SALT LAKE CITY — It was a tough decision for Nick Jonas, but “The Voice” judge sent Utah’s Tate Brusa home Monday night.
Brusa — one of the youngest singers on this season of “The Voice” — has repeatedly impressed all of the judges with his raspy voice. And the 16-year-old singer — a longtime Jonas Brothers fan — had an especially close blond with Jonas on the show.
But Jonas could only choose one singer during the pre-taped Knockout round, and he went with 38-year-old singer Roderick Chambers.
Chambers sang Childish Gambino’s “Redbone” — a rendition that had “Voice” judge Kelly Clarkson on her feet dancing.
Brusa went with Coldplay’s “The Scientist,” and to mix things up, the guitarist shedded his main instrument to perform on the piano.
“Tate, I cannot believe that you are 16 years old. You are so incredibly gifted,” Clarkson said after Brusa’s performance. “Even if you were 24, it’d still be really impressive.”
But overall, Clarkson said she believed Chambers had won the Knockout round. “Voice” judge Blake Shelton — who was the other judge to turn his chair for Brusa during the blind auditions — thought Brusa had the better performance.
“A kid like this gets into the live part of this show and does something like he just did, which is poured 100%, those are the types of performances that set this place on fire,” Shelton said.
John Legend, meanwhile, thought the victory was all Chambers’ — although he did say he was impressed with the “personality” Brusa put into the Coldplay song.
But in the end, the decision came down to Jonas, who in a teaser for the episode said his pick would come down to the person he thought had taken his advice the best.
Coaching Brusa has brought back memories for Jonas, who was a teenager when he got offered his first recording contract. Before the performance, the pop singer said he’s always been impressed with Brusa’s “blazing confidence.”
After Brusa’s performance, Jonas said he admired the “urgency” in the singer’s voice and said “I love you both” before ultimately choosing Chambers.
Brusa’s run on the show has come to an end, but he gained another really big fan before leaving the competition: James Taylor, who was a mentor for the contestants during the Knockout round.
“Tate, he’s a prodigy,” Taylor said during the episode. “He plays by ear. I’m really curious to see where this young guy ends up.”
The first live episode of “The Voice” is scheduled to air in May, but that could change with TV productions being suspended and delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The network has not yet announced an official plan, but a spokesperson for the show told the Deseret News an announcement will be released soon.