“Girls do wanna have fun, and then a boy comes in and ruins it!” Kelsea Ballerini lamented when Adam Levine blocked her from recruiting a Nashville, Tennessee-based artist for her team on The Voice.
Tyler Kae, 22, delivered a stunning rendition of Cyndi Lauper’s iconic 80s anthem, “Girls Just Want to Have Fun.” Kae introduced herself as a singer originally from Olympia, Washington, though she’s lived in Nashville for more than a year to pursue her career in music. Michael Bublé beamed as he noted that Levine looked “so happy.” Levine applauded as he gushed, “I got to use my block!” He later explained, “I blocked Kelsea because I just knew she was going to turn around.”
“Wow,” John Legend said after Kae's performance. “The fact that you sang ‘Girls Just Want to Have Fun,’ you live in Nashville, there’s only one female coach on this show. All I’m gonna say is there are steals in later rounds, and there may be a chance to find your true home on Team Kelsea.”
Ballerini joined The Voice as a coach for the first time this season. She’s the latest country star to sever as a coach on the long-running competition show, following Reba McEntire, Dan + Shay, Blake Shelton and other powerhouse artists. The Voice airs on Mondays at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT on NBC, and is available to stream the following day on Peacock.
“There is something to be said for picking up and moving your life to a place to cultivate your dream,” Ballerini said as she spoke with Kae after her blind audition. “So I just wanna give you kudos for doing that. You have so much force behind those big, powerful notes, and I’m excited to watch you, but alas.”