Morgan Wallen once stood on The Voice stage as a contestant. More than a decade later, one of Season 30’s hopefuls is turning heads with one of Wallen’s biggest songs.
Michigan singer Evan James took the stage during the final round of Blind Auditions and delivered his own version of Wasted on You, Wallen’s 2022 hit from Dangerous: The Double Album.
The 22-year-old singer quickly caught the coaches’ attention with his smooth voice. By the final part of the chorus, Kelly Clarkson and Riley Green had both turned their chairs, with Adam Levine following soon after.
Evan finished the performance with confidence as his parents watched from the audience, visibly emotional over the moment.
Once the song ended, all three coaches had plenty to say about his performance. Kelly compared Evan’s version to what it might sound like if Gary LeVox of Rascal Flatts covered a Morgan Wallen song, pointing out the R&B influence in his voice.
Riley also praised Evan, while Adam used the moment to make a familiar complaint about country singers rarely choosing his team.
That changed when Evan made his decision.
Despite the strong country connection with Riley and the clear support from Kelly, Evan shocked the coaches by choosing Team Adam.
The choice could give Evan a chance to stand out from the many country singers on the other teams. But there may have been another reason behind his decision. Evan later joked on TikTok that his aunt was a huge Maroon 5 fan.
His performance has already sparked plenty of discussion online, with some viewers praising Evan’s version and even saying they preferred it to Wallen’s original, while others are waiting to see what he does next.
Evan now moves forward with Team Adam as Season 30 enters the Battle Rounds. His journey comes more than 12 years after Wallen himself competed on The Voice, making Evan’s Morgan Wallen cover an unexpected full-circle moment for the show.
The Blind Auditions are officially over, and the remaining artists will now fight for their spots as the competition moves toward the live shows.
