The Voice season 27 playoffs kicked off on April 28, 2025, with Kelsea Ballerini’s and Adam Levine’s teams performing for four of the coveted spots in the top 8 ahead of the live shows in May 2025. The coaches had to make the difficult decision to select only two teammates each, so who did Kelsea choose? Life & Style shares what to know about the remaining artists on Team Kelsea, Iris Herrera and Alanna Lynise.
Who Is Iris Herrera on ‘The Voice’?
Iris is a 19-year-old singer from Newaygo, Michigan, who previously auditioned for season 26 of The Voice and was rejected. In season 27, she made it to the blind auditions and sang “You Are My Sunshine,” earning chair turns from Kelsea, John Legend and Michael Bublé. Iris advanced to the battle rounds, where she sang “Ceilings” by Lizzy McAlpine with Simone Marijic and was selected to move on to the knockouts. In the knockouts, she sang “Jolene” by Ray LaMontagne and advanced to the playoffs.
For her playoffs performance, Iris sang “White Horse” by Chris Stapleton, and the judges loved her signature raspy rocker sound. Kelsea said that Iris did “the best [she’s] ever done it.”
In an interview with Local Spins, Iris said that choosing Kelsea as her coach was the “best decision [she] could have made.”
“Just the way Kelsea speaks and the vibe that she brings to the table is so different, and personable, and unique,” she said. “I think that she has a good understanding of what it means to be an underdog. … She’s wonderful.”
Who Is Alanna Lynise on ‘The Voice’?
Alanna, a 21-year-old singer and “one of nine musically gifted siblings” from Toledo, Ohio, auditioned for The Voice season 27 with “Issues” by Julia Michaels. She earned chair turns from Michael, Kelsea and Adam. After advancing to the battles, Alanna performed Miley Cyrus’ “Angels Like You” with Brook Wood and was selected to move on to the knockouts. There, she performed “I’ll Never Love Again” from A Star Is Born, which earned her a spot in the playoffs.
Alanna sang a breathtaking rendition of “Nobody Gets Me” by SZA in the playoffs. Kelsea told her that she loves how Alanna is happy to put in the work for any performance.
Alanna, who graduated from the Toledo School for the Arts, told The Blade that she wasn’t sure which coach she would pick going into her audition, but she knew that her gut would tell her what was right on stage.
“I performed my song and I had no idea who I was going to choose as my coach. I decided I would just know in the moment — and I did,” she explained. “The coaches reactions were just beautiful and I didn’t expect everyone would have such feedback for me. It was a challenging moment but I knew I wanted to learn with Kelsea. So she got my pick.”
How Do the Playoffs Work on ‘The Voice’?
Each of the four teams has five artists left at the start of the playoffs. During the April 28, 2025, episode, fans saw all 10 artists from Team Kelsea and Team Adam perform. At the end of the episode, Kelsea and Adam each chose two artists to move on to the live shows, which begin on May 12, 2025.
This same format will continue for the second playoff episode on May 5, 2025, when John’s and Michael’s teams perform. At the end of the night, John and Michael will each choose two artists to send to the live shows, making for a total of eight singers in the live shows. However, The Voice has already teased a “surprise twist” coming in the second playoff episode, and many fans believe that the coaches may be allowed to bring back eliminated artists.
Three Artists From Kelsea Ballerini’s Team Went Home During ‘The Voice’ Playoffs
Unfortunately, this playoff format means that three talented artists from Kelsea’s team went home. Jaelen Johnston was eliminated after his performance of Tim McGraw’s “If You’re Reading This,” Tinika Wyatt was sent home after she sang “I Can Only Imagine” by MercyMe and Darius J. was eliminated after his rendition of Outkast’s “Hey Ya!”
