The country coaches were facing off on the latest episode of The Voice!
The season 25 Blind Auditions continued on Tuesday, leading to an old-fashioned showdown between country queen Reba McEntire and first-time coaching duo Dan + Shay.
It’s the first time the show has had two coaches in the country genre, and so they were eager to win over the talented country singers who auditioned, pulling out back-to-back blocks over aspiring Voice competitors.
First, Reba threw down her block on Dan + Shay when Donny Van Slee took the stage to perform LANCO’s “Greatest Love Story.”
“That’s a great song choice,” Dan praised. “I feel like your voice lends itself to that style. Bummed we didn’t get you… you’re in good hands.”
“That’s a good choice!” Shay told Reba, who teasingly thanked him for his input.
“When I heard you, my first thought was – block them!” the country legend admitted.
But turnabout is fair play, and on the very next singer, Dan + Shay sought their revenge.
When Karen Waldrup took the stage with her performance of Jo Dee Messina’s “Bye Bye,” it would have made perfect sense for her to join Team Reba. However, when the “Fancy” singer turned her chair, she saw that she’d been blocked.
“Vengeance is sweet!” Shay boasted. “You started this!”
“I think you finished it,” Reba fired back
All the coaches brought up the fact, however, that there will be steals to come later in the season — and the possibility of singers switching teams could alway shift the outcome of the teams.
ET caught up with the season 25 coaches ahead of the premiere, where they shared what it’s been like to welcome The Voice‘s first-ever coaching duo to the competition.
“They give great notes. They’re really good,” Reba praised. “They’re knowledgeable about the business but they also have a lot of heart and that’s what they’re going for.”
Dan + Shay say they’ve been fans of the show for years — they served as mentor for Blake Shelton’s team back in season 20 and even stepped in to guest coach Niall Horan’s team last season — but getting to serve as full-time coaches for the first time has been a whole new experience.
“It’s changed everything for us,” Shay admitted. “I just really enjoy the process of getting to work with these artists, and you really, you get attached. It becomes heartbreaking when you have to let people go. But it’s been an amazing experience.”
Chance the Rapper makes his return this season for the first time since his season 23 Voice debut, where he joined Blake, Niall and Kelly Clarkson. He told ET it’s especially exciting to be back with a whole new roster of coaching talent.
“I’ve always just admired John and he’s helped me in so many different ways,” he reflected. “To be working with him and then to be around Reba, and Dan + Shay, and with this amazing crew… I do miss Blake, but it’s just cool to be back in the building.”
Despite the good vibes, however, the coaches are still plenty competitive. With Niall stepping away this season after winning back-to-back titles, the Voice trophy is up for grabs — and there’s a better-than-average chance it could go to a first-time champion, as only John has won the competition before.
“It’s getting heated out there for sure,” Shay revealed.
“That’s why we’re here,” Reba agreed.
The Voice airs Mondays and Tuesdays at 8 p.m. PT/ET on NBC.
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