WATCH: Niall Horan, John Legend, Reba McEntire & Gwen Stefani Team Up To Deliver A Classic Rock Cover On ‘The Voice’ Premiere
The performance marked the official kick-off of Season 24 of The Voice.
Niall Horan, Reba McEntire, Gwen Stefani, John Legend; Photo Courtesy of The Voice
Niall Horan, John Legend, Reba McEntire and Gwen Stefani teamed up for an epic performance of the Eagles’ “Take It Easy” during The Voice on Monday evening (Sept. 25).
Surrounded by a live audience, the Season 24 coaches joined forces to deliver a stunning performance of the classic rock hit.
The performance kicks off with Horan and Legend tackling the first verse of the song before Stefani and McEntire join the pair for the chorus.
“Take It easy, take it easy/ Don’t let the sound of your own wheels drive you crazy/ Lighten up while you still can/ Don’t even try to understand/ Just find a place to make your stand and take it easy,” Horan, Legend, McEntire and Stefani sang in perfect harmony of the tune’s chorus.
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Written by Jackson Browne and Eagles band member Glenn Frey, “Take It Easy” was released in May 1972 and serves as the Eagles’ debut single.
The tune, which also is the opening track of the band’s eponymous debut album, peaked at No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and has become one of their signature songs. “Take It Easy” is also listed as one of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll.
Kick Off To Season 24
The performance marked 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.
Channeling Blake Shelton
On Tuesday (Sept. 19), The Voice released a promo clip that offered fans a sneak peek at McEntire’s winning strategy as well as showed a snippet of this season’s contestants.
“What I plan on doing is… I’m channeling Blake [Shelton]. I’m gonna win this sucker,” McEntire joked. “I am thrilled to be sitting in Blake’s chair, I hope I do it justice.”
She also shared that she has been “blown away” by this season’s contestants. “I’m definitely glad to be a coach,” the 68-year-old country music icon continued. “I’ve been in this business going on 50 years, and so hopefully I’ll be able to give some of the pointers that people were sweet enough to give me and also the things that I’ve learned on my own the hard way.”
When it comes to being a coach on The Voice, McEntire admitted that there is one thing that she will be looking for and that is “songs that touch my heart.”
“I want people on my team that I want to work with because they touched my heart and soul,” McEntire added.
She also has her own winning approach and promises it’s unlike anything the show has ever seen before.
“I am going to have my game plan ready to go, and we’ve all been talking about it, so it’s going to be something brand new The Voice has never seen it before,” McEntire said during an interview with Access Hollywood. “I don’t have competition. You know, we’re smoking. We’re going to be really rocking it.”
“[Blake’s got] big boots. I don’t know what size those boots are, but they’re big, so I’m gonna really work hard to make him proud,” she also previously told PEOPLE.
No Stranger To The Show
Reba McEntire may be joining as the newest coach, but she is certainly no stranger to the show. She was originally supposed to be cast in the inaugural season of the Emmy Award-winning musical competition series, but ended up turning down the opportunity before it first debuted in 2011.
The “Does He Love You” singer later joined the show briefly as Shelton’s battle round advisor and most recently appeared on the latest season of the show as a Mega Mentor.
“When I was doing the mega mentor, it was so much fun. I was totally interested in the kids when they would come in and sing. So talented. That is just a refreshing thing to be around talented people,” the country icon told Access Hollywood. “I love it. And if I can help anybody with anything I’ve learned over the last 48 years, then I think that’s my duty to do that, and I’m going to enjoy doing it.”
Season 24 of The Voice premieres Monday, September 25 at 8/7c on 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.
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