Brandy Neelly’s The Voice audition came with an unexpected twist: the singer had already made something special for one of the coaches before ever stepping onto the stage.

The 31-year-old singer earned a two-chair turn during Season 30’s Blind Auditions with her spirited rendition of “Lesson in Leavin’,” prompting Riley Green and Queen Latifah to turn their chairs. But Green’s reaction became even more memorable when Neelly revealed that she had once baked his birthday cake.

Brandy Neelly Brings a Country Classic to ‘The Voice’

Neelly chose “Lesson in Leavin’” for her Blind Audition, performing the country classic with her own energy and style.

The song was originally recorded by Dottie West in 1980 and became a No. 1 hit on the Hot Country Songs chart. Jo Dee Messina later released her version in 1999, which reached No. 2 on the country chart and No. 28 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100.

Riley was the first coach to turn his chair, with Queen Latifah following to give Neelly a two-chair turn.

Green immediately praised what he heard, describing the performance as “fun” with a “traditional feel.” He also pointed out that Neelly had managed to put her own stamp on the familiar song.

“The best you can be is different,” Green told her, “and you’ve certainly got your own sound.”

She Had Already Made Riley Green a Birthday Cake

Neelly then revealed that music is not her only passion. She also bakes cakes—and one of her previous creations had been made specifically for Green.

She showed the coaches a photo of the birthday cake she had baked for the country singer. The design featured a duck pond and Green’s nickname, “Duckman.”

Green instantly recognized it.

“It was delicious,” he said.

The exact year of the birthday remained unclear, but Green jokingly suggested that Neelly had made the cake for his 23rd birthday—even though he is actually 37. Kelly Clarkson immediately burst out laughing and shouted, “Shut up!”

The unexpected connection made Green’s chair turn even more entertaining, especially since Neelly was now choosing between him and Queen Latifah.

Queen Latifah and Adam Levine Make Their Pitches

Queen Latifah was equally impressed by Neelly’s performance.

“There is nothing like a woman who can come out here and rock a song like that,” she told the singer.

Adam Levine, meanwhile, tried to persuade Neelly to choose Queen’s team. He argued that Latifah could potentially give her more room to establish her own identity, while joining Green’s team would put her through what he called a “country gauntlet.”

But Neelly was not intimidated by the competition.

After weighing her options, she decided she could still make her mark alongside Green and chose Riley Green as her coach.

The decision gave Green another country singer for his Season 30 team—and made for an unusually personal Voice reunion between a coach and the contestant who once baked his birthday cake.

Source: Compiled from various sources