With Queen Latifah having her final Steal available, the stakes were especially high. Meanwhile, Kelly Clarkson made a surprising confession that revealed just how impressed she was by both singers. The question now is whether Adam Levine can choose between two performers who each brought something distinctive to the stage.
1. Dakota Cohen and Destinee Monroe Take On an Evanescence Classic
The Battle paired two Team Adam artists for one of the competition’s most challenging stages. Instead of choosing a soft ballad or a straightforward pop song, Dakota and Destinee tackled Evanescence’s rock anthem “Bring Me to Life,” a song that demands vocal power, control, emotional intensity and a commanding stage presence.
The performance gave both contestants opportunities to demonstrate their individual strengths while working together on a demanding duet. Their contrasting approaches helped create the dramatic tension that made the Battle stand out.
Queen Latifah was visibly excited by what she saw, enthusiastically reacting from her chair. She praised the pair for embodying the song, performing together convincingly and hitting the notes with impressive confidence.
Her response suggested that the performance was about more than simply delivering the right notes. Both artists had managed to bring the energy and attitude needed to make a rock song of this scale work on the The Voice stage
2. Queen Latifah Has a Difficult Decision of Her Own
Queen Latifah’s reaction quickly became one of the most talked-about moments in the preview. She praised Dakota and Destinee for the way they performed together and admitted that choosing between them would be difficult.
She also expressed interest in seeing more from the singers as the competition progressed.
The timing makes her reaction particularly important: according to Parade’s preview, Queen is the only coach who still has a Steal available for this Battle. That means she could potentially rescue the contestant Adam does not choose and give that singer another opportunity to continue in the competition.
However, praising the performance and actually pressing the Steal button are two different things. Queen’s comments raised expectations, but the preview itself does not establish whether she ultimately uses her remaining opportunity.
3. Riley Green Calls the Performance One of the Most Powerful Yet
Country singer and coach Riley Green was equally impressed by the Battle. Rather than focusing on only one contestant, he highlighted the strengths both performers brought to the stage.
Riley praised Dakota’s standout vocal moments, describing the singer’s performance as containing some extraordinary moments. He also complimented Destinee’s commanding presence, comparing her delivery to that of someone performing in front of a crowd of 20,000 people at a rock concert.
He pointed to the audience’s reaction as another sign of the performance’s impact, calling it one of the most powerful performances the coaches had seen.
But Riley’s praise did not make Adam’s decision any easier. When Riley wished him luck with the choice, Adam responded sarcastically that the advice was not particularly helpful. Riley jokingly pushed back, reminding Adam that choosing the winner was not his responsibility.
4. Kelly Clarkson Makes a Surprising Confession
Kelly Clarkson’s comments added another memorable moment to the exchange.
Kelly praised both singers’ abilities but drew attention to their different performance styles. She complimented Destinee’s presence from the opening verse, while describing Dakota’s approach as more tender at first before the song developed into something much more powerful.
For Kelly, that contrast was one of the most compelling aspects of the performance. Rather than treating the Battle as a contest between two similar voices, she recognised how the performers brought different qualities to the same song.
Then came her unexpected confession.
Kelly said that if she still had a Steal available, she would take whichever contestant Adam decided not to keep. In other words, she was so impressed by both singers that she would have been happy to bring either one onto her team.
Her statement was a strong endorsement of the pair, although Kelly could not make that move because she no longer had a Steal to use.
5. Adam Levine Faces the Toughest Part of the Battle
Ultimately, the decision rests with Adam Levine, who must decide which of his two artists will advance to the next stage.
Adam recognised that Dakota has a distinctive vocal identity as well as considerable power. He even compared some aspects of Dakota’s sound to Miley Cyrus, whom he described as having one of the best voices in the world.
His assessment of Destinee was just as enthusiastic. Adam highlighted her tremendous vocal power, describing it as a kind of superpower and identifying it as one of her greatest strengths.
The challenge is that these qualities are not directly interchangeable. Dakota brings a distinctive sound and a performance that develops in intensity, while Destinee delivers the kind of forceful vocal presence that suits a rock anthem.
Adam acknowledged that both artists had done an incredible job and that neither would be easily replaced by another singer on his team. That made the decision especially difficult, even after hearing feedback from the other coaches.
6. Will Queen Latifah Steal the Singer Adam Doesn’t Choose?
That is the biggest question surrounding this Battle.
The show’s Battle format allows a coach to select one contestant to advance while another may be saved by a rival coach’s Steal. With Queen Latifah reportedly the only coach who still has one available for this moment, Dakota and Destinee’s performances could have consequences beyond Team Adam.
If Queen decides to intervene, the singer Adam does not select could still have a path forward in the competition. But if she chooses not to use her remaining Steal, Adam’s decision could determine which contestant continues and which one leaves the show.
The preview leaves that outcome unresolved, so it would be premature to claim that either contestant wins or that Queen successfully steals the other singer. The suspense is part of what makes this Battle so compelling.
What Happens Next?
Season 30 features four coaches: Kelly Clarkson, Adam Levine, Queen Latifah and Riley Green. The Battle Rounds require artists to perform together before their coach decides who advances, with Steals giving eligible rival coaches a chance to save a contestant who loses.
Dakota Cohen and Destinee Monroe’s performance of “Bring Me to Life” appears to have delivered exactly what the format is designed to create: two strong artists, one difficult decision and the possibility of an unexpected second chance.
The episode was scheduled for Monday, October 26, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on NBC, with streaming available the following day on Peacock.
