Bay Simpson’s Satisfyingly “Weird, Rock & Roll” Performance Surprised on The Voice

The Voice Season 29 Artist has a very, very famous relative.

Fans who tuned in to the March 16 episode of The Voice: Battles of Champions learned firsthand just how much of a compliment it is when Coaches call your singing style “a little weird.”

How to Watch

Watch The Voice Mondays at 9/8c on NBC and next day on Peacock.

The Battles are in full swing, and when it was time for Bay Simpson and Hunter Jordan to take the stage on behalf of Team Adam, the duo did not disappoint. They delivered a dynamic rendition of the Morgan Wallen hit “I’m the Problem” that, at one point, had Kelly Clarkson staring in awe from her Coach’s Chair.

Jordan kicked off the Battle with his strong, country-rooted vocals — lending a calm, restrained feel to the track. But the performance took a surprising turn when Simpson showcased with his unique vocal stylings, blowing the Coaches away with his old-school rock/folk sound. This discovery then led to a fantastic back-and-forth between the three Coaches after the performance ended, which revolved around John Legend’s use of “weird” to describe Simpson’s voice.

“Hunter’s voice is so strong and has so much presence and there’s a nice shred to it, I was like, ‘How’s Bay gonna compete with that?'” Legend said. “But then Bay comes on, and your voice is like, a little weird in a very cool way.”

Bay Simpson’s Battles performance surprised The Voice Coaches: “I loved how different it felt”

Bay Simpson and Hunter Jordan during The Voice Season 29 Episode 4.

Photo: Griffin Nagel/NBC

“If weird means sexy and intimate and rock-n-roll! It’s so good!” Clarkson chimed in while giving Simpson a big thumbs up.

Their Coach Adam Levine agreed, telling his Artists, “I always tell my kids, ‘Stay weird.'”

“What I’m saying is I loved how different it felt,” Legend added. “I was like, ‘Why didn’t I turn for you?’ It was just really cool.”

Of course, Levine had the toughest decision out of all the Coaches to make — he had to decide which Artist would be moving on to the Knockouts and which would be making an early exit from the show. In the end, “weirdness” paid off big time — Simpson moved on to the Knockouts, getting one step closer to stardom.

“Bay just takes things and does things that make my soul feel good,” Levine admitted after revealing that he thought he was going to choose Jordan “the whole time.”

The Voice: Battle of Champions

The Voice Season 29 is shaking things up, premiering on Monday, February 23 at 9/8c on NBC and streaming the next day on Peacock.

Officially titled The Voice: Battle of Champions, Season 29 features the show’s first-ever three-Coach lineup, putting The Voice OGs Kelly Clarkson, Adam Levine, and John Legend back in the red chairs for an epic showdown.

The Voice Season 29 will also introduce fresh format updates such as the “Triple Turn Competition” and the “Super Steal.” You also won’t want to miss the exciting return of CeeLoo Green in a totally new role.

Muscle Shoals native Bay Simpson is related to Elvis Presley

Bay Simpson performs on The Voice Season 29 Episode 4.

Photo: Griffin Nagel/NBC

There’s a reason why there’s so much rock n’ roll soul behind Simpson’s vibe — he’s related to the King himself.

In the video package that introduced Simpson to Voice viewers ahead of his Blind Audition, the Muscle Shoals, Alabama native revealed that his mom’s dad’s great aunt, Minnie Mae Hood, is Elvis Presley’s grandmother.

“I don’t know what that makes me, but I’m not making it up,” Simpson laughed. “It’s really cool to be related to the King because I love rock n’ roll. It’s kind of like this spiritual thing that I need to carry the song somehow.”

The 29th season of The Voice is moving full-steam ahead, and you don’t have to miss a second of the action — catch new episodes of The Voice: Battle of Champions on Mondays at 9/8c on NBC. And remember, episodes are available to stream the next day on Peacock.