Blake Shelton And Grace West Unite During ‘The Voice’ Finale To Peform ‘Lonely Tonight’
The sentimental song appears on Blake Shelton’s eighth studio album, “Bringing Back The Sunshine.”
Blake Shelton and Grace West teamed up for one final performance during The Voice finale on Tuesday evening (May 23).
The season 23 finalist and her coach joined forces to perform “Lonely Tonight,” a collaboration that originally features Shelton and Ashley Monroe.
Throughout the performance, Shelton and West matched each other’s energy and undeniable talent as they effortlessly traded off singing the opening lines before coming together to belt out the powerful chorus.
“We don’t have to be lonely tonight / Need you, want you, I’m right here / We don’t have to be lonely tonight / I know we shouldn’t, but I don’t care / I don’t wanna be right, I don’t wanna be strong / I just wanna hold you till the heart breaks stone / When the sun comes up, we can both move on / But we don’t have to be lonely tonight,” Shelton and West sang together in perfect harmony while commanding the brightly-lit stage.
Co-written Brent Anderson and Ryan Hurd and produced by Scott Hendricks, “Lonely Tonight” appears on Blake Shelton’s eighth studio album, Bringing Back The Sunshine.
This performance followed West’s emotional delivery of Patsy Cline’s “She’s Got You” during night one of The Voice Season 23 finale. On Monday, May 22, West donned a shimmery, floor-length gown and brilliantly made the chart-topping hit of 1962 her own.
As her voice boomed throughout the packed audience, West confidently connected with the song’s message of accepting heartbreak following a love that left nothing but a memory.
“I’ve got your class ring / That proved you cared / And it still looks the same / As when you gave it, dear / The only thing different / The only thing new / I’ve got these little things / She’s got you,” she sang in the chorus that caused Shelton to sway in approval.
After receiving a standing ovation from her mentor, the budding female songstress first heard from Niall who claimed that she saved her “best two performances of the season for tonight.”
“You’ve really grown into it and we’ve seen the best of you tonight for sure,” he continued. “Some of the stuff that you were doing there, the jump between the top of your range and the bottom was just insane. It’s so hard to do, especially coming from top to bottom. That was so impressive. Two beautiful songs. I love that song.”
Shelton then chimed in as he said, “I feel like a finale just broke out here. Like, this is unbelievable. I’ve been sitting here watching all of this tonight going, ‘man, everybody sounds really good. Everybody’s great. Like, how’s anybody gonna pick?’ And then you just did that and now people are starting to pick out there. That was unbelievable, Grace. Congratulations.”
Earlier on in the night, the Team Blake Shelton kicked things off with an upbeat performance of Reba McEntire’s “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia.” Wearing a fiery-red pantsuit, West showed a new side to her artistry as she took Shelton’s advice and sang the track in her “full voice.”
“I grew up on that song. I love hearing you sing. We’ve never heard you sing this kind of song before,” Kelly Clarkson said in response. “You have pretty falsetto, but you also have a lot of power.”
“This season has been such a short season,” Shelton added. “We haven’t gotten to see the artists do everything they can do, but I thought it was really important and a good move for you to do something up-tempo… the way you were able to flow through it and play with it in the pocket a little bit towards the end, it was incredible!”
The two-hour season finale also featured performances from Maroon 5, Toosi, CeeLo Green, as well as Diplo featuring Lily Rose, and more.
In addition, Blake Shelton joined forces with NOIVAS and Grace West, while Kelly Clarkson took to The Voice stage with D. Smooth. Niall Horan performed alongside Gina Miles and Chance The Rapper harmonized with the trio, Sorelle.
The show also included special appearances from John Legend, Gwen Stefani, Camila Cabello, Jennifer Hudson, Nick Jonas, Usher, Pharrell Williams and Dolly Parton.
It was surely an emotional evening as the show marked Blake Shelton final show as a coach on The Voice.
The Voice aired on Tuesday (May 23) at 9/8c via NBC.
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.
You may also like
Country Next
Playlist
On Repeat
Get the latest country music news delivered straight to your inbox.
