"That high note" – The Voice coach Snoop Dogg moved to tears by contestant’s emotional vocals

In the latest episode of The Voice, Snoop Dogg was moved to tears by contestant Austyns Stancil’s emotional performance of “Dance with My Father,” dedicated to his late father. During the Knockout rounds, mega mentors Jennifer Hudson and Sting watched as Stancil’s heartfelt rendition touched both Snoop and Sting.

Snoop, reflecting on his own experiences with loss, could not hold back his emotions. He encouraged Stancil to channel his pain into joy, offering advice,

“What I want you to do when you sing it, control your emotions, because that's the key to your vocalization, especially when you get to that high note at the end.”

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The Voice: An emotional exchange

During the rehearsals, Snoop and Sting took time to offer personal advice to Stancil. Sting remarked on the emotional depth of the performance, stating,

"You sang that song with such sweet regret. I felt it here."

He cautioned that becoming "too emotionally involved" can hinder vocal control.

Stancil, visibly moved, sought advice from Snoop on how to perform while grappling with grief. Snoop, who lost his own mother, shared his approach to overcoming emotional challenges on stage.

He advised Stancil to focus on making his father proud with each performance, much like how Snoop channels his emotions when performing in memory of his mother.

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The performance and episode highlights

Austyns Stancil’s performance in The Voice season 26, episode 12, stood out during the Knockout rounds. Competing against Christina Eagle and Jake Tankersley, Stancil's song choice impressed both the audience and coaches, leading Snoop to select him as the winner of the round.

Snoop praised Stancil for bringing, "spirit, personality, and how to compose themselves" on stage, even amidst personal pain. He added,

"Tears start falling, chills down your back—that's real music."

The episode also saw Snoop use his save on Christina, who impressed all the coaches with her rendition of My Church. Despite not winning her knockout, Christina became a hot contender, with all three other coaches hitting their steal buttons to try and bring her onto their teams.

Ultimately, Christina decided to stay with Snoop, who had turned his chair for her during the Blind Auditions. Jake, though eliminated from Snoop’s team, found new hope as Gwen Stefani used her steal to bring him to Team Gwen.

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The knockout round structure

In The Voice Knockout rounds, contestants are grouped into three-way matchups. Each artist performs a song of their choosing, and the coach selects a winner to advance. Coaches have one save option for an eliminated contestant from their own team, and other coaches have the opportunity to steal a losing contestant to bring them onto their team.

This episode saw several high-stakes moments beyond Stancil’s performance. For Team Reba, Adam Bohanan won with his performance of Colors, while Gwen chose Jose Luis as her winner. Michael Bublé also made strategic moves, saving Sloane Simon after choosing Cameron Wright as the winner of his knockout round.

The mega mentors Jennifer Hudson and Sting, both music legends, provided invaluable feedback during the rehearsals. Sting offered technical advice on how to balance emotional depth with vocal control, while Hudson encouraged contestants to push the limits of their vocal range.

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Updated teams for The Voice season 26

After The Voice Knockouts Premiere, the teams are shaping up for the next stages of the competition. Snoop’s team includes Austyns Stancil, Christina Eagle, and Aliyah Khaylyn, while Reba has Adam Bohanan and Lauren-Michael Sellers, among others. Gwen's team now features Jake Tankersley and Jose Luis, and Michael Bublé has talents like Cameron Wright and Shye.

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Watch The Voice on Mondays and Tuesdays at 8/7c on NBC and the next day on Peacock.