Kayleigh Matthews Wins a Four-Chair Turn on The Voice With a Powerful Vince Gill Performance
Kayleigh Matthews walked onto The Voice with a difficult assignment: make one of Vince Gill’s signature songs her own. By the end of her Blind Audition, all four coaches had turned their chairs, setting up a fierce battle to win the 31-year-old country singer.
Matthews, a Tucson, Arizona, native who is now based in Nashville, performed Gill’s “When I Call Your Name” during Monday night’s penultimate round of Blind Auditions. Her classic country sound immediately caught the attention of Kelly Clarkson, Adam Levine, Queen Latifah and Riley Green.
All Four Coaches Turn for Kayleigh Matthews
The timing made the moment even more significant. With the teams filling up late in the Blind Auditions, the coaches had become increasingly selective about the singers they wanted to bring onto their rosters.
Matthews managed to cut through that competition with a performance that earned all four chair turns and a standing ovation. TVLine described her classic country voice as a natural fit for the Vince Gill song and gave the audition an A+ grade.
Riley Green was especially impressed by her decision to tackle a song from Gill, whom he called one of the greatest vocalists in country music.
Taking on such a respected country singer meant Matthews had “big shoes to fill,” Green said, but he felt she handled the challenge. The performance also connected with him on a personal level, taking him back to the music he heard growing up in Alabama.
Green told Matthews that he would love the chance to work with her and believed the two of them could create something great together.
Kelly Clarkson Hears Country Music Favorites in Her Voice
Clarkson had her own reasons for wanting Matthews on her team.
The coach compared Matthews’ vocal tone and phrasing to some of the female country singers she admires, specifically mentioning Patty Loveless and LeAnn Rimes. Clarkson pointed to the way Matthews stretched certain notes and said she heard elements of several artists she loves in the singer’s voice.
Clarkson also noted her own connection to Gill, mentioning that she had been fortunate enough to sing a duet with him.
For Matthews, the reaction from the coaches reflected the range of her musical identity. Although country music is where her love of music began, she explained that there is also a strong soul element to what she does.
Adam Levine and Riley Green Turn the Pitch Into a Competition
Once all four chairs were facing her, Matthews had no shortage of reasons to choose any of the coaches.
Levine made it clear that he was prepared to fight for her. He praised Matthews as a “magnificent talent” and argued that joining his team could give her a different path. He also pointed out that she would occupy the only country-music spot on his roster.
Green, however, was not about to let Levine have the last word.
In one of the episode’s more playful moments, Green had a duck blind brought out to block Levine’s chair and interfere with his pitch. The stunt turned the coaching battle into a bit of a comedy routine, with Levine eventually acknowledging that he and Green might have done enough damage to their chances.
For all the back-and-forth between the two coaches, neither ended up getting the singer.
Kayleigh Matthews Chooses Queen Latifah
After hearing each coach make a case for why she should join their team, Matthews had to make the biggest decision of the night.
She ultimately chose Queen Latifah.
Matthews explained that she wanted to follow her heart, her instincts and what she already knew about the coach. Her decision caught Queen Latifah by surprise and left the other coaches without the country singer they had been competing to recruit.
Queen Latifah said she was excited about working with a country singer but saw Matthews as an artist capable of moving beyond a single genre.
She emphasized that country music can also draw from soul, rhythm and blues, and said she was interested in seeing where Matthews could take her voice.
Matthews later explained that her choice was also influenced by Latifah as a person. She said she admired her as both an actress and musician and felt she was genuinely an amazing human being.
She also joked that she was not going to choose one of the male coaches.
A Country Singer With a Broader Musical Identity
Matthews’ choice fits with the musical background she has developed since moving from Tucson to Nashville in 2018.
Before appearing on The Voice, she had already established herself as a country singer and songwriter. Her music draws from traditional country, bluegrass and gospel, and she has released music including the EPs Desert Child and Turn Out the Lights. She has also worked as a tour guide at the Grand Ole Opry and continued performing and writing music in Nashville.
Her appearance on The Voice now gives that career another major platform.
The Blind Audition also demonstrated why the coaches saw something beyond a straightforward country singer. Matthews chose a Vince Gill classic, delivered it with a traditional country sensibility, and then selected a coach whose musical background could potentially help her explore the soul and R&B influences she says are part of her sound.
For one night, at least, the decision was clear: four coaches wanted her, but Matthews wanted Queen Latifah.
And that is where her journey on The Voice officially begins.
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