The Voice Season 28 Premiere Brings Reba McEntire to Tears
A Night of Country Talent
Season 28 of The Voice kicked off on Monday night (September 22) with no shortage of country artists gracing the stage — perhaps inspired by the return of the Queen of Country herself, Reba McEntire, to the coach’s chair. Throughout the two-hour premiere, hopefuls delivered strong performances, but one in particular struck a chord that left Reba visibly moved.
Manny Costello Wins Over the Coaches
Manny Costello, a 28-year-old proud girl dad, took the stage with a heartfelt rendition of Craig Morgan’s “Almost Home.” His performance earned a two-chair turn, first from Reba, then from Snoop Dogg. It marked the second time this season that Snoop and Reba found themselves vying for the same country singer — though earlier, Snoop had successfully blocked Reba to secure another contestant.
This time, the decision rested with Manny.
Reba’s Emotional Reaction
As soon as Costello finished, Reba admitted his voice had struck something deep within her.
“It made me homesick,” she confessed, her voice cracking. “It took me back to all the greats I’ve been so fortunate to be able to listen to in my life. You’ve gotten qualities from George Jones and Haggard, and there’s a little Randy in there. It’s just a great combination.”
Overcome with emotion, she laughed through tears, saying:
“Gosh dang, why do I get so emotional? It’s tears of joy because I feel very blessed to have been in the country music business all these years. So you just triggered something that needed to come out and say, ‘Happy to be here.’”
Snoop Dogg’s Pitch
Not to be outdone, Snoop tried to sway Manny by tying his voice to a personal memory.
“Your voice remind me of the time I was hanging out with Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson, and we was working on a song called ‘Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die,’” he said with a grin. “It triggered that emotion in me to make me wanna go to my green room … but we gotta finish the show.”
Praise from Niall and the Final Decision
Although Coach Niall Horan didn’t turn his chair, he still commended the performance, calling it one of the biggest compliments a singer could receive:
“You moved the Queen of Country Music to tears. That’s amazing.”
When it came time to choose, Manny didn’t hesitate long. He proudly picked Team Reba, setting the stage for what could be one of the most emotional journeys of the season.