Kayleigh Mathews Earns a Four-Chair Turn on ‘The Voice’ With Vince Gill Classic
Kayleigh Mathews had all four coaches reaching for their buttons during her Blind Audition on The Voice.
The 31-year-old singer, who works as a tour guide at the Grand Ole Opry, took on Vince Gill’s “When I Call Your Name” and delivered the kind of performance that immediately changed the atmosphere in the room. By the time she finished, Kelly Clarkson, Riley Green, Queen Latifah, and Adam Levine had all turned their chairs, setting up a four-way battle to recruit her.
Mathews’ performance stood out for its combination of country character and emotional depth. The choice of song also gave the coaches plenty to discuss, since Gill is widely regarded as one of country music’s exceptional vocalists.
For Levine, the performance was enough to launch an all-out effort to bring Mathews onto his team. He acknowledged that Green, as a major country artist, might seem like the natural choice for a singer like her. But Levine argued that The Voice itself was where he had the advantage.
He emphasized his experience with the competition and told Mathews that her ability to fill the room with her voice made her exactly the kind of artist he would be honored to coach.
The Coaches Make Their Case
Queen Latifah took a different approach. She focused on the emotional effect of Mathews’ performance, explaining that the singer had taken her somewhere deeply personal and spiritual.
Latifah also saw an opportunity to help Mathews explore the full range of her voice. Rather than limiting her to one musical lane, she said she could help Mathews find songs that brought out the qualities that made her performance so striking.
Green, meanwhile, connected with the performance on a more personal level.
He praised Mathews for taking on a Vince Gill song, pointing out how difficult it is to follow the work of one of country music’s great vocalists. In his view, she had more than met the challenge.
The performance also reminded Green of growing up in Alabama and listening to the kind of music that shaped him. Being far from home made that connection especially meaningful, and he told Mathews he believed the two of them could accomplish something special together.
Clarkson saved her pitch for last and revealed that she was already a fan of what Mathews had done.
She compared Mathews’ sound to singers including Patty Loveless and LeAnn Rimes, describing her voice as a blend of several female artists she admires. Clarkson also pointed to her own history with Vince Gill, mentioning that she had been fortunate enough to record a duet with him.
For Clarkson, the emotional connection was the key. She explained that performances like Mathews’ were the reason she continued returning to the show: she wanted voices that could genuinely move her.
Riley Green and Adam Levine Take the Competition Off the Rails
With all four coaches trying to make their case, the competition quickly became less about speeches and more about one-upmanship.
When Levine attempted to continue his pitch, Green had another idea. He instructed the producers to bring out a duck blind and used it to block Levine’s chair.
Levine was understandably unimpressed.
The stunt became part of an increasingly playful battle between the two coaches. Levine came back with another argument for Mathews, pointing out that she would be the only country artist on Team Adam, while Green already had a country-heavy team.
Green then doubled down on the duck blind, explaining that it represented just how badly he wanted Mathews.
His explanation made the moment even more ridiculous: during a break, he said, Levine had gone to the bathroom, giving Green the opportunity to put the contraption together.
Levine responded by taking over Green’s chair himself. At that point, even he seemed to recognize that the coaches might have talked themselves out of the running.
He told Mathews that he loved her and jokingly suggested that he and Green had probably destroyed their chances.
As it turned out, Levine was right about one thing: neither he nor Green would get the singer.
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Kayleigh Mathews Chooses Queen Latifah
After hearing all four pitches, Mathews faced a decision that would have been difficult under any circumstances.
Every coach had turned for her. Every coach had offered a reason to choose them. And the two country-oriented options, Green and Levine, had made particularly strong appeals.
But Mathews ultimately decided to follow her instincts.
She chose Queen Latifah.
The decision visibly stunned Latifah, who appeared genuinely surprised that Mathews had selected her over the two male coaches.
Latifah was equally enthusiastic about the opportunity. Speaking after the decision, she said she was excited to work with a country singer and made clear that she did not view country music as a narrow category.
To Latifah, country can also carry elements of soul, rhythm, and blues. That broader perspective left room for Mathews to explore where her music might go next.
Mathews later explained that her decision was about more than music.
She admired Latifah as both an actress and a musician, but what ultimately stood out to her was the person she saw behind those accomplishments. Mathews said she could tell Latifah was genuinely an amazing human being.
And with a laugh, she made one thing clear: she was not going to choose one of the boys.
The choice gave Queen Latifah her latest artist and left Riley Green and Adam Levine to deal with the consequences of their increasingly chaotic campaign. For Mathews, however, the night ended with something much bigger than a four-chair turn: a place on Team Latifah and the chance to continue her The Voice journey under a coach she chose on instinct.
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