How “So Weird” BIAS Won His “Electric” Battle Against Jacquie Roar on The Voice
We're one step closer to finding the winner of The Voice season 24.
The Battles continued on The Voice Season 24, and Monday’s episode began with an all out vocal fight between BIAS and Jacquie Roar, both from Team Gwen. BIAS and Jacquie are both country singers but that’s roughly where their similarities end. Their voices and stage presences, both powerful, couldn’t be farther from one another. Yet, the energy both performers bring to their duo works beautifully.
Both singers bring a lot of motivation to the table, as well. Before The Voice, BIAS was gigging at a chicken restaurant and Jacquie auditioned for the show nine or ten times, by her own count, before earning a Four-Chair Turn during the Blinds. Of course, getting on the show is only the beginning, and contestants have to continually earn their place, one song at a time.
BIAS and Jacquie Roar Sing "Need a Favor" on The Voice Season 24 Battles
BIAS and Jacquie Roar hit the stage to perform “Need a Favor” by Jelly Roll. They traded lines back and forth, then joined their voices for a while, before splitting off again. The performance highlighted the strengths and weaknesses of both singers, leaving their Coach, Gwen Stefani, with a difficult choice when the song ended.
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Roar checked just about every box you’d expect from a country star. Everything from her voice to the way she carried herself shouted Country Superstar, but she also felt a little safe, like we’ve seen her brand of country music before. BIAS, on the other hand, broke all the rules because he doesn’t seem to know them. That sort of raw naivete brought something indefinable but undeniably interesting to his performance. He’s a less obvious choice, but that’s part of his appeal.
“You two were electric. I was enjoying every moment, I loved your interaction together, y’all were singing, too,” Coach John Legend said. “Jacquie, your voice is so powerful, and your range is so wonderful. BIAS, I couldn’t take my eyes off you, just enjoying every moment, I loved the way you interacted with her, goaded her on a bit too, your energy was playing off each other really well. If I were to choose my favorite, I think BIAS.”
“I was just so entertained,” Coach Reba McEntire added. “You both are so full of energy. Jacquie, your vocal is very, very strong. BIAS, you’re up there just bouncing around, so excited, you look like a 12-year-old out there having fun. Jacquie, I love your outfit too, it’s just so cool. Oh man, who to pick? I’d have to say Jacquie.”
Coach Niall Horan, for his part, seemed mostly flabbergasted by the duo. “I can’t believe what I just watched. Jacquie, your voice is just crazy. It’s so hard to sing a song like that and have that much control,” Horan said. “BIAS, it was so fun to watch, people will sometimes look at you and forget how good of a singer you actually are just because they’re looking at stage presence and you’re bouncing around the place. Both of you didn’t put a foot wrong but BIAS, you were absolutely brilliant. This is rough, I’d lean toward BIAS.”
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After the other three Coaches delivered their feedback, the decision came down to Stefani. In the end, the potential of BIAS’ unconventional voice won out over Jacquie’s more traditional appeal. “BIAS, your unbelievable character of just who you are is so strong, it’s really hard, like John said to keep my eyes off you. I’m so curious about you, you’re just so weird and cool… Jacquie, you’re everything, you’re beautiful, you have so much confidence, your voice can do everything. You’re singing country but you could sing anything… I’m going to go with my heart right now and I’m going to say the winner of this battle is BIAS.”
When you want to stand out from the crowd, sometimes it pays to be a little weird. But is that enough to carry BIAS through to the end? Find out on The Voice, Mondays and Tuesdays at 8/7c on NBC and streaming next day on Peacock!
