Alabama’s Emma Caroline Warren took her final bow on “The Voice” Monday night, leaving the reality show as results of a Four-Way Knockout round were announced.
Warren, a Tuscaloosa native and member of Team Blake, had competed in the Knockout against Savannah Woods from Team Kelly, Devan Blake Jones from Team Nick and Carolina Rial from Team Legend. (The show’s coaches are Blake Shelton, Kelly Clarkson, Nick Jonas and John Legend.)
Jones, the winner of the round, moved on to the weekly live broadcasts, singing for viewer votes as a member of the top 17 on the NBC reality series. Warren, Woods and Rial were sent home.
“I’ve grown so much as an artist, but I think what I’ll really take home with me is truly learning to believe in myself,” Warren said.
All four contestants had gone head-to-head in the Knockout on the show’s April 26 episode, singing for viewer votes that could keep them in the competition. They had been eliminated and saved by their coaches during an earlier round known as the Battles, putting them in contention for the Four-Way Knockout.
Warren, 25, prepared her Knockout performance with the help of Snoop Dogg, who served as a “mega mentor” for this round of Season 20. He encouraged her to let loose and be more confident on stage, allowing her talent to shine through.
“Don’t hold nothin’ in. Let it become natural -- your flow, your singing, your movement,” Snoop said. “That’s beautiful.”
Warren also had the support of her coach, who proclaimed her the winner near the end of the April 26 episode, although he knew viewer votes would be the deciding factor.
“I feel like I really need you on my team. I need somebody that represents some hardcore mainstream country music,” Shelton said. “It’s always hard to make these decisions, but the winner of this knockout is Emma.”
Although Warren had to exit “The Voice” on Monday, she made the most of her time on the show, impressing Shelton with her vocal talent and working with celebrities such as Snoop and Dan + Shay.
“I just want to do music full-time for the rest of my life,” Warren said during a recent interview with AL.com. “I want to get music out there for people to hear my heart. I don’t think anything could really ever stop me from it. It’s in my bones.”
Warren was following in the footsteps of Dexter Roberts, Levi Watkins, Cam Spinks, Kirk Jay, Red Marlow, Josie Jones, Worth the Wait and other “Voice” contestants from Alabama who’ve competed on the show as members of Shelton’s teams.
Alabama’s never had a winner on “The Voice” during the show’s 10-year history, but three singers from our state have made the finals: Roberts, who took third place on Season 16; Jay, who placed third on Season 15; and Marlow, who came in fourth during Season 13.
Here’s Warren’s bio from the series website:
“Emma didn’t have a typical childhood. Her father was often deployed as a military helicopter pilot and her parents eventually divorced, but Emma found comfort in music and used it as a way to express herself. She endured bullying in high school and had to change schools, but the move pushed her to join the chapel band and become a worship leader. Emma knew music would be her saving grace and kept with it throughout college. She wants to inspire others to persevere and use her music as a message of hope. Emma currently lives in Nashville, where she works as a personal assistant.”