Riley Green Uses Powerful New Voice Button After 15-Year-Old’s Stunning Blind Audition

Riley Green was so determined to land one teenage singer on The Voice that he used a brand-new advantage coaches are allowed to deploy only once during the blind auditions.

Fifteen-year-old Allie Rae stepped onto the Season 30 stage to perform Alannah Myles’ “Black Velvet,” and she barely made it through the opening word before Green turned his chair.

Kelly Clarkson soon followed, while Queen Latifah eventually became the third coach to turn for the Texas teenager.

But the three-way battle for Allie suddenly became irrelevant when Green revealed just how badly he wanted her on his team.

Three coaches fight for Allie Rae

After Allie finished her performance, Clarkson could barely contain her reaction.

“Oh my gosh,” she exclaimed before becoming even more stunned when Allie revealed she was only 15.

Clarkson praised the teenager’s voice, saying she heard shades of Dolly Parton and Alison Krauss in her performance. Learning that Allie was from Texas — Clarkson’s home state — gave her another reason to fight for the young singer.

Queen Latifah was equally impressed.

“Your voice sounded exquisite,” she told Allie, adding that she simply had to turn around to discover who was behind the performance.

Green, meanwhile, focused on the authenticity he heard in the teenager’s voice.

“The song and everything about it felt real to me,” he said, adding that he had “no doubt” she could distinguish herself from the other singers in the competition.

Riley Green suddenly remembers one crucial detail

As the coaches continued trying to convince Allie to join their teams, Clarkson highlighted her previous success coaching young female singers on The Voice.

She even brought out her custom Team Kelly jacket, prompting the other coaches to show off their own team merchandise.

Then Green pointed out something important.

“I was just thinking about, when I turned, it was before y’all,” he said.

Moments later, he pressed the new “First In” button.

That single decision immediately ended the coaches’ battle for Allie.

What does the ‘First In’ button do?

Introduced for Season 30, “First In” replaces the previous Block feature.

If a coach is the first person to turn their chair during a contestant’s audition, that coach can use the button to automatically secure the singer for their team, overriding any other coaches who also turned.

There is a major catch: each coach can use the advantage only once during the blind auditions.

Green therefore chose to spend his one opportunity on 15-year-old Allie.

Clarkson immediately cried out, “Nooooooo!” as she realised the teenager was no longer available for her team.

Green then walked onto the stage to personally welcome Allie to Team Riley.

Why Green decided she was worth the gamble

After the audition, Green explained what convinced him to use such a valuable advantage so early.

He described Allie as “extremely talented” and praised the way she transformed “Black Velvet” by bringing together blues, country and Americana influences.

Most importantly, Green believed her voice possessed something that could help her stand apart from the competition.

“She’s got a style that’s unique,” he said, “and that’s one of my favorite things in somebody’s voice is to hear something that’s different.”

For Allie, what initially looked like a difficult choice between three major coaches disappeared in seconds.

Green had been the first to recognise something special in her performance — and Season 30’s powerful new rule meant he wasn’t willing to risk letting anyone else have her.