Queen Latifah hoped one of them would slip. Neither did.
Two of Team Queen’s strongest singers went head to head in the Season 30 Battle Rounds, and the coaches are left with a problem. Brandon Diaz and Bryan Jaymes took on a Stevie Wonder duet, and by the teaser’s account the performance was strong enough to leave the coaches struggling to pick a winner.
A tough spot for Queen Latifah
Both singers came to Latifah through the Blind Auditions. Diaz is a comeback story. He first auditioned 15 years ago in Season 4, when he failed to get a single chair turn. He went on to attend Berklee College of Music and now works as a full-time musician. This time, he earned a two-chair turn from Clarkson and Latifah with Justin Timberlake’s “Drink You Away” and chose Team Queen. Adam Levine told him he “made a mistake” by not turning. Adam Levine Reveals He ‘Made A Mistake’ With Contestant In Admission On ‘The Voice’ +3
Jaymes had a memorable audition of his own. The Louisiana native stunned the coaches when his speaking voice turned out to be much deeper than his singing suggested, and he chose Latifah over Levine, who put his face down on his desk in dismay. tvline
With two singers who made such strong first impressions, Latifah was always going to have a hard decision. According to the teaser, she admitted she had been hoping one of them would slip up, which would have made the choice easier. They didn’t.
Why it matters
The stakes are high on a team that is already deep. After the second night of Battles, Team Queen’s roster included Alt Bloom, BigCountry, Brandon Diaz, Bryan Jaymes, Chari, Lillie Kolich, Mia Knight and Sophia Liano. The Battle Rounds also allow Steals, so a singer who loses a Battle can still be picked up by another coach. Kelly Clarkson has already used a Steal on one of Latifah’s singers. meawwtvinsider
When to watch
The next episode, Battles Part 3, airs October 19 at 8 p.m. ET. From then on, the show will air Mondays only, as NBC’s NBA games take over Tuesdays. Missed episodes will be on Peacock the next day. Live now Updated 3 hours ago +2
Note: I couldn’t find a confirmed report of this Battle’s outcome yet, so the article doesn’t name a winner. If you have the result, send it over and I’ll add it.
