The Voice Gets a Laugh From Fans After Anna McElroy Chooses Kelly Clarkson Over Riley Green
A surprise Team Kelly decision on The Voice Season 30 came with an unexpected musical punchline.
When Alabama country singer Anna McElroy chose Kelly Clarkson over fellow Alabama native Riley Green, the show immediately followed the moment with Megan Moroney’s “Man on the Moon.” Given the ongoing fan speculation surrounding Green and Moroney, the timing was hard for viewers to miss.
The playful moment came during the September 28 episode of NBC’s The Voice, as McElroy competed for a spot on one of the coaches’ teams.
Anna McElroy leaves the coaches with a difficult choice
The 26-year-old McElroy took the stage with Maren Morris’ “80s Mercedes” and quickly made an impression. Kelly Clarkson and Queen Latifah turned their chairs early in the performance, while Riley Green joined them later, giving McElroy three coaches to choose from.
Adam Levine did not turn his chair, although he acknowledged that McElroy had delivered a strong performance.
McElroy’s Alabama roots made the decision particularly interesting. Green is also from Alabama, and the country star made a direct case for why joining his team would make sense. He pointed to their similar backgrounds and his connection to country music.
That appeared to make Green the natural choice. McElroy, however, had other plans.
Clarkson put plenty of effort into her pitch, reminding McElroy that she has already coached winning artists on The Voice. She also leaned into her own Texas roots and her experience with country music as she tried to persuade the Alabama singer.
Her persistence paid off.
After considering her options, McElroy announced that she was joining Team Kelly. The decision surprised the coaches and the audience, particularly after Green had seemed like such an obvious fit for the country singer.
Kelly Clarkson celebrates while Riley Green takes the joke in stride
Clarkson immediately jumped out of her chair and rushed toward her newest team member to celebrate.
Green, meanwhile, remained seated with a notably deadpan expression before looking toward Adam Levine and laughing at Clarkson’s reaction.
Then came the part that caught the attention of fans watching at home.
As the show transitioned out of the moment, Megan Moroney’s “Man on the Moon” began playing.
For viewers familiar with the long-running speculation involving Green and Moroney, the song choice felt almost too perfectly timed.
Green even appeared to play along with the joke. Looking toward Levine, he pointed the blame at the situation and said, “That’s on you. That’s messed up.”
The moment quickly became one of the more amusing exchanges from McElroy’s audition.
Why the Megan Moroney song got fans talking
The joke works because of the speculation that has surrounded Green and Moroney for much of 2026.
Green fueled renewed fan discussion in February when he shared a preview of “P.O.S.” on social media on the same day Moroney released her album Cloud 9. Fans connected the timing to Moroney’s song “Who Hurt You?”, which she later confirmed was about Green.
Green, however, has repeatedly denied that “P.O.S.” was written as a response to Moroney. He has said that he and Randy Montana wrote the song roughly six months before Cloud 9 was released and that the timing of his social media post was coincidental. During a conversation with Pat McAfee, Green even joked, “I don’t think I’m smart enough to pull that off.”
Moroney has been much more direct about the inspiration behind “Who Hurt You?” In a 2026 interview, she explained that she deliberately made the song’s subject obvious enough that listeners could figure it out by searching online.
None of that means the Voice producers were intentionally referencing the situation when “Man on the Moon” played. But given the timing, it was an easy connection for fans to make, and the choice certainly added another layer to an already entertaining coach-versus-contestant moment.
Fans want the joke to go even further
After seeing the song appear at precisely that moment, fans have already joked about what could happen next.
The obvious escalation would be for another contestant to perform a Megan Moroney song during a Blind Audition while Green is sitting in his coach’s chair.
Considering how much attention the Green-Moroney speculation has received, that would certainly give the show another opportunity for a well-timed musical joke.
For now, though, “Man on the Moon” appearing immediately after McElroy chose Clarkson was enough to get viewers talking.
When is The Voice back?
Season 30 of The Voice premiered September 21, 2026, with Kelly Clarkson and Adam Levine returning as coaches and Riley Green and Queen Latifah joining the panel for the first time. NBC has scheduled the regular season around Monday and Tuesday night broadcasts, with episodes also available to stream on Peacock the following day.
The Blind Auditions continue as the four coaches build their teams, with McElroy now officially part of Team Kelly.
And if another contestant happens to sing a Megan Moroney song in front of Riley Green, viewers will probably be paying very close attention to the soundtrack.
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