The Voice: Why “Instant Turn” Kiara Vega Was “The Biggest Surprise So Far” for This Coach

Vega’s soulful Latin sound earned her an amazing three-chair turn during Blind Auditions.

Pouring all her heart and soul into “Amor Eterno” by Rocío Dúrcal during her Blind Audition on the Season 26 premiere of The Voice, 18-year-old Kiara Vega made a direct connection with Reba McEntire — even though the Queen of Country didn’t grasp a lick of the song’s Spanish-language lyrics.

“I’m just gonna come clean here: I didn’t understand a word you said,” confessed Reba, back for The Voice’s new season after mentoring Season 25 winner Asher HaVon all the way to victory. “I had to turn around because you sing so beautifully. What was coming through your eyes and the song, it touched my heart! Even though I didn’t know what you was sayin’, I still understood the feeling of it.”

Watch Kiara Vega Performance of Rocío Dúrcal’s “Amor Eterno” During Blind Auditions for The Voice Season 26

Kiara Vega performs onstage during The Voice, Season 26 Episode 1. Photo: Tyler Golden/NBC

A Tampa, Florida native, Kiara earned a three-chair turn from Reba alongside first-time Coaches Michael Bublé and Snoop Dogg, even as Gwen Stefani admitted she might’ve turned, too, if only she’d known Kiara was performing in public for the very first time at age 18.

It was Bublé, though, who Vega really bowled over with her yearning take on the song — a tribute, she said, to her beloved great-grandpa, who passed away in November of last year. “This song is about wishing that they never left,” said Kiara. “So I’m really trying to sing this in remembrance of him.”

Gifted with a full command of Spanish, Bublé tried to win Kiara over to his team by sliding into a Spanish-only conversation with the aspiring Artist — and all over the funny protests of Snoop and Reba. But it was Vega’s elegant and earnest voice that had Snoop, Reba, and Bublé all vying to win her favor in the end. “I loved every moment of that! I’m a huge fan of that music,” gushed Bublé. “This is the biggest surprise for me so far. Truly, you just blew me away, Kiara!”

Bublé’s charm campaign must’ve worked its magic, because Vega indeed elected to start her competitive journey on The Voice with Bublé as her Coach. “Kiara was an instant turn for me,” he said afterward. “My wife is Argentinian, so the last 16 years of my life, I have been surrounded with Latin culture… That was a massive, massive win for me today!”

Vega teased that her versatility ranges well beyond Latin music, confessing a current love for jazz and R&B. Can Kiara Vega and Coach Bublé keep the magic going as Season 26 kicks into high gear? Keep watching The Voice Season 26 to find out!

How can you watch The Voice?

Catch a new episode of The Voice next Monday 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.