Dan + Shay Sing an Impromptu First Dance Song for ‘The Voice’ Contestant [Watch]
Dan + Shay didn't turn their chairs for country-pop contestant Zoe Levert, but they had what might be an even more unforgettable experience with her on the Monday night (March 11) episode of The Voice.
As the show makes its way to the end of the Blind Audition rounds, Levert took the stage with a breathy performance of "Better Man," a 2016 country hit Taylor Swift wrote for Little Big Town.
Though the original recording was a big country hit, Swift's version of the song is fresh on fans' minds: She included "Better Man" as a "From the Vault" track off her Red (Taylor's Version) album in 2021.
Neither of the country coaches — Dan + Shay or Reba McEntire — turned their chairs for Levert's audition, but coach John Legend heard something in the vocal runs at the end of her performance, smashing his chair-turn button at the very last second.
As she introduced herself to the coaches, the New Orleans, La., native told Dan + Shay about a special connection she has to them:
"I'm getting married next year. My fiancé's here. Our first dance song is 'From the Ground Up,'" she said.
The country duo's hit 2016 ballad is one of country's great modern love songs, and it's a popular wedding song pick for country fans, so it's not a huge surprise that Levert would choose it for her special day.
Still, the connection was worth celebrating: Dan + Shay hopped onstage to give Levert and her fiancé a live rendition of "From the Ground Up" as they slow-danced around The Voice's stage.
"No pressure at all, but we actually have a pastor here if you guys just wanna knock it out right now," Shay Mooney joked. "John, are you ordained?"
"Uh, we got a vacation Bible school teacher here, he might be ordained," John Legend replies, seemingly gesturing toward fellow coach Chance the Rapper.
Related: 40 First Dance Songs for a Country Fan's Wedding
They didn't ultimately have the full ceremony there and then, but Dan + Shay did give a romantic "rehearsal" performance for the happy couple, as the rest of the coaches — and the audience — watched the special moment.
The country duo have a reputation for wedding ballads, and their performance proved exactly why: They've got a special talent for sweeping, fairy-tale-perfect love songs. Coach McEntire and Coach Legend both seemed moved nearly to tears, while Coach Chance pulled out his phone to capture video.
"It's okay that you didn't pick us 'cause we didn't turn around," Mooney riffed at one point during the song. "You're in good hands with John Legend."
"I'm so happy for you for everything that's happening in your life. I'm so happy you got to be serenaded by these amazing artists over here," Legend told Zoe after Dan + Shay's performance was finished. "Only on The Voice, folks. Only on The Voice."
The Voice airs on Monday and Tuesday nights on NBC.
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Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes