During the first live show of Season 24, Ruby Leigh, a talented contestant on The Voice, moved country legend Reba McEntire to tears this week with her stunning cover version of “You Lie,” the chart-topping hit song from McEntire’s 1990 album, Rumor Has It.
At the young age of 16, Leigh’s remarkable and soulful performance captivated McEntire, 68, and pulled at her heartstrings. The “I’m A Survivor” hitmaker and Voice coach smiled throughout the song, and even put her hand on her heart before clapping for Leigh and cheering her on.
@nbcthevoice a #teamreba artist singing a #reba song?? yes pls! #thevoice #youlie ♬ original sound – NBC’s The Voice
Reba McEntire Cries On ‘The Voice’ After Contestant Ruby Leigh Delivers Moving Cover Of ‘You Lie’
McEntire was clearly taken aback by her team member Leigh’s ability to bring new life to her own song, and her emotional reaction showed just how impressed she was with the young singer’s talent.
The contestant has wowed judges and fans alike all season long with her folky and impactful renditions of “Long Long Time” by Linda Ronstadt and classic country anthem “Blue,” clearly drawing inspiration from LeAnn Rimes’ 1996 cover.
After Leigh performed “You Lie” in front of McEntire herself, the Grammy winner told the young hopeful: “You blew it out of the water. It was absolutely spectacular. The way you can hold a note out, and so powerful, it just absolutely slays me.”
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McEntire then took a moment to wipe her tears away with a tissue. She added: "The best thing you can do is connect with the person when you’re singing, and you definitely do it."
The camera then moved to show fellow coach Gwen Stefani with tears in her eyes. McEntire acknowledged this, adding: "Gwen and I are bawling." Leigh's performance also left coach Niall Horan amazed, as he couldn't help but express his admiration for her display.
"There hasn’t been a time that you’ve performed on this show where I haven’t gotten goosebumps. That was special," the "This Town" singer said.
He went on: "The way you sold that story and did it in Ruby’s way. I loved that you were looking over at Reba for approval. It was a really cute moment between coach and singer."
And the praise didn't stop there! McEntire also sweetly commended Leigh's cover of her song in a post on her Instagram Story. "Oh, my gosh, for Ruby to make Gwen and me both cry — she’s 16 years old and singing my song in front of me and doing as well as she did, she’s a superstar," she said in a video for her 2.5 million followers.
This season, Leigh has made it to the top three singers on Team Reba, along with Jacquie Roar and Jordan Rainer. Notably, Rainer also wowed McEntire during the musical competition show's initial blind auditions with her version of McEntire's 1990 song "Fancy," also off Rumor Has It.
Numerous viewers of The Voice on X (formerly Twitter) persistently highlight the exceptional talents of this season's contenders, while also expressing their apprehension over the daunting task that they will face in selecting the ultimate winner!
