"Had me bopping" — The Voice fans react to Barry Jean Fontenot and Kaiya Hamilton's Battles performance

The Voice season 27 aired the second night of the Battles on March 17, 2025. The segment featured another lineup of face-offs as singers took on the stage hoping to outshine their opponent and advance to the next round. Among them were Barry Jean Fontenot and Kaiya Hamilton from Michael Bublé's team. The pair sang their rendition of Solomon Burke's Cry to Me.

However, Michael could only send one contestant ahead while eliminating the other. He decided to advance Kaiya, bringing Barry's journey on the show to an end. Before Barry could leave, Kelsea hit her Steal button to scout him for her team. Michael challenged her as he hit the Save button, refusing to let Barry go.

After a brief deliberation, Barry declined Kelsea's offer and decided to stay with his coach. While the experts appreciated Barry and Kaiya's performance, The Voice fans were equally impressed with their take on the Solomon Burke song. They complimented the duo on X, praising their vocals and overall stage presence.

"Barry Jean Fontenot vs Kaiya Hamilton had me bopping, his voice was breaking a little in the open but sounded very old school, pleasant. She launched into this with sass, solid vocal with a little grit. Lovely harmony," a fan wrote.

"That was an awesome performance by barry jean fontenot, And kaiya hamilton," another fan commented.

"Kaiya vs Barry Jean...Wow!!!" a netizen tweeted.

Many fans of The Voice praised Barry and Kaiya's Battles act.

"Barry and Kaiya's voice battle is so soul-coded omg, I feel like they should both go... but i feel like i shouldn't jinx it," a user reacted.

"Kaiya and Barry is the best battle round performance so far They both better stay or someone forked up," a person reacted.

"Kaiya is dope. Singer version of Regina King," another fan wrote.

Other fans of The Voice commented on Michael's decision to save Barry.

"AND we have a STEAL and a SAVE for #BarryJeanFontenot! Welcome Barry back to his coach and #TeamBuble Congrats Barry!" one user posted.

"NBC TheVoice, I had a feeling that Barry Jean was going to stay for a while. He deserves to. His coach @MichaelBuble decided to save him," a person reacted.

"Glad he stayed with Michael. He clearly knows what to do with his voice," another netizen commented.

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"Your soul comes through" — The Voice judge Kelsea Ballerini praises Barry Jean Fontenot's voice

While reviewing the Battles performance, The Voice judge John Legend praised Barry's "remarkable" ability to sing the high notes. He also complimented Kaiya's "soulful and sweet" voice and mentioned that he would choose her if he had to. Adam Levine was equally complimentary of the pair. While he believed Barry was a "warm energy" with noteworthy potential, he urged him to realize it.

The Maroon 5 frontman also voted in favor of Kaiya but encouraged Barry to "unlock" himself. While sharing her opinion, The Voice coach Kelsea Ballerini said:

"Barry, your soul comes through when you sing and it's beautiful and it should be protected at all costs but also should be believed at all costs."

Kelsea urged Barry to realize his true potential and believe in it. She complimented Kaiya's ability to connect her voice to her body and display it. Moreover, she believed that the participant was "phenomenally talented."

Michael advanced Kaiya to the next stage of the competition, saying she was "flawless." Just as Barry stepped off the stage, Kelsea hit her Steal button, which was followed by Michael's Save.

Kelsea tried to persuade Barry's decision, assuring him to help build his confidence. However, despite her plea, The Voice contestant decided to stay with his original coach.

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The Voice season 27 airs new episodes on Mondays at 8 pm ET exclusively on NBC.