‘The Voice’: Gwen Stefani Surprised by Former Backup Singer

Gwen Stefani had quite a surprise during the Blind Auditions on The Voice. She and rookie coach Reba McEntire had turned around Ms. Monet. A former backup singer, she sang Steve Winwood’s “Higher Love.” In a video package prior to her audition via Entertainment Tonight, Ms. Monet mentioned that she has done a lot of backup work for many artists, but she was ready to step into the spotlight. After finishing her performance, she tells the coaches she has worked with some big names like Faith Hill and Tim McGraw, Queen Latifah, and many more.

It was then that Ms. Monet told Stefani they had worked together before. It turns out that she sang backup for Stefani’s 2017 Christmas album You Make It Feel Like Christmas. Stefani immediately got excited as Ms. Monet briefly sang the title track, which features hubby and former coach Blake Shelton. “I knew it!” the No Doubt singer exclaimed. “I knew I had to press. Can you imagine if I didn’t press how stupid I would feel right now?” Meanwhile, John Legend was wondering if she ever sang for him, and Ms. Monet admitted she “almost” did.

Despite the history, Ms. Monet actually went with McEntire. It seems like that was a pretty good choice. The 50-year-old California native advanced through the Battles, having sung “New Attitude” by Patti LaBelle against CORii. Her days of being a backup singer are clearly over. While she still has to get through the Knockouts and the live shows, she’s still closer than she was to winning The Voice. She has some star power, that’s for sure. It’s going to be amusing to see what comes next for her and how far she is able to go. Even if she doesn’t win, she has quite a bright future ahead.

Ms. Monet isn’t the only surprise that The Voice Season 24 has had during the Blinds. Music legend Bobby Womack’s niece, Jarae Womack, impressed coaches enough to get a four-chair turn. With music basically part of her DNA, it was no surprise that she was able to get them all to turn around. She decided to go with a coach who suited her needs, John Legend. Unfortunately, after going against Lila Forde during the Battles with “Killing Me Softly” by Roberta Flack, Jarae was sent home. Since she has such a powerhouse voice, it wouldn’t be surprising if she continued her music career.

Make sure to tune in on Mondays and Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on NBC to see more of the Battles. Hopefully, Ms. Monet will make it all the way, but fans will want to vote and support her so that it happens.