Reba McEntire finds her mini-me on the next episode of The Voice, when 18-year-old country singer Katie O. takes the stage for her blind audition airing Tuesday night (Oct. 14).
The Jacksonville, Florida, native performs LeAnn Rimes’ 1996 hit “One Way Ticket (Because I Can)” in the audition, premiering exclusively on Billboard below, and her breezy-yet-steady vocal ability, paired with her charming country twang, immediately catches the attention of Gwen Stefani, who turns her chair around within the first few notes of Katie O.’s performance.
Snoop Dogg follows, as do Michael Bublé and country superstar McEntire — much to the dismay of Stefani, who playfully whines at one point, “Why is Reba here?”
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“You got a lot of heart and soul when you’re singing, and you were so cute when I turned around, so I thought that was cute,” McEntire tells Katie O., who was visibly excited to see the “Fancy” singer on her side. “I love that. I love your smile too.”
Stefani, however, put up a good fight by telling the teen, “I pressed my button as fast as I could, as soon as I heard your voice. I really like to work with young girls. … You know what’s crazy? — and it’s before you turned around, Reba — you were moving around, walking around, your voice was so secure and strong and so composed. I would love to have you on Team Gwen.”
Snoop was no help to Stefani’s cause, when he points out how much Katie O. and McEntire are alike. “You know what? When you talk, you sound exactly like her,” the rapper tells the young musical hopeful.
Watch Katie O.’s full audition below, and tune in to The Voice on Tuesday night to see who she picks as her coach. New episodes air Mondays and Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on NBC. Episodes of The Voice stream on-demand via Peacock the next day after they air on TV, but you can also watch live with Peacock Premium Plus.