24-Year-Old Kristen Brown Catches Gwen Stefani and Reba McEntire’s Attention With Carrie Underwood Cover On ‘The Voice’
Did she join Team Gwen or Team Reba?
Kristen Brown; Photo by: Greg Gayne/NBC
Kristen Brown performed a soaring cover of Carrie Underwood’s “Blown Away” during The Voice Blind Auditions on the Season 24 premiere of NBC’s The Voice on Monday evening (Sept. 25).
The California native first had the opportunity to introduce herself, revealing that she was originally a member of a country group called Auburn Road. The all-girl trio had the opportunity to open for artists such as Toby Keith and Morgan Wallen, however, in 2021, Brown decided to leave the group to pursue a solo career.
Previously A Member Of Trio Auburn Road
Now a solo artist, Brown oversees all aspects of her career, from songwriting to producing. She also manages her own career.
The 24-year-old is a longtime country music fan and considers herself to be a country artist with an “edge” to her music.
Carrie Underwood Cover
When it was time for her to step onto The Voice stage for her blind audition, Brown chose to sing Carrie Underwood’s “Blown Away.” The song is the title track off Underwood’s fourth studio album and climbed to the top of the country airplay charts following its release to country radio in 2012.
This performance allowed Kristen Brown to showcase her vocal range as she drew listeners in with the song’s powerful narrative. With her vocal abilities and stage presence, it quickly became clear that Brown was an early standout contestant in the competition.
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Her performance earned a two-chair turn, prompting both Gwen Stefani and Reba McEntire to turn their big red chairs for her.
Two-Chair Turn
“I thought your performance was lovely. I especially love the second half. You’re very fortunate to have these two ladies fighting over you,” John Legend, who did not turn his chair, admitted.
McEntire was a fan of the performance and declared that she did the song justice.
“I’m Reba. Carrie Underwood, [is] a buddy of mine, love the song and you did it justice,” McEntire pointed out. “Thank you. I was very taken with your performance. I did notice a little, few pitchy things, but your enthusiasm was wonderful. Now, in my career I’ve had a lot of mentors, so I am very full aware of what you want to hear, what you need to hear, and I would love to be your coach and help you out to win this competition.”
Stefani knew she was up against Reba McEntire and did her best to convince the country hopeful to join Team Gwen.
“This is really difficult because Reba is the queen, so it’s hard to fight against her, but I’m going to fight her right now,” she confessed.
“Not trying to brag, but I did have… Lemme just do the stats. It’s a safe space,” Stefani continued, before boasting, ”I’ve had two number one country hits on country radio riding the coattails of Blake Shelton, so I’m very proud. But no, honestly, I really did love your performance. I thought you have a really interesting tone. You’re like a diamond in the rough. The thing is, is that everything that I try to pitch, she has done it as well, but 10 times more.”
Legend then chimed in to help Stefani’s pitch, saying “she has not won The Voice.”
Stefani then concluded, “To be able to share with you everything that I’ve ever learned. It’s my dream. I’ve done all of the stuff that you want to do. I want to mother you. Okay?”
McEntire then joked, “You are right. I have not won a season of The Voice… yet, so we can make music together so I rest to my case.”
Team Gwen
Ultimately, to much surprise, Brown chose to join Team Gwen.
“I’m really excited to have a country girl on my team. I just kept fighting and she picked me,” Stefani exclaimed.
Season 24 Underway
This blind audition aired during the official kick-off of Season 24 of The Voice, ushering in the new star-studded panel of coaches, which includes Niall Horan, John Legend, Reba McEntire and Gwen Stefani.
Niall Horan returns for his second consecutive season, alongside Gwen Stefani and John Legend, both of whom have made their comebacks to The Voice following a brief hiatus.
Meanwhile, Reba McEntire is making her debut as a coach on The Voice, replacing Blake Shelton, who announced his decision to step down from the singing competition earlier this year. Shelton appeared on The Voice for a total of 23 Seasons and holds the title of the longest and winningest coach in the history of the show with nine wins.
Lauren Jo Black is a longtime country music journalist, editor, host, and media personality whose work has helped shape the conversation around country music for nearly two decades. As the current Editor-in-Chief of Country Now, she has become one of the genre’s most respected voices, interviewing hundreds of country music’s biggest stars, including Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, Randy Travis, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, and countless others. Over the course of her career, Black’s written work and interviews have reached billions of country music fans worldwide. A 2009 graduate of the University of Central Florida, Black began her career by founding Country Music Is Love, one of country music’s earliest independent digital publications, which she later sold to a major record label in 2015 before it was rebranded as Sounds Like Nashville. She then served as the publication’s Editor-in-Chief for more than two years. Her work has also appeared in Forbes, and she previously served as the Country Music Expert for Answers.com. Widely recognized for her expertise, Black has appeared as a featured guest on The Bobby Bones Show, BobbyCast, and Scripps News Morning Rush, providing insight on country music’s biggest moments. She has also hosted Country Now Live, a concert series featuring performances from artists including Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Riley Green, Jordan Davis, Dustin Lynch, Gabby Barrett, Brett Young, Jon Pardi, Kip Moore, Chris Young, and more. The series has welcomed thousands of fans in person while reaching millions more online. In addition, she hosted Connect With Country Now, a weekly interview series featuring conversations with rising country stars. Throughout her career, Black has earned a reputation for discovering and championing artists long before they become household names. She has covered Luke Bryan since the early days of his career, beginning when he was writing songs for other artists, including Billy Currington’s No. 1 hit “Good Directions,” before stepping into the spotlight with his debut single, “All My Friends Say” and eventually becoming one of biggest names in music. She also gave Megan Moroney her first opportunity to walk a major red carpet as Country Now’s official guest correspondent at the 2022 CMA Awards. An interview she conducted in 2018 for Forbes.com with Luke Combs that inspired his multi-week No. 1 hit, “Doin’ This.” She has also hosted stages at CMA Fest, moderated an industry panel at Country Radio Seminar, and helped lead important conversations about the evolving landscape of country music media. Beyond journalism, Black has also used her platform to support charitable causes and highlight organizations making an impact. Through Country Now Live, she has helped raise awareness and support for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, while also advocating for animal rescue through Country Now’s Pupdate series, spotlighting organizations including MuttNation Foundation, Wags & Walks, and Proverbs 12:10 Animal Rescue. Black has been recognized as one of Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. She is a longtime member of both the Country Music Association (CMA) and the Academy of Country Music (ACM). After nearly 20 years covering country music, Lauren Jo Black has spent her career telling the stories behind the artists, songs, and moments that have shaped the genre. Her first-ever book, Country Music Forever: An A-to-Z Celebration of Icons, Songs and Stories, brings that same passion and firsthand knowledge to the page, celebrating not only the legendary artists and timeless songs that have become the soundtrack to generations of fans, but also the places, traditions, and cultural moments that have made country music one of the most beloved genres around the world.
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