‘The Voice’ coach Reba McEntire couldn’t let this singer go — and her dramatic choice left Snoop speechless

(L-R) Screenshot of Reba McEntire from ‘The Voice’; Screenshot of Snoop Dogg from ‘The Voice'(Cover Image Source: (L-R) YouTube | The Voice)

‘The Voice’s stage has always been lit with awesome performances that gave judges many unforgettable moments. However, during the premiere of season 26 auditions, Kendall Eugene, a country artist, delivered performed Morgan Wallen’s ‘Don’t Thank Jesus.’ As soon as the performance got over, Gwen Stefani told Eugene, “Even though I loved the tenderness of your voice, there was some tuning thing going on. I think you should come back.” Michael Bublé also turned Eugene down and said, “If you had chosen a different song, maybe I would have turned around.” But the episode takes an unexpected turn when judge Reba McEntire comments, “Your style is totally different than anything we’ve heard today… I liked everything about it,” McEntire said, prompting Eugene to say she “should’ve turned.

“I was going to say those same words,” the ‘You Lie’ singer responded. To this, Snoop Dogg, giving insight into his own decision, said, “That brings me to the reason why I didn’t turn.” He explained, “I’m like, I can’t beat her (McEntire) when it comes to him.” He continued, “It was a beautiful song.” Visibly intrigued, he also asked Eugene about the lyrics, “What did it say? Jesus didn’t do it that way?” Eugene nodded, “Yes, I don’t think Jesus did it that way,” to which Dogg promptly responded, “I like that.” McEntire, still burdened with regret, shared, “I don’t understand why I did not turn around.” After a pause, she bent the rules and said, “We’ve got this new thing this year, which is a Coach Replay button. I’m going to use mine,” and she hit her button, creating history on ‘The Voice.’
Screenshot of Reba McEntire judging Kendall Eugene’s performance from ‘The Voice'(Image Source: YouTube | The Voice)
This gesture from McEntire moved Eugene and his family to tears, leaving Snoop Dogg also visibly moved. “Wow! Go give that man a hug,” he said, wiping tears from his face. McEntire then told on camera backstage, “I love that song that Kendall was singing. After the song was over, I felt kind of numb. I knew in my heart I wanted him on my team. I’m so glad that for the very first time, we have a Coach Replay button. It’s the second chance for the coaches when we realized we missed this moment.”

As soon as the episode aired, fans flocked to the YouTube comments section to applaud Eugene’s performance. One said, “I watch the voice of several countries, and I can tell you that there are many people in the world who are extremely talented like this person. Congratulations, Kendall Eugene, and thank you, Reba. He deserves it. Greetings from Belgium.” Another chimed in, “The Coach Replay is a nice touch. I feel many people don’t get a chair turn when they deserve it, so I hope this stays for future seasons.” Fans also praised the emotional reaction from the judges. One wrote, “Snoop Dogg shedding tears of happiness for this man is wonderful to see. That’s a real man right there.”

This wasn’t the first time the new judge, Snoop Dogg, shed his tears on national TV. Per The U.S. Sun, during an episode where Team Snoop’s Jeremy Beloate performed his first song, Dogg’s tears began to fall – and never stopped. Host Carson Daly noticed the unconsolable sobbing and quipped, “19 minutes in, and you’re already crying. You are part of so many companies.” He then added, “If you’re not a spokesperson for Kleenex tomorrow, someone on your team is doing something wrong.”