Country singer Makenzie Phipps earned a last-minute chair turn and the final spot on Season 28 of The Voice.
Tuesday night (October 7) marked the last night of Blind Auditions for this season of The Voice. Coaches Reba McEntire, Michael Buble, Niall Horan, and Snoop Dogg each secured 12 team members, meaning 48 contestants will advance to the Battle Rounds.
Among those advancing are a duo, a trio, and soloists representing every genre, from pop and Latin to rock and Cajun. The country genre is well represented with some landing on each team. One country singer barely made the cut as she was the last to audition with only one spot left.
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The final contestant to audition was Makenzie Phipps, a Virginia-born country singer currently living in Nashville.
Phipps took the stage with a powerful cover of Lainey Wilson’s 2024 hit “4X4XU.” Prior to taking the stage, Makenzie said that she hoped to make her parents proud.
“For my parents to believe in me so much to just pack up all of our stuff and move to Nashville, Tennessee, just meant so much to me,” she said. “They believe I do have the capability to be able to get a chair turn, so hopefully I can make them proud.”
As Makenzie sang, Reba smiled and nodded at Coach Snoop, the only coach with a spot left on his team. Snoop waited until the last minute to hit his button and turn his chair, making Makenzie Phipps the final member of his team.
Makenzie’s parents were overcome with excitement and emotion when Snoop turned. Phipps’ dad told cameras that he nearly passed out when he realized his daughter was going to be competing on The Voice as a member of Team Snoop.
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Coach Niall told Phipps that he would have been fighting Snoop for her if he had any room left on his team. Reba warned Makenzie not to get too comfortable on Team Snoop because she has a Steal that she will have a chance to use later in the competition.
“This was my last pick on my team. And when I’m listening to you … I’m watching Reba’s face and she’s like ‘If you don’t push that button…'” Snoop said. “Then I close my eyes and I start to feel you. I start to feel your spirit. I feel everything that you’re singing. Now I’m not listening no more. I’m feeling it now. You’re on my team. I’m on your team. You complete me.”
The Battle Rounds will kick off on October 13. Each of the artists will go head-to-head with another in a duet performance. The coaches will be forced to pick one team member to advance and one to eliminate. Each coach will have the opportunity to “steal” one eliminated artist from another coach.
Watch Makenzie Phipp’s incredible Lainey Wilson cover that landed her on Team Snoop below.
