‘The Voice’ Recap: Snoop Is Finally Successful in Using His Steal to Nab One of Niall Horan’s Artists

Alyssa Norwin October 20, 2025, 10:00 pm

The Voice Season 28 Coaches — Trae Patton/NBC

The Monday, October 20, episode of The Voice featured Night 3 of the Battle Rounds. Coaches Snoop Dogg, Reba McEntire, Niall Horan, and Michael Bublé had tough decisions to make after watching more of their artists go head-to-head in duet performances.

The contestants were advised by Lizzo (Team Snoop), Nick Jonas (Team Reba), Lewis Capaldi (Team Niall), and Kelsea Ballerini (Team Bublé) before taking the stage for their Battles. Heading into Night 3, Horan still had his Save, while Snoop and Bublé each had a Steal.

Scroll down for a recap of the performances and to find out who the coaches chose, as well as where the teams stand heading into the final night of Battles before the Knockout Round.

Here’s where the teams stand after three nights of Battle Rounds:

Lauren Anderson vs. Makenzie Phipps (Team Snoop)

Lauren Anderson and Makenzie Phipps kicked off the show with a performance of “Before He Cheats” by Carrie Underwood. Horan called it a “good, old school, Voice Battle.”

Griffin Nagel/NBC

“Makenzie, you performed that song in a completely different way. In your part, you did your thing, hit some crazy notes,” he added. “And Lauren, you are a powerhouse. That scream that you do? I don’t even know where to start with who you choose.”

McEntire told both ladies they are “terrific performers” and noted that Underwood doesn’t record easy records. “Lauren, you came out of the gate ready,” McEntire said. “Makenzie, great performance, too. I’m proud of you both. If I had to make a decision, I think it’d be Lauren.”

Bublé said he had “nothing to critique” about Makenzie’s voice, but ultimately would pick Lauren because of her moves on stage. Snoop told Makenzie she’s a “superstar” and gushed over Lauren’s “strong performance” from the get-go. He ultimately picked Lauren as the winner of the Battle.

“What I loved about Lauren’s performance is she can really go another notch,” he explained. “I feel like Lauren has the experience to get her to the Finals.”

Max Chambers vs Aarik Duncan (Team Bublé)

Max Chambebrs and Aarik Duncan performed “Just the Two of Us.” Snoop praised the guys for their chemistry and for “complementing” each other instead of “outworking” each other. He said Max would be his choice for the winner of the Battle.

Griffin Nagel/NBC

“Aarik, you’ve taken it to a different level, man,” Horan said. “You really stood out in a great way. And Max, you’re just a complete natural. It was so good to watch you just shine up there.” He admitted he was “leaning towards” Max as the winner.

McEntire told the guys they gave a “spectacular performance” and noted how “comfortable” they were together. She selected Aarik as her would-be winner. But the decision was Bublé’s.

“Aarik, your voice has just a gorgeous tonal quality, such a richness,” he shared. “You’re perfection, man. Max, there’s a lot of right that comes out of you. You’re 14, but you come with a lot of maturity. You were hitting notes I haven’t heard you hit before.” He picked Max as the winner of the Battle, noting that the teenager “has the potential to become a star.”

Aiden Ross vs. Ava Nat (Team Niall)

Horan gave Aiden Ross and Ava Nat his own duet “What a Time” to perform. McEntire told them that they should consider performing as a duo if their solo careers don’t wokr out.

Griffin Nagel/NBC

“Aiden you have such a beautiful voice and I just love watching you go into your falsetto,” Bublé said. “Ava, there’s such a sweetness and richness in your tone.” He chose Aiden as the winner of the Battle, because the “falsetto kind of melted me.”

Snoop pointed out that he “wanted both” Aiden and Ava on his team and even turned his chair for their auditions. He hinted that he would “do some things” if he had the chance to. Horan told his team members that the performance “was everything I wanted it to be and 20 times more.”

