19-Year-Old ‘Voice’ Contestant Impresses Riley Green with Her First-Ever Performance of a Country Song—And the Crowd’s Reaction Will Shock You

Harmony McKee may be new to country music, but you wouldn’t know it from her performance on The Voice. During night two of the Blind Auditions, the 19-year-old singer wowed coaches Riley Green and Adam Levine with her performance of Miranda Lambert’s “Gunpowder & Lead.”

After the two coaches turned their chairs—Kelly Clarkson and Queen Latifah opted to sit this one out—McKee revealed a shocking fact about herself.

R&B soul, bluesy rock – bring those elements to a new genre

“It’s my first time ever performing a country song. I’m not a country artist,” she said, before revealing that she instead leans towards R&B, rock, and blues music.

Levine was delighted by the news, running around the studio, hugging McKee, and declaring, “I love that. Makes me so happy.”

After McKee clarified that she had sung “a little Johnny Cash here and there with my granddad,” Clarkson weighed in on the coaching debate.

“Riley Green don’t have anybody on his team that sounds like you,” she said. “Also, with his granddaddy that’s how he started with music. I think that’s a really cool connection.”

“Don’t listen to any of that,” Levine quickly replied. “The reason I was so happy is not because I hate country music. I love country music and I love Riley. God, look how handsome he is. I just think you can do anything. The power in your voice! Honestly, I think you’re one of the stronger singers we’ve heard. You’re a true powerhouse.”

Riley Green Gets His Girl

When it was Green’s turn to pitch, he gushed over their similar experiences with their grandpas, before praising McKee.

“The fact that you love rock and blues, Chris Stapleton’s the best example in the world of taking something that’s very country and putting a blues feel on it,” he said. “I don’t have any doubt that you’re going to do well with it too, so I’d love to work with you.”

Ultimately, McKee chose Green as her coach, leading to a deafening silence in the room. Green himself seemed stunned, and didn’t immediately pop up.

“That’s you!” Clarkson told him.

After he snapped out of it, Green questioned, “Why aren’t y’all cheering for that? Where did y’all get the audience?”

Later, to the cameras, Green noted, “This victory is pretty sweet, because there’s no better feeling than beating Adam.”

When Green returned from backstage, the crowd cheered for him, but the country star was still salty.

“Don’t worry about it now. It’s fine,” he said. “Do we swap this bunch out at lunch? What are y’all doing? Now this is a fun show. I want to thank y’all for having me.”

The Voice will continue its premiere week with a new episode set to air Wednesday on NBC.

Photo by Trae Patton/NBC