Riley Green Struggles To Choose A Winner After One Of His Favorite “Voice” Battles
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It’s never easy for the coaches on The Voice to choose the winners of the battle performances. That’s something that first-time coach Riley Green has learned throughout Season 30.
On Monday (October 19), Voice viewers witnessed a battle between two of Riley’s most talented team members: Allie Rae and Harmony McKee.
15-year-old Allie Rae auditioned for The Voice with a cover of Alannah Myles’ “Black Velvet.” Riley Green turned his chair right away, followed by Kelly Clarkson and Queen Latifah. But Riley deployed his “First In” button, which overrode the other coaches and automatically welcomed Allie Rae to his team.
19-year-old Harmony McKee doesn’t typically sing country music, but opted to perform Miranda Lambert‘s “Gunpowder & Lead” for her Voice audition. She got Riley and Adam Levine to turn their chairs, and she ended up joining Team Riley.
Before we recap their battle, revisit Allie Rae and Harmony’s auditions in the videos below.
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When it came time for their Voice battle, Allie Rae and Harmony performed a hauntingly beautiful rendition of Bill Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine.” The song gave each singer the opportunity to showcase their range, which left the coaches visibly impressed.
Some of the best moments came when they sang together, harmonizing perfectly. Their performance earned a well-deserved standing ovation from their coach, who was now facing a difficult decision…
Who Did Riley Green Choose As The Winner In The Battle Between Allie Rae And Harmony McKee On The Voice?
Kelly Clarkson was the first coach to speak after Allie Rae and Harmony McKee’s battle. She started by complimenting Harmony, telling her, “You have the most beautiful resonance. It’s such a beautiful gift you have.”
Then, she heaped praise on Allie Rae, saying, “For 15 years old, you have a really rad style.” She told Riley Green she would lean toward picking Allie Rae as the winner.
Adam Levine agreed, saying he would choose Allie Rae as well. Queen Latifah highlighted how much she loved Allie Rae’s “gorgeous” high notes and Harmony’s vocal stamina, but didn’t name the artist she’d choose as the winner.
When it was finally Riley’s turn to talk, he made it clear that picking a winner was going to be a struggle for him this time. “This is one that I’ve both been looking forward to quite a bit, and also dreading a little bit,” he said.
He went on to share what he loved about the singers’ performance, starting with Allie Rae:
“You’re a huge talent for any age, but I think that there’s something so interesting about your voice and how you present certain notes and how you pocket things. I think you’ve got a really great future.”
He moved on to Harmony, calling her “One of the most talented vocalists on the show.” He noted how her voice “completely filled the room,” and her performance was just “awesome” overall.
Then, the moment Riley had been dreading had arrived; he had to name a winner. He explained why this was so tough for him, saying that he felt they were “completely neck-and-neck” with each other.
But when it came down to it, Riley said Allie Rae was the winner.
In a sit-down interview after the performance, Riley called it “one of my favorite battles.” He explained why he kept Allie Rae, telling the camera:
“She’s who I used my ‘First In’ on, I believed in her from the get-go. And I think she’s got a really great chance to go a long way on the show.”
Kelly affirmed his choice, telling him after the singers had left the stage, “That little girl, she could win.”
Check out the video below to watch Allie Rae and Harmony McKee’s battle. Do you agree with Riley Green’s decision after this one?
