‘The Voice’ Premiere Just Handed Reba McEntire a Shocking Defeat

Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for The Voice, Season 28 premiere.The goal of any artist who auditions for The Voice is to have multiple coaches turn for you so you can have the pick of the litter. Though it doesn’t always happen, when it does, part of the joy as viewers is watching the celebrity coaches battle it out, putting their pride on the line to win over the singer to join their team. So, when you’re a country trio, you essentially have two lanes to go down when selecting your coach on The Voice. Do you go with the Queen of Country herself, Reba McEntire, or do you go with the Prince of Boy Bands, Niall Horan?

For Nashville country trio Dek of Hearts, their succinct tone and flawless harmonies drew the attention of both previous champion coaches. As a consistent viewer of the program, it seemed as if there was an obvious outcome: Dek of Hearts would select Reba. Despite her emotional plea for her love of country groups, Dek of Hearts gave Niall and Reba a major shock. So much so, Reba fell to the floor, lying in defeat. But the method for their madness may actually be a winning strategy.

Dek of Hearts’ Shocking Choice Made Perfect Sense

Dek of Hearts arrived at the Blind Auditions with a mission. Performing four-hour gigs nightly on Broadway in Nashville, Dylan Johns, Emily Clapp, and Kollin Bailey joined forces to bring something new to the scene to overthrow the oversaturation of solo artists in country music. Together for only 14 months, they sounded like they’d been at it just as long as Lady A and Little Big Town. Singing Jo Dee Messina‘s “Heads Carolina, Tails California,” Reba was grooving in her seat the moment the harmonies kicked in on note one. It was just a moment later that she became the first to turn, with Niall following suit. Though it was a four-chair turn, it was evident that Snoop Dogg and Michael Bublé only turned just to watch the enthralling performance. Perhaps the most shocking revelation of this entire sequence was Niall singing along. Who knew the Irish pop star was that deep into country music! Having the nuance to know the genre certainly helped his plea to the trio.

Niall knew it was going to be a tough ask, but noting how being in a band, he knew how much goes into nailing harmonies. This caused Reba to fly out of her chair and block Niall from view. “I love, with all my heart, three-part harmony,” the Queen of Country said while getting emotional. “It touches the core of my being.” Despite Michael saying it was “unfair” that they would not make “Bublébies” with the genre mixing, he was wrong in his assumption that they would pick Reba. They dared to be different and went with Niall. “Getting Dek of Hearts was one of the biggest shocks in Voice history,” Niall said. “The whole room couldn’t believe it.”

The Voice has become predictable over time. When artists are given an option, they tend to pick the obvious coach that blends best with their ambition post-show. Here, they broke the mold by opting to pass on a country superstar, intending to learn about how to connect and thrive as a pop group through the guidance of a tried-and-true boy band star. Additionally, the trio formed as three individuals who found a niche together. It’s literally how Niall’s music career began with One Direction on The X-Factor. He can also provide the necessary knowledge of how to have a clean band breakup if and when the desire to go solo emerges.

Will a Group Ever Win ‘The Voice’ Again?

Dylan John, Emily Clapp, and Kollin Bailey of Dek of Hearts during the Blind Auditions of 'The Voice' Season 28. — Dylan John, Emily Clapp, and Kollin Bailey of Dek of Hearts during the Blind Auditions of ‘The Voice’ Season 28.

Of course, since this show is all about entertainment, the newfound rivalry was set up a bit prior to Dek of Hearts’ audition, in which Reba called in Niall to the greenroom as she “clapped on” the lights and threatened him with a warning that she is in charge and to stay out of her way because “Rebe needs a win.” Now, whether that was filmed before Reba’s stunning defeat at the hands of the touring artist, we’ll never know. As the season progresses, expect Reba to have Dek of Hearts on her radar to steal them for her team if Niall ever lets them loose.

Fans of the show who seek something beyond the mundane are eager to see Dek of Hearts succeed. When it comes to groups on The Voice, the track record is quite dismal. Only one group has won in the show’s entire tenure. During Season 21, Girl Named Tom won with coach Kelly Clarkson, becoming the first and only group to become victorious. They were a trio with perfect harmonies. Sound familiar? Though groups notoriously fare poorly on The Voice, this pairing might be the perfect match. Niall is undefeated as a coach, and this group may be able to help him extend that streak.