Michael Buble isn’t a stranger to “The Voice.” The pop singer served as an adviser for Blake Shelton’s team back on Season 3. But now, more than a decade later, he is a coach for the first time on the show. And it’s a role he doesn’t take lightly.
“I know that this is a TV show, and I know that there’s a game involved and that each of us are playing a part, but I can tell you this, it’s not a game for any of us,” Buble recently told Entertainment Weekly. “We talk about it off camera. We know that each of these people, this is their life, their destiny, their dream. And we know that we’re a big part of this journey. And while it isn’t the beginning or end of their journey, we know that we’re a part of it and we take that responsibility really seriously.”
Now, Buble is looking to be the winning coach for Season 26 — and he has a fairly good shot. Of all the coaches, he is the only one who still has two singers in the competition (Team Reba, Team Snoop and Team Gwen each have one singer remaining).
Here’s a look at the two singers who could help Buble secure his first win on “The Voice.”
READ MORE: The Voice announces the top 5 finalists and fans are confident they know who will win this season
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Sofronio Vasquez
Sofronio Vasquez had an instant chair turn from all four coaches with his rendition of Mary J. Blige’s “I’m Goin’ Down.” Stefani called it a “Grammy performance” while McEntire said the singer from the Philippines had “the whole package.”
“I could not hit my button fast enough,” Reba McEntire said, noting that she believed Vasquez could help her get back-to-back wins as a “Voice” coach. “Your soulfulness touched my heart.”
Although Snoop Dogg told Vasquez to “get in where you fit in” and pursue more soul music with him as his coach, Vasquez ultimately connected most with Buble. The “Home” singer got emotional as he talked about his love for the Filipino people and how proud he believed Vasquez would make them.
“I think you’re going to help me win this competition,” he said.
Now, Vasquez has reached the finale and is well on his way to making that prediction come true. Other performances from Vasquez have included Roy Orbison’s “Crying”; Chaka Khan’s “Through The Fire”; Celine Dion’s “The Power of Love” and “If I Can Dream.”
Shye has been a strong contender from the start of the season, since she auditioned with Five for Fighting’s “Superman (It’s Not Easy).” Following that performance, all four coaches threw themselves in the ring for a shot to work with the 17-year-old from Long Island, New York.
“Your voice is like butter,” McEntire said, adding the not-so-subtle reminder that she won this past season of “The Voice” as a coach. “I just loved it.”
“I need to, like, seriously pray for a minute,” Stefani added. “Because I’ve not been this excited so far this season for an artist. … God gave you that gift.”
Despite the high praise from Stefani, Shye ended up selecting Buble — who complimented her voice and vocal range — to be her coach. She has remained on his team throughout the competition and is now in a position to give Buble his first win as a coach. Other performances from Shye have included Katy Perry’s “The One That Got Away,” One Direction’s “Story of My Life”; Justin Bieber’s “Love Yourself” and Brandi Carlile’s “The Joke.”
