Gwen Stefani to standout 'Voice' contestant: 'It's gross that I have to be in the same room as you'

It was a night of dueling divas on The Voice Monday, as the Battle Rounds continued apace. Among the standout showdowns were Niall Horan’s dreamy songstresses Alexa Wildish and LVNDR crooning a Billie Eilish ballad, John Legend’s soul belters Azán and Taylor Deneen taking on a sexy Chloe x Halle tune, and feisty Team Legend ingenues Elizabeth Evans and Kaylee Shimizu totally sinking their vampire teeth into a woman-scorned Olivia Rodrigo smash.

But only one Battle was so “gross” — in a good way! — that Gwen Stefani didn’t even want to be in the “same room” with its one of its divas.

Team Gwen’s Joslynn Rose and Rudi made The Voice history Monday with the series’ first-ever performance of Evanescence’s “My Immortal,” and as their coach noted, “This song is hard!” But Rudi, while coming from more of the R&B than rock world, was still able to channel her inner Amy Lee. “You’re frickin’ flawless,” an intimidated Gwen told Rudi during rehearsals. “It’s gross that I have to be in the be in the same room as you.”

Once Joslynn and Rudi were in main room, performing in front of the coaches and studio audience, both were able to handle the challenging rock-goddess power ballad. But John said Rudi was “coming into her own” and was “powerful and clear and really impressive,” and Niall also said Rudi sounded “flawless” and like she was “climbing a mountain the whole song.” Gwen further praised Rudi, saying, “She’s so tasteful within this genre to not oversing. She could have put these runs all over it, but she just did enough to remind us that she knows how to do that.”

So, Gwen picked Rudi to move on to the three-way Knockout Rounds, where Rudi will probably continue to hold her own, in any genre and against any worthy opponent. I was surprised that Rudi’s worthy Battle opponent, Joslynn, left the competition this early — but with stacked teams and no Saves in play in Season 24, such early exits are inevitable. Joslynn wasn’t Monday’s only gone-too-soon singer.

Here's how the night’s other Battles panned out:

TEAM REBA: Ruby Leigh vs. Al Boogie, “Jolene”

Teen yodeling prodigy Ruby turned four chairs at her Blind Audition, while returning contestant Al turned no chairs when he tried out last season and turned only one chair this season, so this seemed like a Davey/Goliath situation. John also joked that Al “didn’t look the part” of the desperate soon-be-ex-girlfriend in Dolly Parton’s country classic. However, as the Sisters of Mercy, Jack White, and The Voice Season 3’s own Cody Belew have all proven, a gender-flipped “Jolene” can be mighty effective, and I will say Al did well here. Niall said Al had returned to the show a changed man, and Al's resonant, recordable baritone complemented Ruby’s trebly soprano nicely. But Ruby had something really special, something Reba McEntire described as “totally different.” Niall said Ruby didn’t put “a foot wrong” during this performance, and Gwen said Ruby sent “chills up and down” her body when she yodeled the song’s “cry” line during an especially dramatic key moment. Reba’s decision was tough, but obvious. “We need people like Ruby that bring a little bit of the past to bring country music forward,” she explained.

WINNER: Ruby Leigh

TEAM NIALL: Noah Spencer vs. Reid Zingale, “Lego House”

This Battle between the two folky bros was blander than I’d expected, since their respective auditions had been so compelling. Of the two, I thought Reid’s well, reedy tone, which Gwen called “cool and interesting” and John called “different and unexpected,” cut through the room more. But Niall thought otherwise, because he was impressed that Appalachian troubadour Noah had handled a somewhat outside-his-wheelhouse Ed Sheeran song so competently. Niall couldn’t really make a wrong decision here; it was the other coaches who messed up by not trying to steal Reid, who I think could’ve been a Season 24 dark horse.

