THE VOICE: Country Singer Earns 4-Chair Turn After Breathtaking Rendition Of Vince Gill's "When I Call Your Name"
Monday’s episode of The Voice featured the penultimate round of Blind Auditions, with the coaches approaching the end of the process and their teams filling quickly. Kelly Clarkson, Adam Levine, Queen Latifah and Riley Green therefore had fewer roster openings available and needed to make increasingly selective choices. One contestant nevertheless won support from the entire panel. Kayleigh Mathews, a 31-year-old country singer from Tucson, Arizona, performed Vince Gill’s “When I Call Your Name,” prompting each of the four coaches to press a button and turn a chair for her.
Mathews’ song selection became a central part of Green’s feedback. He described Gill as one of the finest vocalists in country music and recognized the demands that came with choosing one of his songs for an audition. In Green’s view, Mathews had accepted the considerable challenge of measuring up to such material. He told her that although the choice had given her a difficult standard to meet, her performance had done more than enough to meet it.
Green also explained that the audition affected him on a personal level because it recalled the country music he heard during his upbringing in Alabama. Mathews’ rendition transported him home, he said, strengthening his interest in adding her to his team. His comments then shifted from assessing her performance to outlining what he believed they might achieve as coach and contestant. Green directly expressed his desire to work with her and said he thought they could create something great together.
Clarkson drew a different set of connections from Mathews’ voice. As she listened, she was reminded of several women in country music whom she considers favorites, including Patty Loveless and LeAnn Rimes. Clarkson singled out Mathews’ tone and her approach to sustaining particular notes. Combining those characteristics, she portrayed the contestant as a kind of musical blend of multiple singers she admires. Her response gave Mathews another country-oriented pitch after Green had emphasized Gill, Alabama and his own interest in collaborating with her.
Watch the full performance on page two
