Season 26 of The Voice has one of the most diverse vocal lineups in the history of the show and it’s making for some interesting Knockouts. The Team Bublé Knockout in the season’s 13th episode was perhaps most representative of the show’s unusual vocal pairings, when Michael Bublé matched 17-year-old Shye, 19-year-old Edward Preble, and 38-year-old J.Paul in a three-way fight for a spot in the Playoffs.
Shye has a deep and commanding voice capable of transforming well-known songs into something totally new. J.Paul’s tonal command and vocal range let him run the field from booming bass notes to piercing sopranos. Preble, meanwhile, is a time capsule of a bygone era, a teenager hellbent on keeping the midcentury crooner sound and aesthetic alive.
“I want to show the younger generation this music,” Preble said. “If I’m able to do that and then one day I can look around me and there’s lots of different crooners and jazz singers, that would make me very happy.” To that end, Preble selected Frank Sinatra’s “Send in the Clowns,” a classic of the genre. Aside from a few minor tweaks, his Coach Michael Bublé and Mega Mentor Jennifer Hudson didn’t have many notes for him during rehearsals.
“He’s his own thing. He’s a voice that kind of only comes around once in a lifetime. Edward is classic and he is also timeless. That’s a star,” Hudson said.
Edward Preble Gets Stolen After Singing “Bring in the Clowns” on The Voice Knockouts
Preble opened the Knockout, conjuring Sinatra himself to sell the song. He does this genre very well and it lends itself to earnestness and emotion, but it’s not as bombastic or as engaging for most listeners as more modern musical stylings. Preble was followed by J.Paul singing “Kiss From a Rose” by Seal, and Shye closed out the Knockout with Katy Perry’s “The One That Got Away.”
“I’m going to call you Eddie, Fast Eddie, because Eddie you’re a fast learner,” Snoop Dogg said. “I closed my eyes and I thought Frank Sinatra was singing on stage.”
“Edward, you have fascinated me since the very beginning. For you to be still in your teens, you’re such a mature soul,” Reba McEntire said, keeping the rest of her feelings close to the vest. Gwen Stefani agreed, saying, “Edward, I’m with Reba. I’m just fascinated by you,” Stefani said, though she leaned toward J.Paul as the winner of the Knockout. In the end, it came down to Bublé to decide who would go to the Playoffs and who would go home.
“There’s no right choice because all three of you are completely distinct from one another,” Bublé said. “Edward, my amigo, my taller double, we stand on the shoulders of our heroes, my friend… I love that you are finding your way quickly and adapting. More than anything, you have a good soul.”
Unfortunately for Preble, this show is called The Voice, not The Soul, and Bublé crowned Shye the winner of the Knockout. Fortunately for Preble, he was about to receive a life raft. Endlessly charming, Preble used his final comments to praise his competition. “Honestly, I think you made a great choice. She [Shye] has a great, amazing, powerful voice and I could see her going very far in this competition,” Preble said.
Then Reba used her Steal to snap him up.
“I loved Edward from the very beginning. He is a character, he’s got a great sense of humor… it’s going to be fun working with him,” McEntire said.
