‘The Voice’ Crowns a Season 26 Winner

I was rooting for McEntire’s protégé, the bluesy, soulful, mustachioed English singer Danny Joseph, who made it into the finals via the show’s “Instant Save” sub-category competition. Joseph, who moved to the United States ten years ago, was the only singer who also played an instrument, an electric guitar. On the second night, doing a duet on “You Don’t Know Me” with McEntire, he admitted he didn’t know what to do with his hands sans guitar. Maybe that was one reason viewers didn’t take to him as I did. On X, Lil Peanut posted, “Sorry but Danny's voice is too gruff, gnarly, loud and sounds the same on all his songs, it's actually not that great.”

So Joseph’s defeat and Vasquez’s victory pretty much played out as expected. But as Stefani told her chosen singer Sterlace before the winner was announced, “Winning doesn’t matter — you won.” That’s a reality show cliché, but she’s not wrong. Vasquez gets the big prize, $100,000 and a record deal from Universal Music Group, but the massive TV exposure could translate into a golden ticket to a big career for any of them.

The season finale of The Voice may rightfully he considered the Super Bowl of TV talent contests, especially for AARP members — the median age for viewers is a tick under 65. The only scoring that counts in the finals comes from viewers’ online votes.

The performances of the show’s contestants were augmented by guest appearances by Kelly Clarkson, whom host Carson Daly, 51, called “our own” (the first-season American Idol winner, she was a coach on The Voice, Seasons 14-21); Sting, 73, who dueted with Snoop on Michael Jackson’s “Another Part of Me”); Tears for Fears, who played a medley of their big hit, “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” and latest single, “The Girl That I Call Home;” last season’s winner Asher HaVon, who warbled a tearjerking tribute to coach McEntire; Myles Smith, who sang a soulful, ‘70s-rooted “Stargazing;” Season 24 winner Huntley, singing his current country-rocker “Skyline Drive;” and Ella Langley and Riley Green doing their wrenching country hit, “You Look Like You Love Me.”

The best sketch with the hosts and contestants was by Bublé and McEntire, who goaded him into donning cowboy garb – bolo tie, kerchief, hats of different sizes – as the natty, coiffed Canadian pleaded, “I’m not a cowboy, I’ve never been dirty in my life!” Cue: Dirt toss from McEntire. He was asking for it! A mechanical bull ride did not go well for the ersatz cowboy, but served its comic purpose.

In some ways, The Voice is as much about the judges as it is their chosen protégés, and about the rapport they share. The judges all have the star power the contestants lack – that draws a portion of the audience in. All four judges were winners this season, showing both their vocal chops and comedic acumen. If there was a winner in the judges’ realm, it was certainly Bublé, not just for having coached the winning singer and the runner-up, but for his witty badinage and heartfelt warmth throughout. On Monday’s show, Bublé aptly praised Vasquez’s offstage nature – “sweet and humble” – and then said Vasquez apparently went into a phone booth and changed into a musical Superman.

The best duet was Stefani and Sterlace’s heartfelt take on the 1971 hit “Wild World,” by Cat Stevens, 76. Stevens’ wrote the song to bid farewell to his long-ago girlfriend, model/actress Patti D’Arbanville, 73, who left him to make Andy Warhol movies in New York, warning her about the wild world out there. But on The Voice, it was about the warm feelings between Stefani and the 16-year-old Sterlace. The most resonant part came at the end, when Stefani sang, “I’ll always remember you like a child, girl,” and then the two shared the line.

Runner-up moment: Bublé and Shye covering the 1967 hit by Frank Sinatra and Nancy Sinatra, 84, “Somethin’ Stupid.”

Daly announced the judges for the Season 27. Bublé will return to defend his title, along with John Legend, 45, Kelsea Ballerini, 31, and Adam Levine, 45, tagged the “O.G. coach” by Daly. The average age of the coaches will fall from 56.5 to 42.5, which may annoy some AARP viewers. But I bet they’ll keep watching it anyway.