Artist Christina Eagle has moved through challenge after challenge on The Voice Season 26 with an entertainer’s swagger, proving herself as a rising country star with a lot of personality. The Playoffs are the time for pulling out all the stops, and thanks to Coach Snoop Dogg, Eagle did exactly that on the show this week with a cover of a song by one of The Voice Coaches.
But it wasn’t just any song by one of the Coaches. It was “Fancy,” the signature song of Reba McEntire, the Queen of Country. Originally written and recorded by Bobbie Gentry, the single became a massive hit for McEntire when she released her version in 1990, and it’s been her calling card ever since. No matter how many other hits she’s had, “Fancy” is Reba’s trademark, so it took some guts for Coach Snoop Dogg to select it for Eagle, and even more for Eagle to sing it.
“Don’t overthink it,” Snoop told his singer during rehearsals. “It’s more or less like, ‘Let me show how much I love you. Snoop is my Coach but he ain’t got nothin’ like this.'”
Watch Christina Eagle Perform Reba McEntire’s “Fancy” On The Voice Season 26 Playoffs
When it came time for the performance, Eagle put her own stamp on “Fancy,” dancing across the stage in a showcase of her youthful energy while also belting out McEntire’s signature hit with her own sense of country power. By the end, McEntire was the first to weigh in, and she was impressed.
“Really? Oh my gosh, that was incredible,” McEntire said. “I loved the way you changed it around, your choreography was great, you were passionate about it. Wonderful!”
Coach Gwen Stefani, who knows a thing or two about country music and definitely knows a thing or two about Reba, was also struck by Eagle’s confidence.
“That song is really hard because it’s a character song, it’s telling a story, and then under the pressure of having the Queen sit here and watch you and judge you,” Stefani said. “I am really excited for you and your future.”
But of course, the person Eagle really had to impress was Snoop, and it’s safe to say he loved what he saw.
“You performed with such confidence, you damn near walked over here to me and Reba and walked in our laps,” Snoop said. “That’s courageousness, you took charge, and that’s some of the thing I was looking for from you. Thank you for making me happy.”
After proclaiming his young singer “the total package,” it’s no wonder that Snoop chose Eagle as one of his two vocalists to advance to the Live shows that will close out the season. So, Christina Eagle is a Voice semifinalist, and Reba McEntire is left admiring her young counterpart’s ability to shake her hips.
“Sexy Meemaw can’t do that no more,” Reba joked after the performance.
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