Harmony McKee Earns Two Chair Turns on The Voice With Miranda Lambert Cover
Harmony McKee arrived in Los Angeles thrilled to have the chance to audition for The Voice. By the time her Blind Audition was over, the 19-year-old singer had earned the attention of two coaches and secured her place in Season 30.
During the second night of the Blind Auditions, McKee performed Miranda Lambert’s “Gunpowder & Lead.” Her rendition prompted both Riley Green and Adam Levine to turn their chairs, setting up a battle between the two coaches for the young singer.
A risk that paid off
McKee’s song choice was particularly notable because “Gunpowder & Lead” marked her first time performing a country song. Her musical background has leaned more toward R&B, rock and blues, making the Miranda Lambert cover a significant departure from what she had typically performed.
The gamble paid off almost immediately.
Green, one of the show’s newer coaches, turned his chair, while Levine followed and gave McKee another option for her Voice journey.
Once the performance ended, McKee revealed that she had never sung a country song before. That information immediately caught Levine’s attention, particularly because he believed her versatility could allow her to move beyond one particular genre.
“I love country music and I love Riley, but I just think you can do anything,” Levine said, praising McKee as one of the stronger singers he had heard.
Riley Green wins the battle
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Green saw something familiar in McKee’s sound, pointing to the blues influence that runs through her voice. He compared that combination of country and blues to the approach of Chris Stapleton, making the case that McKee did not need to be limited to a single musical lane.
The final decision, however, belonged to McKee.
After weighing her options, she chose Riley Green as her coach, officially joining Team Riley and moving forward in the competition.
McKee later described the opportunity as something she could hardly have imagined and said she was especially excited to work with Green because of his experience in the music industry.
“I’m really really excited to be working with Riley,” she said, adding that she was looking forward to learning from someone she described as professional, down to earth, kind and helpful.
What began with McKee’s excitement about simply making it to Los Angeles ended with two chairs turned, a spot on The Voice, and a place on Team Riley.