WATCH: Grace West Stuns With Patsy Cline And Reba McEntire Covers On ‘The Voice’
West is a member of Team Blake.
Grace West; Photo by: Trae Patton/NBC
Grace West unveiled an emotional performance of Patsy Cline’s “She’s Got You” during night one of The Voice Season 23 finale.
The Team Blake Shelton contestant claimed the mic for the second time of the night, after kicking 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!”
For her final performance of the competition, she 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.”
Ahead of her show-stopping performance, West also received some words of encouragement from her grandpa.
The letter began, “Dear Gracie, I knew from the age of 12, you were going to be a star. Your courage at that age showed me your confidence in performing and has gotten better every year. I remember going to watch you perform at one of your many shows. You had broken one of your strings on your guitar and didn’t have a replacement yet, you didn’t panic or let that stop you. You still put on a perfect show with just five strings. I knew then how destined you were to be a performer.”
Before continuing, West took a moment to soak in the words written directly from the heart as they described the legacy that she has carried with her to the stage on this competition.
“It is my great privilege to pass down my guitars to you as a collector,” she read. “Watching you pick them up and play them has been an honor seeing you perform on the voice stage with the Gibson Acoustic that has my mother’s name and the trust rod cover meant so much. We call her ‘Ginny,’ short for Virginia after my mother, and it was my best playing and best-looking electric guitar I ever had.”
“You deserve that guitar and deserve all those moments on the voice stage, you are effortlessly you. I continue to watch the live shows alone as I have the others, as it causes emotions in mind to make me cry. Love always your grandpa, Papa,” he wrote in conclusion.
This 19-year-old singer from Michigan was the last of the hopeful artists to join the “No Body” singer’s team during the blind audition, and now she’s made it to the finale round alongside her fellow team member, NOVIAS.
Monday evening’s show served as the first of a two-night season finale of NBC’s The Voice, where the Top 5 finalists faced off for America’s vote.
The Voice returns on Tuesday (May 23) at 8/7c with a star-studded two-hour season finale that will feature special performances from Maroon 5, Toosi, CeeLo Green, as well as Diplo featuring Lily Rose, and more.
In addition, Blake Shelton will join forces with NOIVAS and Grace West, while Kelly Clarkson will take to The Voice stage with D. Smooth. Niall Horan will perform alongside Gina Miles and Chance The Rapper will harmonize with the trio, Sorelle.
The show will also include special appearances from John Legend, Gwen Stefani, Camila Cabello, Jennifer Hudson, Nick Jonas, Usher, Pharrell Williams and Dolly Parton.
It will surely be an emotional evening as it will mark Blake Shelton’s last show ever on The Voice.
Written by
Madeleine O’Connell
Madeleine O’Connell graduated from North Central College with a bachelors degree in Journalism and Broadcast Communications before deciding to pursue her studies further at DePaul University. There, she earned her masters degree in Digital Communication & Media Arts. O’Connell served as a freelance writer for over two years while also interning with the Academy of Country Music, SiriusXM and Circle Media and assisting with Amazon Music’s Country Heat Weekly podcast. In addition to Country Now, she has been published in American Songwriter, Music Mayhem, and Holler.Country. Madeleine O’Connell is a member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.