The Voice begins its 26 th season on Monday night with a new coaching team consisting of last year’s winner Reba McEntire , returning coach Gwen Stefani and first-time coaches Snoop Dogg and Michael Bublé . And it doesn’t take long until they get into a four-way battle over 31-year-old Sofronio Vasquez from Mindanao Philippines, who impresses them with his performance of Mary J. Blige 's "I'm Goin' Down.
" Reba gets to speak first and she’s a little worried about the language issue. “I’m from Oklahoma and I don’t know if you’re going to understand me or not,” she says, but that doesn’t stop her from making her pitch. “I could not hit my button fast enough.
Your voice is like butter. It is so easy on the ears, but your soulfulness touched my heart. You’ve got the whole package.
I won last year, so I’d like to carry that victory on to this season and I think you could do it.” Related: Reba McEntire's Fellow Coaches Dish the Dirt on What It's Like Working With Her on The Voice Then Gwen takes a turn. She flatters Sofronio by telling him that was a Grammy-level performance.
“It felt like somebody that knows God gave them a gift and they’re just trying to get on this stage to show everybody,” she says. “One thing I would help you with is how do you find the music that is your identity through these songs on this show that you’re not writing.” Photo by: Art Streiber/NBC Michael interrupts her to say, “This dude can sing the phone book.
” Gw.