It was the end of an era as Tuesday night (May 23) sound crowned its 2023 winner, and coach Blake Shelton hung up his cowboy hat for the last time.
After months of blind auditions, tears, cheers, fighting and some shocking moments, the five contestants battled it out on the second night of the two-part Grand Finals.
On the first night, which aired Monday on NBC, Gina Miles, Grace West, D.Smooth, Sorel and Noivas graced the stage for solo performances, respectively.
Tonight, each finalist teams up with their coach for a duet. And faced the final countdown.
One topic that bubbled up through the season focused on Shelton, and whether the outgoing nine-time winning coach would leave the reality TV show on a high note.
For this swansong, Shelton got two chances from his rival coaches. On Tuesday, he performed Michael Bublé’s “Home” with the Novas and Blake’s own hit “Lonely Tonight” with Grace West. Can he, can he do it again? Flat answer, no.
As the season ended in 23rd, Niall Horan’s teammate Gina Myles took the glory.
The 19-year-old from Nashville, TN, broke hearts with her rendition of “Nothing Compares 2 U,” Prince’s classic ’90s number made popular by Sinéad O’Connor, and a cover of Taylor Swift’s “Style.”
When she duets with Horan on Billy Joel’s “New York State of Mind” sound The audience had seen enough.
Freshman Horan enjoys the rub of the green. Blake, who almost missed out in his quest to crack double figures, can call it the luck of the Irish.
“I’ve been wrestling with this for some time, and I’ve decided that after season 23, the time has come for me to step away from The Voice,” Shelton said in a statement. “This show has changed my life for the better in every way, and it will always feel like home to me. It’s been one hell of a ride these 12 years of Chair Turn, and I want to thank every producer, writers, musicians, crew and catering people at The Voice from NBC; You are the best.”
Shelton’s teammate Grace West finished second, and Kelly Clarkson’s singer D.Smooth completed the podium.
The Victorious Miles collects a six-figure cash prize and a recording contract with Universal Republic Records.
