The stakes are high for The Voice coaches assembling their teams during the blind auditions, so they can't afford to turn their chair for every talented contestant. When 31-year-old singer Tom Nitti took the stage to perform a soulful and slightly countrified version of Stevie Wonder's "Signed, Sealed, Delivered," it wasn't looking good for him. That is, however, until a last-minute chair turn from Reba McEntire changed everything.
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The goosebump-inducing moment occurred on Monday night's (Oct. 2) episode. Nitti showcased boundless, hit impressive high notes and showed vocal versatility during the abbreviated segment. While each coach seemed to enjoy the performance, it wasn't until Nitti hit the final note of the last chorus that McEntire turned her chair. The singer then exploded in joy, letting out one more soulful note and jumping up and down while the lights flashed onstage.
After the performance, the coaches were visibly surprised to see what appeared to be a country singer standing in front of them, complete with cowboy hat and boots. The coaches also expressed their excitement for Nitti to join McEntire's team, with Legend saying he could sense a bit of a "twang" in the performance.
Stefani specifically expressed her excitement for the new contestant/coach pairing and handed a huge compliment to McEntire, a first-year coach.
"It says a lot about how incredible of a coach she's going to be because without seeing it, she could see it," Stefani said.
Coach Niall Horan then expressed a bit of regret for not turning around. He also admitted that he, personally, "can't sing" like Nitti.
When McEntire got a chance to speak to her new team member, she said she simply had a gut feeling to turn her chair around.
"I'm just thrilled to pieces you're going to be on my team," said McEntire.
Watch below:
The Voice airs Monday and Tuesday nights at 8PM ET on NBC.
