‘The Voice’: Why Reba McEntire Got Tearful Over Luke Combs Song

NBC/X

Reba McEntire got choked up on Monday’s (March 25) episode of The Voice after one of her team members revealed an emotional connection to a Luke Combs song.

With the Battle Rounds now underway, McEntire paired up her “good ol’ boys” Josh Sanders and Donny Van Slee to perform Combs’ number-one country hit “When It Rains, It Pours.”

While the song is a fun, upbeat country track, Sanders confessed to McEntire that the lyrics spoke to him in a different way.

“‘When it rains, it pours,’ that lyric hits me kinda heavy,” Sanders shared. “I’m a dad of four girls. We had a son. He was born and passed away on my birthday.”

He continued, “It’s such a fun song, and I don’t wanna take it there.”

However, Sanders received emotional support from a tearful McEntire and Van Slee.

“Before I go onstage, I ask the Holy Spirit to walk for me, talk for me, speak for me, sing for me,” the Queen of Country explained, choking up as she spoke. “Ask him for that: ‘Put me in the right place for this song.’”

Josh Sanders and @donnyvanslee are pouring their all into @lukecombs‘ “When It Rains It Pours” on #TheVoice ☔️ pic.twitter.com/CV7jBAj2fJ

— The Voice (@NBCTheVoice) March 26, 2024

When it came time for the Battle, Sanders pushed the emotion aside and delivered a jaw-dropping performance, showing off his impressive vocal range. Both men received praise from the coaches, but Sanders’, in particular, stood out.

With a tough decision ahead of her, McEntire again got teary-eyed. “I feel like I’ve known you [both] forever,” she said, taking a second to collect herself. “When we got to be in the rehearsal, I just felt like we bonded, and that was really, really special to me.”

“Donny, you were cute as a button. It was fun; I enjoyed watching you,” McEntire told Van Slee before turning her attention to Sanders.

“Josh, your runs, when you hit the high notes, everything was perfect,” she noted. “Whatever you got from this song, it worked for ya.”

In the end, McEntire picked Sanders to move on to the Knockouts. The Battle Rounds continue tonight, Tuesday, March 26, on NBC.