NBC Nini Iris on 'The Voice.'
The top five artists on “The Voice” were revealed on December 12, and fans are shocked that Nini Iris wasn’t among them. After making her way into the final nine contestants, the Georgia-born singer was eliminated in the semi-finals after a hard-fought competition. For some fans, Iris’ departure remains a hard pill to swallow, claiming that she was “robbed” after her “legendary” performance.
During her blind auditions in October, Iris managed to impress all four coaches with her rendition of Everybody Loves an Outlaw’s “I See Red.” Within just a few seconds, Niall Horan and Gwen Stefani tapped their button to turn around, with John Legend following soon after. It took Reba McEntire a few more seconds, but eventually, she turned around to face Iris as well.
“I’m going to fight hard for this one, so you better get ready,” Horan said to his fellow coaches. He then turned to Iris and made his pitch. “It was so strong, powerful, commanding. The whole room was with you all the way.”
After a brief deliberation, Iris selected to go with Horan as her coach. It appeared that she had made the right decision after becoming one of the top favorites to win it all. But in the end, she came up just short. Beating her out for spots in the top five were Lila Forde of Team Legend, Huntley from Team Niall, Ruby Leigh from Team Reba, Mara Justine from Team Niall, and Jacquie Roar from Team Reba.
Niall Horan In Disbelief Over His ‘Real Artist’
Heading into the semi-finals, Iris appeared to be riding a giant wave of momentum. During her December 4 performance on “The Voice,” she wowed the coaches and fans with her interpretation of “Lovesong” by The Cure. “I mean, if she DOESN’T win the whole competition, there’s something really wrong with world. SHINE BRIGHT LIKE A DIAMOND, NINI,” wrote one fan on YouTube.
For her semi-final performance on December 11, Iris chose to sing “No Time To Die“ by Billie Eilish. Stefani told Iris that she was “blown away” by the singer’s ability to transform the song into her own in a “tasteful” way. However, during the December 12 results show, it was revealed that Iris was not included in the four artists automatically moving through to the next round.
Singing “Mad World” from Tears For Fears, Nini Iris attempted to stave off elimination with her last-chance performance. “I can’t believe she’s in this position,” said Horan. “I keep talking about her ability as an artist. We need to look past this show as well. We have a real artist here.”
Despite Horan’s comments, Iris was sent home after Jacquie Roar earned the fifth and final spot in the finals.
Fans React To Nini Iris’ Elimination From ‘The Voice’
Following her elimination from “The Voice,” Nini Iris took to social media to thank the show for the opportunity. “Thank you @nbcthevoice for this wonderful experience! Thank you @niallhoran for being the best coach and a friend! And thank you all for your love. My career’s just beginning! love u always,” Iris wrote in her Instagram post.
Despite Iris’ graciousness, fans have still expressed their displeasure. “You are the definition of the voice absolutely robbed,” wrote one Instagram user.
In a Reddit thread, one user asked “How can America not save Nini? Her not being in the finals is criminal.” A few fans attempted to understand how she failed to receive enough votes. To them, Iris was among the most popular contestants.
“I’m soooo surprised. I thought she was safe and a potential winner based on what I’ve seen of public opinion. Maybe people lended their votes elsewhere, also thinking she’d surely be safe. I’m not certain, but I am pretty floored to be honest,” wrote one surprised fan.
Another Reddit user noted Iris’ social media following as a reason why she should have advanced into the final five. “She’s by far the most popular one on social media it doesn’t make any sense,” the fan wrote.
The season finale of “The Voice” begins December 18 at 8 p.m. on NBC.