Season 27 of The Voice has hit the ground running with a thrilling premiere revealing Kelsea Ballerini as one of the new judges. As it turns out, she's already rocking the boat with a tactical use of a 'Coach Replay' and a first for the series.
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For viewers who need a refresher, showrunners introduced the 'Coach Replay' in Season 26. This rule change allows a coach to turn their chair after failing to do so during a blind audition. Traditionally, coaches use it to give contestants a second chance if they receive no chair turns for their performance.
Considering Coach Replay's dramatic effect on the competition, each coach can only use one for the entire season. Still, that didn't stop Ballerini from using hers in a spicy play last night. John Legend and Michael Bublé both turned their chairs around during Dan Kiernan's rendition of 'High Hopes' by Panic! At The Disco.
After the audition, Ballerini said to Kiernan, "You're amazing. You have such an aura about you. I didn't turn my chair, and I'm not quite sure why." Kiernan jokes that they can still be friends as Ballerini looks toward the other Coaches. "I'm gonna do something. I'm gonna do something crazy," she said. "There's this thing. I only get one. It's called a Replay, and I'm going to try to challenge them."
Ballerini Says She Made A Mistake Not Turning Her Chair
Ballerini continued, "It's my first season. I made a mistake, and I think you're fantastic." She slammed down her Coach Replay button as the studio erupted with applause and said, "I would really like to put my name in the running here!"
Legend jokes to Kiernan and the audience that Ballerini is "the first to use the Coach Replay to steal. It's also very dirty and underhanded." "You're worth it; I really messed up," Ballerini replied.
The country pop singer and songwriter pitched to the contestant, "I have written with Hillary Lindsey and Shane McAnally, like, the greats of Nashville. I've also had collaborations with The Chain Smokers and Halsey."
As Ballerini hid behind her chair, her Coach Replay and credentials seemed enough to win over Kiernan as he gladly joined Team Kelsea.
