‘The Voice’: Kelly Clarkson Is Stunned by a Cover of Her Own Song

Kelly Clarkson was left nearly speechless during Monday night’s newest episode of The Voice after a contestant “one-upped” her on her own song. During the night’s blind auditions, Nashville native Kelsie Watts performed a slowed-down cover of Clarkson’s “I Dare You,” an option that, as has been seen in the past — Lauren Hall was sent home in Season 17 after covering “Breakaway” — typically isn’t the best idea, though her more intimate performance left the American Idol alum completely stunned.

Prior to taking the stage, Watts acknowledged the risk she was taking, though she said it was worth it. Ahead of her audition, she said, “I’d rather take a risk and give it all I got than be safe and no one turns around.” She then began her cover, which Clarkson immediately recognized was her own song, telling her fellow judges, “It’s my song!”

The rendition proved to win Clarkson over, because she pushed the button and turned her chair around just before fellow judge Gwen Stefani, who noted that Clarkson “hardly ever” pushes her button “when someone sings your song.” As the Season 19 contestant finished her song, Clarkson exclaimed, “You gotta sing that song! Oh, my gosh, you just one-upped me on my own song!” Clarkson also noted how rare it is for her to turn her chair around when a contestant performs one of her own songs, admitting that she’s “very hard on it. But I was like, you cannot come out here and sing my song like that and not have me turn around.”

The other judges also praised Watts, with Clarkson petitioning her to let her be her coach, stating, “there’s nothing cooler, first of all, than someone liking your song enough to cover it, but secondly, to make it even better than it was, which is what you just did.” Watts eventually went for Team Kelly. After the win, Clarkson boasted that Watts “is one of those singers you can throw anything at, and she is excited by the challenge. I would be shocked if she wasn’t in the finale.”

Following the evening’s episode, Clarkson took to Twitter to react, again stating that Watts sang her song even “better” than she has. She said “that’s why I had to turn around” and added that she’s “so excited to have” Watts on her team.

New episodes of The Voice air Mondays and Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on NBC. Stay tuned to PopCulture.com for the latest updates.