‘The Voice’ Contestant Jordan Rainer Performs ‘Fancy’ In Front Of ‘The Queen’ Reba McEntire, Earns Impressive Four-Chair Turn
This epic audition marked the first of the season.
Jordan Rainer; Photo Courtesy of The Voice
Jordan Rainer, a 33-year-old from Atoka, Jordan Rainer, earned a four-chair turn on NBC’s The Voice season 24 premiere with an impressive cover of Reba McEntire’s hit, “Fancy.”
On Monday (Sept. 25), the Oklahoma native, who currently resides in Nashville, took to the stage to deliver a show-stopping performance of the McEntire tune, which was penned by Bobbie Gentry and first recorded by Gentry in 1969.
Donning an all-black ensemble complete with a wide-brim hat and circular sunglasses, Rainer strummed her acoustic guitar while belting out the lyrics to the iconic country hit.
“She said, ‘here’s your one chance, Fancy, don’t let me down / Here’s your one chance, Fancy, don’t let me down,’” Rainer sings on the tune’s chorus.
Four-Chair Turn
Her stunning rendition of the McEntire track impressed all four coaches: Reba McEntire, Niall Horan, Gwen Stefani and John Legend. McEntire was the first to turn her big red chair followed by Horan, Stefani and Legend.
Following Rainer’s blind audition, she detailed why she chose to audition with McEntire’s “Fancy,” explaining that it’s “because it’s the best and honestly, it was written by a strong woman.”
Rainer continued, “It was made famous by a strong woman. And it represents lyrically what women do to survive. And I’m a woman who has done what I’ve had to do to survive, and so I feel that song in every bone in my body.”
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After offering Rainer a standing ovation, Reba McEntire, Niall Horan, Gwen Stefani and John Legend then praised her strong audition.
Horan admitted the delivery gave him “goosebumps” before Gwen Stefani chimed in, pointing out the risky choice of performing a McEntire song in front of “the queen” herself.
Stefani commented on Rainer’s bold move. “This is really difficult. The queen is here. You sing her song and I’m Gwen Stefani doing ska music from Anaheim, California,” Stefani continued. ”I am new to country music. Eight years ago I met Blake and that got me into the genre more, but it’s really about how do I get you to grow and compete with everybody else that’s on this show. One thing I also could help you with is obviously song choices. I could just be like Blake.”
“Honestly, I would love to work with you. You’re very gifted,” she said in conclusion.
Horan then added, “When we turned and it all matched up. The energy in your vocal to the energy and the performance, the sunglasses, the hat. Being Irish, there’s an element of our music that really feeds into country music. A lot of folk, A lot of that finger picks up. Oh my gosh. I’ve really fallen in love with country music and you are definitely a country star. I would be an absolute honor to work with you.”
Further attempting to have Rainer join his team, Horan pulled an unexpected stunt as he hit his button again. The button played a recording of Blake Shelton, a former coach on The Voice, which found Shelton praising Horan, calling him “a global superstar,” among other persuading terms.
Next, it was McEntire’s turn to try and convince the contestant to join her team by discussing the shared aspects of their lives. This prompted Rainer to reveal that she recently performed in McEntire’s newly opened restaurant, bar, retail store, and live music venue located in her home state of Oklahoma.
“If you did choose me as your coach, you know we’d have a blast,” McEntire said before later adding, “We would have such a good time together talking about old times in Atoka, Oklahoma. And I would keep you away from Niall the whole time because he’s a wild man.”
“Wait a second, I have one other thing to say… I also do TV and we love to do a little acting and you would be perfect for that.”
Legend went on to boast about Rainer’s vocals and ability to entertain.
“Real Deal”
“You’re a real deal singer with great range, great charisma, great stage presence. You’re going to do fantastically on the show,” he gushed.
Rainer’s audition marked the first of Season 24 of The Voice.
Tune into the singing competition show on Monday, September 25 at 8/7c on NBC to find out who Jordan Rainer chose as her coach.
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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