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Hear the “Off-the-Scale,” “Sick” Vocal Runs That Got Mac Royals a 4-Chair Turn
A TV show that Mac Royals watched with his grandma might have been the deciding factor in his choice of Coach.
Mac Royals will be the first to tell you that his hometown of Wrightsville, Arkansas isn’t exactly a hotbed for the music industry. However, the 30-year-old said one of the reasons he wanted to compete on The Voice was to “create a bridge from the industry to Arkansas.” And that's exactly what he did — in the form of a Four-Chair Turn Blind Audition singing John Mayer’s “Gravity."
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“I hope the Coaches can hear my heart and not just my voice,” he said before hitting the stage. “I hope they can feel the pain in the song that I’m about to deliver, and that’s what’s going to make them turn around.”
Mac Royals' Blind Audition singing "Gravity" by John Mayer on The Voice Season 24
Royals first started singing in the club his father opened after he was released from prison (where he'd been since Royals was 6).
“Once my dad was released, he really showed me a different side. He opened up a club and I started my career there. My dad just threw me up on stage and was like, 'Hey, listen you’re gonna do it,'” Royals recalled.
Sadly, on July 22, his father died, leaving a void in Royals’ heart that came across in his soulful performance of “Gravity."
Ultimately, Reba McEntire had the pitch that won over Royals, despite all four Coaches wanting him.
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“I’m from Oklahoma,” the country legend said. “I had 18 people in my hometown growing up. So I do know about small town giving back, helping out.”
It turns out Royals and McEntire have a connection that made him even more keen on her as a Coach. As a child, Royals would watch the Reba show with his grandmother, who has since passed. That emotional connection, plus McEntire's prowess as a music icon, made her the obvious pick for Royals.
“I picked Reba, musically, because she understands what it’s like to come from a very small town and have very big dreams. Even though I don’t necessarily sing country music, the soul and the passion that’s in country music, she can pass that on to me,” Royals said.
But how far will Royals go? Find out by watching The Voice Mondays and Tuesdays at 8/7c on NBC and next day on Peacock.