WINNER: Noah Spencer

TEAM LEGEND: Azán vs. Taylor Deneen, “Do It”

John instructed these divas to be “playful and seductive” on this sexy Chole x Halle song, and that vibe seem to come much more naturally for Azán. Taylor delivered a slightly better vocal, with “soulful melodic choices” that caught John’s ear, but she was more timid and unsure onstage; Gwen noted that Azán “commanded the stage a little bit more.” John eventually made his pick with his ears, not his eyes, explaining, “Taylor as a vocalist is just stunning.” Thankfully, Reba, who looked like she was having the time of her life watching this performance, and Niall both tried to steal Azán — which led to an amusingly awkward moment, when Niall didn’t realize Reba had also hit her button and assumed Azán would automatically move to his team. But, Niall ended up getting his wish in the end.

WINNER: Taylor Deneen / STOLEN: Azán moves to Team Niall

TEAM NIALL: Alexa Wildish vs. LVNDR, “Everything I Wanted”

At first it seemed Niall picked this ballad by Billie Eilish, “one of the best storytellers of my generation,” for alt-pop stylist LVNDR, not for throwback ‘70s songbird Alexa. But then Niall pointed out that Billie is a timeless songwriter who could have made it in any decade, including the ‘70s, and everything made sense. LVNDR, despite feeling shy and uneasy performing without her guitar for the first time, did a lovely job, but her voice was a bit too Eilish-esque (John said her vocal had “not enough of its own character”). Meanwhile, Alexa, who didn’t get her big solo moment until halfway through this performance, elevated the entire production and turned it into a Helen Reddy/Olivia Newton-John/Karen Carpenter mellow gold stunner. “There was something arresting when you entered and took over the verse. It felt like you were being announced,” said John. “Alexa, you’re from another era. I have not heard a voice like that since the 1970s, when I was in the back of a station wagon,” said Gwen, who called Alexa “old-fashioned in the best way.” Niall admitted that he regretted pairing these two, and I suspect he’d been planning to send Alexa home. But he went with his “gut instinct,” abandoned any “preconceptions,” and ultimately made the right decision — even though I would have liked it if another coach had stolen LVNDR, who i think had potential.

WINNER: Alexa Wildish

TEAM GWEN: Jenna Marquis vs. Claire Helig, “Flowers”

I could tell from the literally less than 30 seconds of this montaged Battle that producers made the right decision not to air it in full, especially on an evening packed with so many other dynamite ladies. This duet was so flat, so limp, with absolutely none of the fire, ferocity, or just plain fun of Miley Cyrus’s defiant disco divorce anthem. Gwen went with Jenna, but I don’t think Jenna is going to get her flowers this season.

WINNER: Jenna Marquis

TEAM LEGEND: Elizabeth Evans vs. Kaylee Shimizu, “Traitor”

Kaylee is a 17-year prodigy who possesses what Gwen declared “one the most incredible voices I’ve ever heard,” and she turned four chairs during the Blinds with a stunning Beatles cover. But Olivia Rodrigo’s “Traitor” still seemed more suited to Elizabeth, who auditioned with a Paramore song and, as John put it, is “quirky but can also flat-out sing,” and, as Niall put it, has an “identity as an artist” that makes her “stand out in the competition.” So, this Battle really could have gone either way. Kaylee’s vocals were impeccable, but the fearless Elizabeth owned this moment with her punky personality and came across as the bigger star. Reba was simply “in awe” of both girls, and Niall called this “the best version of that song I’ve heard, 100%.” John eventually chose Kaylee based on the vocals, telling her, “There are very few people on the planet who can sing with the level of gift you have.” The alternate coach who seemed like the best match for Elizabeth, fellow punky/quirky girl Gwen, had no more Steals left, so I feared Elizabeth would also make a way-too-early exit. But then… Reba used her Steal! I did not have that on my Season 24 Bingo card, but I think this could be an unexpectedly red-hot combination — much like Blake Shelton and his Season 13 rock-chick winner, Chloe Kohanski.

WINNER: Kaylee Shimizu / STOLEN: Elizabeth Evans moves to Team Reba

Read more from Yahoo Entertainment:

• Reba McEntire rightly scolds 'Voice' contestant for changing up 'one of the most iconic and beautifully written songs of all time'

• Seeing red: Reba McEntire doles out much-needed tough love during 'Voice' Battles

• Amid rumors of Reba McEntire's frustrations with 'double-crossing' castmates, 'Four-Chair King' John Legend dominates 'The Voice'

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