He ended up choosing Aiden as the winner of the Battle due to his “level of consistency.” However, he also pushed his Save button for Ava, while Snoop hit his Steal button. The choice was then Ava’s, and she decided to stay with Team Niall.

“I had to use my Save,” he said. “I love Ava’s voice. I love her ability to tell a story. She does it simply better than anyone on the show.”

Leyton Robinson vs. Manny Costello (Team Reba)

Leyton Robinson and Manny Costello were tasked with singing Chris Stapleton‘s “Think I’m in Love With You.” Bublé said it was “incredible,” noting that Leyton could “sing the phone book,” and raving over Manny’s “gravely, amazing” voice. He “leaned towards” Leyton as the winner, though.

Griffin Nagel/NBC

Horan told Manny his voice was “really great,” adding, “Your grit in your voice is something I didn’t really hear last time stand out. And you can run, too, which I never heard.” The One Direction singer also praised Leyton’s “piercing voice that you can hear in any harmonies.”

McEntire told both singers she was “proud” of them and noted that they’ve grown, even since rehearsals. She picked Leyton as the winner because she felt like she could help her more as they move forward in the competition.

Vinya Chhabra vs. Conrad Khalil (Team Reba)

Vinya Chhabra and Conrad Khalil performed a duet of “It Takes Two” for their Battle.

Griffin Nagel/NBC

“Conrad, I would call you a show dog because when those lights come on … PIZAZZ!” McEntire gushed, before choosing Conrad as the winner of the Battle.

“Conrad, he was a one-chair turn from me, but he has grown so much in this process,” she shared. “His voice is great and I think he will continue to grow and improve.”

Emmanuel Rey vs. Mindy Miller (Team Snoop)

For their Battle, Emmanuel Rey and Mindy Miller sang “Angel From Montgomery.” While it was more in her wheelhouse than his, he managed to make it his own.

Griffin Nagel/NBC

“Emmanuel, how you held your own in a song that wasn’t leaning your way, that says a lot about you,” Horan praised. “That’s real artistry to put your swing on a song that’s not particularly your lane. Mindy, your voice is amazing and the level you’ve taken it to since the Blinds is next level.”

McEntire told Emmanuel he can probably “sing just about anything,” and noted that it was “really a treat” to listen to Mindy sing. She chose Mindy as the winner, but the decision was all Snoop’s.

“Emmanuel, when you put the Spanish in there, you turned me all the way up,” the rapper said. “To me, you’re an artist. Just so you know, I have a label. We’ll talk about that later. Mindy, the minute you started playing and singing, it felt like it was your record. You were comfortable with this record. The thing I’m interested in seeing is what can happen outside this wheelhouse.”

Luckily, he’ll get a chance to do just that as he continues to coach Mindy, as he chose her as the Battle winner.

Kirbi vs. Carolina Rodriguez (Team Niall)

Kirbi and Carolina Rodriguez sang Lauren Daigle‘s “You Say” for the last Battle of the night. McEntire told them the performance was “angelic” and admitted she wasn’t able to pick one a winner.

Griffin Nagel/NBC

Snoop made sure to note that he still had his Steal to use, as Horan struggled to make a choice. “It was beautiful,” he gushed. “It was emotional, it was everythign we want in a Battle. What’s really hard is you two have become such good friends over this. Kirbi, that rasp is so beautiful at the top of your register. Not many people have that. Like Snoop said, you looked like a veteran up there. Carolina, the way you started that song, to sing low in your register, straight out of the gate, was so impressive.”

Niall picked Kirbi as the winner because she “really gave me the emotion that I wanted from that song.” However, as expected, Snoop stole Carolina. “The thing I loved about Carolina the most was her growth, hearing her from the Blinds to now,” he noted.

Heading into the last night of Battles, here’s where the teams stand. Each coach has one more Battle pairing to complete their teams, while Bublé also has his Steal remaining.