‘The Voice': Gyth Rigdon Slays Classic ‘God Bless the USA’
On Monday (May 13), The Voice season 16's Top 8 gathered to perform solo numbers, as well as duets on Beatles songs (a new twist!), to see who makes the next cut to the final four. Team Blake Shelton had a remarkable five of the eight hopefuls, so it makes sense that he's most likely in the running for yet another win.
That said, his team didn't pull any punches this evening, especially fan favorite Gyth Rigdon, who put the pedal to the metal with an American classic that few vocalists attempt: Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the USA."
There are a few reasons not too many singers cover this song. Number one, it is iconic and hard to handle. Number two, it has the unfortunate aspect of all highly recognizable songs to veer into hokey territory. Number three, it's a bit polarizing in today's divided political climate.
Rigdon didn't seem intimidated by any of this, diving right in and giving a heartfelt delivery of the song that showed off all of his pipes' prowess. "I relate to [the song] so well," he explained before performing. "In my live shows I give a shout out to servicemen and women. It gives a shout out to my grandparents who were in the military. My dad never served, but he's a hero to me as a single father."
Coach Kelly Clarkson was cautious in her criticism: "I feel like you can't critique this song or you're going to hell or something," she noted. "I will say this was not my favorite vocal for you this season." Coach John Legend concurred with her assessment.
However, Shelton brushed that aside: "I'm going to say that that was far and away your best vocal performance. I think you were committed to the song," he asserted.
Four artists move on Tuesday night (May 14), and next week is the finale...so hang with us to see who wins!
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