The Voice season 26: Coach Snoop Dogg gets emotional as contestants take on the stage

The Voice premiered a brand-new season on Monday, September 23, 2024. Viewers were introduced to a diversified lineup of coaches, including two veterans, Gwen Stefani and Reba McEntire, and two newcomers, Snoop Dogg and Michael Bublé.

The premiere saw contestants take on the stage, hoping to impress the judges and make a chair turn. However, not every singer could advance to the next round of the competition. Although the coaches did not push their buttons, they did not hesitate to offer advice to the young talents to help them navigate their career in the musical industry.

Snoop Dogg was impressed by some interactions that happened between his co-judges and the contestants, such as Michael Bublé gave a suggestion to a contestant named Ben Fagerstedt to enhance his vocal skills. The bond the coaches developed with each singer touched the West Coast rapper, moving him to tears.

---

The Voice judge Snoop Dogg cries twice during the season premiere

When Michael Bublé's fan Ben Fagerstedt took on the stage, he hoped for at least one chair to turn. Unfortunately, his rendition of a song titled I've Got You Under My Skin by Frank Sinatra, failed to get any of the coaches to push their buttons. Nonetheless, Michael wanted to assist the 23-year-old in improving his skills.

He advised him on how to differentiate singing standards while using the traditional and pop voices differently. The Voice coach joined the contestant on stage to duet with him on his audition song. The Gin and Juice rapper got emotional watching the encounter between the two unfold before his eyes.

While wiping tears from his eyes, Snoop Dogg congratulated Ben on his "one-on-one with Buble" and said:

"That's what this show is about, to make these people better at what they do, whether they make it to the show or not. That's our job as coaches."

The Voice coach got emotional again when country legend and judge, Reba McEntire, decided to use the newly introduced tool, "Coach Replay button," on one of the singers. The judges could press the button once if they missed the opportunity or regretted not turning for a specific contestant while they performed.

Singer Kendall Euguene took on the stage with his rendition of Morgan Wallen's song, Don't Think Jesus. Although he put his best foot forward, it failed to turn any of the judges' chairs.

Just as his performance ended, Reba immediately regretted not pushing her button. As a result, while critiquing his song, she confessed she would be using her 'Replay' tool on him. She couldn't explain why she did not turn her chair despite loving his performance.

The 37-year-old Kendall, who thought his journey on the show ended before it even began, was thrilled by the sudden change of events. Feeling overwhelmed, the singer broke into tears. Watching the young talent caught up in an emotional moment, Snoop struggled to hold back his tears. He realized how much the opportunity meant to Kendall. Soon, he requested Reba to go up on stage and hug Kendall.

While talking about his emotional outburst, The Voice coach said:

"When I see a man cry, it makes me cry."

Snoop Dogg left a lasting impression on not only the viewers but also the judges, who complimented the artist's kind and generous nature. During the premiere, the West Coast rapper revealed he would hand out Death Row Records' chains to the talented artists. The chain would sport the logo of the iconic hip-hop label now owned by Snoop Dogg.

---

The Voice season 26 airs Mondays and Tuesdays at 8 pm ET only on NBC.