Kelsea Ballerini was brought to tears—twice—by a contestant on The Voice who performed Cody Johnson’s “Dirt Cheap.”
By Website Content Manager
Kelsea Ballerini isn’t shy about showing her emotions.
On the March 31 episode of The Voice, the country singer became teary-eyed while listening to her contestant, Angie Rey, perform Cody Johnson’s “Dirt Cheap.”
Ballerini, 31, was moved to tears during the rehearsals for the knockout rounds, prompting Rey to stop mid-performance and give her coach a comforting hug.
“I love this song, sorry guys,” Ballerini told the group before explaining the source of her tears.
“I got emotional because my dog is really sick. But that’s what country music does—it talks about real life and the tough things we don’t always know how to express,” she shared. (Ballerini’s dog, Dibs, was diagnosed with inoperable cancer in his heart last August while The Voice was filming.)
The “Peter Pan” singer then gave her contestant some constructive feedback, suggesting she avoid “over pushing” in the chorus and emphasized that “less is more.”
“This song has a lyric that’s going to resonate with everyone watching,” Ballerini remarked during a one-on-one. “Obviously, it got to me for a lot of reasons, but I think it’ll touch everyone.”
Rey was competing against Iris Herrera, who performed “Jolene” by Ray LaMontagne, in the knockout round. After their performances, the two contestants shared a heartfelt embrace.
When it was time for feedback, Ballerini, clearly emotional, confessed, “I’m going to cry again on TV.”
Rey responded with kind words, saying, “You’re so graceful in the way that you deal with things. You just cry, we all cry, and that doesn’t mean you’re not graceful. You’re a great coach.”
With tears in her eyes, Ballerini replied, “You were just so lovely, and I really appreciated you holding back a little and showing more of that storytelling side of your voice because that’s such an important part of country music. I just think you’re amazing.”
The “Love Is a Cowboy” singer also shared some thoughtful feedback with Herrera. “Iris, your voice is so unique—it’s so beautiful, lived-in, and it has that storyteller quality,” she said.
When host Carson Daly asked Ballerini to make her decision, she responded, “I hate this.”
“I’m so inspired by both of you. The winner of this knockout is Iris,” the “Baggage” singer announced.
“I was really proud of both of them,” Ballerini continued. “Iris just feels further along in her vocal journey. Watching her get vulnerable and emotional is why I chose her. I already have some song ideas for the playoffs, so now she just has to lean into that grit.”
As Rey left the stage, coach Michael Bublé quickly pressed his steal button.
“I wanted her to be able to hug her coach before she came to win the show with her new coach,” said the 49-year-old Canadian crooner. “I stole Angie because she’s a modern country artist. She fills that country void on my team, and there’s no limit to where this woman can go.”