Grace West is Blake Shelton’s last country contestant to grace The Voice, which means her moments on stage are extra meaningful for the long-running coach. It also means she has to give it her all to make him proud.
During night one of the special two-part finale on Monday (May 22), she did just that, captivating viewers with a powerful rendition of Patsy Cline’s “She’s Got You.”
Standing in front of the live studio audience inside Universal Studios in Hollywood, Calif., West brought it back to the ‘60s with the country classic penned by Hank Cochran. She dazzled in a shimmering floor-length dress while accompanied by a line of backup singers. What stood out the most, though, was her ability to sound like she has been singing for decades as a seasoned vocalist. West shined on the high notes, but also showed off her range with some spectacular low notes, which impressed judges.
“Grace. You saved your best performance of the season for tonight,” Niall Horan applauded afterward. “You’re really growing into it, and we’ve seen the best of you tonight, for sure. Some of the stuff you were doing there, the jump at the top of your range and the bottom was insane.”
“I feel like the finale just broke out here. This is unbelievable. I was sitting here watching all of this tonight, and I’m going, ‘Man. This all sounds really good. How is anybody going to pick?’ And then you just did that,” Shelton said. “Now people are starting to pick out there. That was unbelievable.”
West has been known to give her representation on some of country music’s finest country classics. During the Top 8 live semi-finals, she provided a top-notch delivery of Tammy Wynette‘s “Til I Can Make It on My Own,” which led her to advance into the Top 5. In previous episodes, she nailed songs including Dolly Parton’s “Here You Come Again,” and The Judds’ “Love Is Alive” — a surprising feat considering she’s only 19 years old.
In rehearsals, West was asked what it means to her to be a part of Shelton’s last season.
“It means the absolute world to me,” she replied. “And for the last season, being the last person he turned his chair for, the last country artist, it’s just weird. It’s creeping me out a little bit, but it’s so cool.”
West isn’t the only artist representing Team Blake. She is also in the running for the crown alongside Shelton’s soulful singer NOIVAS, who scored a four-chair turn during his blind audition performance of Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come.” Team Clarkson’s D Smooth, Team Niall’s Gina Miles and Team Chance’s trio, Sorelle, are also vying for a shot at being named the next winner of The Voice. Thus far, Shelton is the winningest coach with nine victories. And, if he nabs an even 10, his run on the show will surely end on a high note.
Monday night’s telecast included a performance by Lewis Capaldi, who delivered his hit single, “Wish You the Best,” from his latest album, Broken by Desire to Be Heavenly Sent. Alex Newell also guest-performed on the show, with “Independently Owned” from the hit Broadway musical Shucked.
Fans will find out the winner of The Voice during the Season 23 finale on Tuesday (May 23) at 9PM ET on NBC.