Coach Michael Bublé couldn’t let a rising talent like Jaukeem Fortson slip away Monday during the first night of Knockouts on Season 26 of NBC’s The Voice. One of the youngest contestants to ever appear on the show, Fortson competed against fellow Team Reba members Cassidy Lee (Stolen from Bublé amid the Knockouts) and Adam Bohanan with a moving cover of “God Only Knows” by For King & Country.
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“God really knows and if you just let him step into your life, he can do the miraculous,” Fortson, a native of Elberton, Georgia, explained of his song choice. “This song talks about how if you’re in a hard time or if you’re struggling with something, that God can meet you where you’re at. This year, I went into ninth grade and in some classes, work can get a little bit overwhelming. After I heard this song, I could just do my work more and feel calmer. He really knows.”
While they did have some general feedback during rehearsals, Coach Reba McEntire and Mega Mentor Jennifer Hudson (formerly a Coach in Season 15) were mostly in awe of the young man’s talent. “Somehow, at the age of 13, Jaukeem is singing from experience,” Hudson remarked. “If he makes the audience feel what he’s feeling the way he made us feel it, he is well on his way.”
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“When you see him and that beautiful smile of his, and then he steps up to the microphone and blows your socks off… my gosh!” said Coach Reba, who would go on to hail the teen’s “miraculous” performance. “Who doesn’t love this kid?”
Michael Bublé Steals Jaukeem Fortson during The Voice Season 26 Knockouts
“I stole Jaukeem because when I was a kid, people saw the potential in me and loved me enough to give me that shot,” said a “shocked” Bublé. “I love that I can do that with Jaukeem. I think he earned it today.”
“We need to see more Black kids like this,” added Snoop Dogg. “I want to commend your parents, your grandparents, and everybody for raising you the right way. This is what a young Black kid looks like.”
Adam Bohanan, who performed a rendition of “Colors” by Black Pumas, ended up winning the round and will be moving on to the Playoffs, while Cassidy Lee — who covered Bonnie Raitt’s “Love Me Like a Man” — was sent home.
