Why 17-Year-Old Shye’s Battle Had Bublé Saying, “I Hear Adele! Standing Ovation”

The recent high school graduate went head-to-head with Jamison Puckett while covering Justin Bieber’s “Love Yourself.”

Seventeen-year-old Shye continued to defy all expectations on Monday night’s episode of The Voice Season 26 as the recent high school graduate won her Battle against fellow Team Bublé member, Jamison Puckett.

“I see Shye having a ton of potential because she just has that special of a voice,” Coach Bublé explained. “Honestly, I hear Adele. She just literally blew me away. I think she has a great future in this business. It was tough letting Jamison go. I’m learning every day that this show ends up different than you ever think it’s gonna be. And then someone like Shye turns up and turns it all on its head.”

“I was so shocked,” confessed Shye, a native of Glen Cove, New York. “I was next to tears. I was like, ‘Keep it together!'”

The Voice Team Bublé Battle: Jamison Puckett vs. Shye

Shye and Jamison Puckett on The Voice Season 26 Episode 9. Photo: Casey Durkin/NBC

The Battle between Shye and Puckett featured a cover of “Love Yourself” by Justin Bieber, which Bublé chose “because you both have such soulful voices,” he told the contestants. “You can do R&B, you can do soul. I was so happy because I felt like it was fair for either of you to tell this story in your own voice.”

Puckett viewed the lyrics as being representative of leaving his “old life” behind in the run-up to the birth of his first child (he learned his wife was pregnant just before he was set to compete on The Voice). “It’s an incredible time of our lives, but there’s this massive fear of rejection in me,” he said. “I don’t know where that formed. I’m really self-conscious. I’m 34 and I feel like I’ve spent so long being afraid to just be me. But I feel like The Voice as a Team and Michael are so encouraging [that] I’m okay loving myself. I’m not apologizing for who I am and this is a message that I want my child to be able to hear.”

“This song is close to my pop rock-type of genre,” explained Shye. “There’s some slight reggae compliments to it and I’ve never done anything like that before. But I love a challenge. Even though I got Four Chairs, I do not have as many years of experience as Jamison. I originally got into music because my siblings were always singing and rapping and dancing around the house. Of course, one thing leads to another and I decide to join my school’s musical. Musical theater has helped me with self-esteem in terms of performance, acting — everything that matters when it comes to getting onstage and singing in front of a lot of people.

“I liked the way that the song brought out the best of what you guys do,” Snoop Dogg said after the Battle, once again refusing to make a choice between the two contestants. “Being able to highlight those big notes and then to stay calm on certain parts and to allow the song to grow. That was dope … Much success to whoever wins and whoever doesn’t win, you still did an amazing job.”

“The camaraderie was just excellent and your staging was cute as a button,” added Reba McEntire, also unable to pick a frontrunner. “I could not help you at all, Michael, because I love ’em both.”

“I’m with you, Reba. I just wanted to keep hearing more and more more, because it was just so smooth and warm” said Gwen Stefani. “Both your voices have that quality. Jamison, you were a little bit longer with the notes and less syncopated. You’re so gifted. The problem for me was Shye is 17-years-old and I cannot believe what you just did. It seems like you have zero nerves. The whole time I’m just sitting here going, ‘Okay, 1987, No Doubt, I was 17.’ I couldn’t have done that and it’s just so cool to watch. You are both equally gifted and that was probably one of my favorite Battles I’ve seen so far … I know if I put my best effort forward, I can win this Battle.”

Before leaving the stage, Jamison thanked Michael for bringing him aboard, even if it was for a short while. “I’m so thankful,” he said. “This has been an incredible experience. My life is a total whirlwind right now, with my wife five months pregnant. Regardless of what happened here, I’m winning.”

How can you watch The Voice?

Catch new episodes of The Voice Mondays and Tuesdays at 8:00 p.m. ET on NBC. Every episode also arrives on Peacock the next day, so if you missed it the night before, you can always catch up.