Riley Green wasted no time making his mark as a new coach on The Voice Season 30.
The country star made his coaching debut during the season premiere and quickly found himself in a battle with returning coach Kelly Clarkson over 19-year-old country singer Joe Henley.
Before taking the stage, Henley made it clear that he was excited to see the new coach in action.
“Country music is back on The Voice in a big way. Riley Green is here. I love him to death,” Henley said. He also hoped to get more than one chair turn and joked that he wanted to see “new blood Riley Green and Kelly Clarkson go at it.”
His wish came true.
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Henley, who grew up singing in church and listening to classic country music, performed Travis Tritt’s Anymore for the Blind Auditions. Both Riley and Kelly turned their chairs, setting up a battle for the young singer.
“That’s my boy right there,” Riley said with a grin after Henley finished. He then focused directly on Henley, telling him, “Let’s just talk like it’s me and you here.”
“I think it is,” Kelly joked. “He was singing it to you! Quit looking at him!”
Henley had a simple answer: “It’s his eyes. I can’t help it.”
Kelly was not ready to give up. She stepped in front of Henley, put on a cowboy hat and made her case.
“I have won this show, man, with country singers. Plural!” Clarkson said. She then pointed out that country singers would have another option besides Riley, asking Henley to imagine becoming the only country superstar on her team.
Riley Green takes his pitch to the stage
Riley soon found another way to win Henley over.
The new coach asked the teenager about his favorite artists. Henley named Keith Whitley, Don Williams and George Strait, but Riley noticed that one name was missing.
“I didn’t get to my number one,” Henley explained.
That immediately caught Riley’s attention.
When Henley revealed that My Way was his favorite song, Riley jumped onto the stage and joined him for an impromptu duet.
The moment appeared to settle the competition.
After the performance, Adam Levine asked the question everyone was waiting for: “What’s he gonna do? Who do you pick as your coach?”
Henley gave Kelly plenty of love before making his decision.
“I love you Ms. Kelly, so much, I promise, but I’m gonna go with Mr. Riley Green,” he said.
Riley was thrilled with the choice and admitted that his Voice journey was already “more fun than I even thought.”
The new coach also made his strategy clear. “Kelly’s coming after my country guys,” Riley said. “My strategy is to get as many country artists as I can. I want to get all of them, because I think there’s a great chance of a country music artist winning this whole show.”
Kelly seemed to agree with him, even while teasing her new rival.
“He could win you The Voice. He didn’t even look at me. He was locking eyes [with Riley], like didn’t even see me. It was like junior high all over again,” she joked.
With Riley already landing one of the young country singers Kelly wanted, the new coach has made it clear that he is not planning to give up his country competition easily.
The Voice continues its Season 30 premiere week with new episodes Tuesday and Wednesday on NBC.
