hayes’ performance schedule has been busy this year ever since his song, “Fancy Like,” went viral and became one of the year’s surprises smashes. What started as a popular TikTok dance featuring his teenage daughter Lela quickly escalated into Hayes’ biggest hit to date, even earning him his first No. 1 on country radio. Since then, he’s announced that he’s expanding his Country Stuff EP — whose track list includes “Fancy Like” — into a full-length album, and he’s taken home a host of accolades, including being named to CRS’ New Faces of Country Music class of 2022.
That success — and the long journey it took for him to get here — puts him in a special position to be able to encourage the Top 5 contestants on The Voice: Hayes knows first-hand how hard it is to make it to the top in country music, and while he’s been a mainstay of the genre for years, he’s just now hitting his stride as a mainstream country hitmaker.
The Voice airs on Monday and Tuesday nights on NBC. During last Tuesday’s episode (Dec. 7), the Top 5 contestants were revealed. Team Blake’s Wendy Moten and Paris Wittingham advanced through the round, as did Team Kelly Clarkson’s Hailey Mia and Girl Named Tom. The other two remaining coaches, Ariana Grande and John Legend, had two contestants apiece vying for the final slot; Shelton had a contestant in the mix, too. But the Instant Save ultimately went to Team Legend’s Jershika Maple, and the rest were eliminated.
Part one of the finale airs Monday night (Dec. 13), and each contestant will sing one ballad and one uptempo song. The following night, a host of coach duets and guest performances — including Hayes’, as well as appearances from Carrie Underwood and more — will conclude Season 21, before a winner is named.