The Voice performance brings coach Kelsea Ballerini to tears: ‘My dog is super sick’

It was the first night of the Knockouts.

Kelsea Ballerini coaches ‘The Voice’. Credit:Trae Patton/NBC

Monday’s episode of The Voice was an emotional one, as the coaches once again divided their teams into pairs and were forced to choose just one to keep on their team. Yes, it was the beginning of the Knockouts round.

Kelsea Ballerini, who is in her first season as a coach, broke into tears during rehearsals, as she listened to singer Angie Rey, a 25-year-old from Seminole, Fla., prepare “Dirt Cheap” by country singer Cody Johnson.

“This song is about the idea that memories are worth a lot more than just money,” Rey told the camera. When it cut back to Ballerini watching Rey, the coach was wiping away tears, and Rey stopped. “I can’t do it with you crying,” she told Ballerini, fighting back tears herself.

The country star then told the camera in an aside, “I got emotional because my dog is super sick. But that is the thing about country music is that it does talk about real life and the things that are hard to talk about.”

When Rey took the stage for the actual performance, Ballerini was again moved and began crying during her evaluation.

“You were just so lovely,” Ballerini told her. “And I really appreciated you kind of reigning back a little bit and showing more of that storytelling side of your voice, ’cause that’s a big part of singing country music. I just think you’re amazing.”

See every contestant advancing in The Voice season 27 Knockouts round

Rey’s competition, 19-year-old Iris Herrera from Newaygo, Mich., walked away with the win, however, for her take on Ray LaMontagne’s “Jolene.” Ballerini made the call to keep Herrera despite being unfamiliar with the song before Herrera began rehearsing.

Ballerini told Herrera that her voice was “so unique, so pretty” and “lived-in and beautiful.” It sometimes reminds her of Miley Cyrus, she said.

Before Ballerini made her decision, she talked about what a tough one it was for her, but she said that, ultimately, it was Herrera’s showmanship and the emotion she was able to convey in a song about addiction that the coach felt connected to. Herrera had noted that she had family members who had struggled with it.

“Iris just feels further along in her vocal journey,” Ballerini explained. “Watching her get vulnerable, get emotional was the reason that I picked Iris. I already have some song ideas in my head for the playoffs of how to really lean into that grit.”

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After Ballerini made her move, fellow coach Michael Bublé swept in to save the day, as he used a “steal” to scoop up Rey for his team.

As he and coaches John Legend and Adam Levine had weighed in on which of the artists they would choose, Bublé had been particularly supportive of Rey. The “Home” crooner told her that she deserved an Academy Award for the emotion that she showed.

Host Carson Daly and coaches Adam Levine, Kelsea Ballerini, John Legend, and Michael Bublé on ‘The Voice’.Trae Patton/NBC

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While his move was a strong one for his team, it also made Ballerini ecstatic.

“I never loved Michael Bublé more than him stealing Angie,” she said.

The Voice Knockouts continue with night 2 on Monday, April 7, at a special 9 p.m. ET/PT showtime (after the NCAA tournament) on NBC.