Dan + Shay landed country veteran Karen Waldrup for their team on Season 25 of The Voice on Tuesday night (Feb. 27) … but not before blocking fellow country coach Reba McEntire.
Waldrup took the stage during the Season 25 Blind Auditions on The Voice on Tuesday evening to sing Jo Dee Messina‘s “Bye, Bye,” a classic country hit from 1998. Released as the lead single from Messina’s sophomore studio album, I’m Alright, the song scored the country singer her first No. 1 hit on Billboard‘s Hot Country Songs chart and earned Gold certification from the RIAA.
Waldrup drew Dan + Shay’s attention immediately with her performance, as well as McEntire’s. Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney turned their joint chair right away for the singer, while McEntire attempted to turn her chair halfway through her performance — only to find that the duo had already blocked her.
Waldrup ended up joining the country duo’s team after the other The Voice coaches — John Legend and Chance the Rapper — passed, and they all seemed very excited at the opportunity to work together.
Waldrup is no stranger to country music fans. She achieved viral fame with a series of country covers that earned millions of views on YouTube, so she may have the built-in fanbase to vote her into success on the iconic reality singing competition.
The Voice Season 25 will continue to air on Mondays and Tuesdays on NBC.
A Timeline of Dan + Shay’s History on ‘The Voice’
Dan + Shay will join The Voice as the show’s first-ever coaching duo for Season 25. The pair will bring more country influence to the reality singing competition series as they sit next to Reba McEntire in the iconic red chairs in 2024 (Chance the Rapper and John Legend will also serve as coaches). It’s not the country duo’s first go-round with The Voice. Far from it, actually — Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney have appeared on the show on more than one occasion!
Famous Singers from The Voice, Then + Now
Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes