After 20 seasons on the singing competition, is Blake turning into a softie?
After 20 seasons on The Voice, is Blake Shelton turning into a softie?
Monday marked the start of the season 21 Knockouts, and Blake was faced with an incredibly tough decision right out of the gate.
The country star paired up Wendy Moten and Jonathan Mouton for his first Knockout of the season, and the pair both wowed the coaches with their performances.
John Legend praised Jonathan's "heart and joy" following his rendition of Johnny Nash's "I Can See Clearly Now," and his coach agreed.
"When I paired you with Wendy, part of it was, let's see what this guy's made of," Blake admitted. "You stepped out here, and that was incredible."
However, the choice was clear to almost everyone after Wendy delivered her show-stopping performance of Aretha Franklin's "Ain't No Way."
"You just absolutely blew it out of the water," Ariana Grande raved. "Can you please hold some meet-and-greet passes for Kelly and I for your tour?"
Her coach was equally impressed, saying, "I can't even imagine the offers that are gonna come your way.... I'm just so happy for you, it's about damn time."
When it came down to his decision, Blake admitted that it was a tougher call than he was expecting. "Jonathan, he blew me away," he shared. "The only problem is, Wendy blew the building away. I fully expect to see her in the finale."
After naming Wendy the winner of the Knockout -- and receiving her heartfelt thanks and praise -- Blake was uncharacteristically emotional, brushing a tear away as the coaches prepared for the next singer.
"I'm telling you, man, something's going on with me," he said with a laugh.
"You're getting mushy?" Kelly teased.
"This is married Blake," John added, and Ari agreed: "It's Gwen."
This isn't even the first time this season that Blake's shown some uncharacteristic emotion. During the first night of Battle Rounds, he offered Ari a box of tissues in case she got worked up over a tough decision in her first season.
"I'm married now," Blake answered with a shrug when Kelly called him out over the gesture. "I'm a softie!"
As the Knockouts continue, check out ET's complete roundup of the season 21 team rosters to follow along with your favorites.
The Voice airs Mondays and Tuesdays at 8 p.m. PT/ET on NBC. See more in the video below.
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