Reba McEntire Chooses Aaron Nichols Over Daron Lameek After Show-Stopping Battle on The Voice
The Battle Rounds of The Voice Season 28 are officially underway — and the competition is heating up fast. Forty-eight singers made it through the Blind Auditions, but now, only half will move forward to the Knockouts.
In a historic twist, this season’s contestants were given the chance to choose their own Battle partners for the first time ever. Among Team Reba’s standouts were Aaron Nichols and Daron Lameek, whose unexpected pairing led to one of the night’s most talked-about performances.
Aaron Nichols vs. Daron Lameek: A Battle of Two Worlds
Ahead of the performance, Nichols admitted he was hesitant about pairing with Lameek.
“I honestly felt like Daron was somebody to try to avoid,” he confessed. “He’s an excellent vocalist. I mean, runs for days.”
Both singers impressed during their Blind Auditions — Lameek earning a two-chair turn for his soulful take on Lionel Richie’s “All Night Long”, and Nichols turning three chairs with a powerful rendition of Chris Stapleton’s “Cold.”
Coach Michael Bublé had even predicted that Reba could win the entire competition if Nichols joined her team.
Reba McEntire & Nick Jonas Craft a Soulful Duet
With former coach Nick Jonas joining Team Reba as a Battle advisor, the duo helped blend Nichols’ country grit with Lameek’s smooth R&B style for a moving cover of Elvin Bishop’s “Fooled Around and Fell in Love.”
Reba admitted she initially wouldn’t have chosen the two to perform together due to their contrasting styles. But after hearing them rehearse, she changed her mind.
“It’s like peanut butter and jelly — so different, but blended together so well,” she said.
Lameek opened the song with a silky first verse before Nichols joined in, adding a raspy punch that turned the duet into a true showstopper.
Reba Defies the Odds
The coaches were torn.
Michael Bublé praised Lameek’s tone, comparing him to Sam Cooke, and said he’d keep him if it were his choice.
Niall Horan agreed, noting that Daron’s voice was “effortless.”
But when it came time for Reba to decide, she went with her gut — and chose Aaron Nichols as the winner.
“I had to choose Aaron,” Reba explained. “He did something tonight that he hadn’t done in rehearsals. He hit a high note with that gravel voice, and I was like — that’s it. That wins the prize right there.”
Nichols’ victory cements him as one of Team Reba’s rising stars heading into the Knockouts. His mix of soul and country grit — plus that crowd-winning charisma — could make him one to watch this season.
The Voice airs Mondays and Tuesdays on NBC.