KELLY AND RILEY GO TO WAR OVER A POWERHOUSE ARTIST FROM TEAM QUEEN Two coaches just locked eyes and refused to back down. In one of the most intense Steal battles of the season, Kelly Clarkson and Riley Green both lunged for the same standout singer from Team Queen Latifah — turning the stage into a full-blown tug-of-war. The artist’s performance lit up the room… and suddenly the coaches were fighting for the chance to snatch them away. Who walked away with the prize? And who was left empty-handed? Full breakdown of the dramatic Steal, the strongest performances of the night, and what’s next 👇

The Battle Rounds are officially underway with the October 12 episode of The Voice. Things kicked off with Riley Green keeping a country duo on his team last week, and now, the rest of the coaches (Adam Levine, Kelly Clarkson, and Queen Latifah) are also making big decisions about who to bring to Cut Week.

Each coach brought an advisor in for the Battles to help mentor their artists: Carly Pearce (Green), Patti LaBelle (Latifah), Ariana DeBose (Clarkson), and Alex Warren (Levine).

Scroll down for a recap of the night’s Battle performances and to see where the teams stand so far.

Alt Bloom vs. Morgan Lett (Team Queen)

Latifah’s first Battle pairing was Alt Bloom (two-chair turn) and Morgan Lett (two-chair turn). They performed a duet of “Ex-Factor” by Lauryn Hill, and Alt also played guitar.

“Y’all just crushed Lauryn Hill on national television!” Clarkson raved. “I’m going to be honest with you, I was worried for you. People should generally not cover Lauryn Hill. But that was so good!” She also noted that she’d probably pick Alt as the winner because he was a “surprise” to her, adding, “That was such a tall order and Alt stood out a tiny bit for me.”

Green said Morgan sang “notes I didn’t know existed” and praised Alt’s “high register.” He also said he’d pick Morgan if he really had to make a choice between the two.

Latifah had no idea who to pick. “I’m emotional over here because damn, y’all were so good! I think Morgan, you’re so unique. Your choices with notes, it feels like you lean into a jazzier version of those choices. It seems like … where is she going? You don’t get lost in it. Alt, I asked a lot of you in this record. Because with someone who can do so many runs like Morgan can, you can try to go there, but you can’t go there and get lost. And you did not get lost in it. You went there and nailed it.” She picked Alt Bloom as the winner.

Connor Closs vs. Cal Cook (Team Adam)

For the first pairing from Team Adam, Connor Closs (two-chair turn) and Cal Cook (one-chair turn) performed “Homewrecker” by Sombr.

Clarkson applauded the energy in the performance. “You both had moments where I was like, ‘OK!’ I guess I lean a little more Connor, but Cal, you crushed it, too, so don’t be deterred by that,” she added.

All over the coaches raved over Connor’s runs, but Latifah added, “Cal, you were in it from the very beginning. You didn’t waste any time getting there.”

Levine said his contestants did an “unbelievably great job” on the song. “There is no time for breath and you guys did have to be generous with giving the parts to each other the right way,” he told Connor and Cal. “The pocket was super clean and consistent the whole time. This is brutal.” While he said it was “dead even” between the guys, he had to choose just one, and he picked Connor.

Kenna Elpers vs. Joe Henley (Team Riley)

For his first Battle of the night, Green had Kenna Elpers (two-chair turn) and Joe Henley (two-chair turn) sing his own song, “Don’t Mind If I Do.” He had them slow the song down and urged them not to be afraid to “flirt” while performing the duet.

Clarkson pointed out how “different” Kenna and Joe are, and Levine told them they both did a “fantastic job” with the performance. “Joe, you have one of my favorite voices in the competition. There’s a distinctive quality,” the Maroon 5 singer added. “When I hear it, I know who that is. Kenna, you did a fantastic job, but I just think he has one of those voices for me.”

Latifah told Kenna, “You came out here, you look beautiful, you sound beautiful, and you’re like walking up to a skyscraper, but you took it right to his chest. Good on you.” To Joe, she gushed, “You’re one of those people who I had my eyes on from the beginning. … I would have to give it to Joe because Joe’s voice is just powerful.”

Green praised Kenna for using her years of experience to guide Joe, a newcomer who’s never performed in front of an audience, through the Battle. But, in the end, it was Joe who won the Battle.

Lance Tenazas vs. Koumba Diallo (Team Kelly)

Lance Tenazas (two-chair turn) and Koumba Diallo (four-chair turn) from Team Kelly took the stage next to sing a duet of “Birds of a Feather” by Billie Eilish because Clarkson wanted to see what the artists could do with a softer song.

The coaches were once again flabbergasted that Koumba is only 15. “There’s so much power and presence on stage. It’s just amazing to see,” Levine raved, adding that Lance was “amazing,” too. “You really held your own. I really enjoyed it,” he told the 22-year-old.

“I think there was a little more space for Koumba to do her thing,” Latifah admitted, but called it a “seamless” duet for the pair. Green told Lance he was able to “stand out,” despite singing against one of the “most talented singers” in the competition.

Clarkson said the performance was even better than what she saw in rehearsals. “You both just thrived under pressure,” she gushed, also raving over Lance’s tone and how “impressive” Koumba is as a singer. She picked Koumba as the winner because she feels the teen will “thrive” in the competition.

Everett Bounds vs. Caroline Alexis (Team Riley)

Next up was another country pair from Team Riley, Everett Bounds (one-chair turn) and Caroline Alexis (one-chair turn). The singers actually met at the Blind Auditions and went on a few dates before their performance. They had natural chemistry when they performed “Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man” by Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn.

Cory Osborne/NBC

Clarkson said the performance was “so much fun” and that she loved the “throwback” energy of it. “Caroline, your tone is sweet, it’s storyteller, it’s sensual, and your character that you played throughout the whole song, I dig that,” she added. “I think it was really smart for Everett to go big at some parts and show his range but I feel like this was pretty evenly matched.”

Levine admitted that the country song was very out of his wheelhouse, but couldn’t deny that both Caroline and Everett did great. He said he would lean towards Everett if he had to pick one of the singers, though.

The decision, of course, was Green’s. “Caroline, you really laid into it. The attitude was sassy and it was everything I love about country music,” he said. “Everett, you were Everett. You did everything I thought you were going to do. … That’s what this song’s about, it’s about having fun.” He picked Everett as the winner.

Lillie Kolich vs. Kayleigh Matthews (Team Queen)

Latifah’s next Battle pairing was between two four-chair turns: Lillie Kolich and Kayleigh Matthews. They were tasked with singing “Girl Crush” by Little Big Town.

Green praised Kayleigh’s “big voice” and what Lillie was able to do with her lower register. Clarkson said it was her favorite rendition of “Girl Crush” she’s ever heard.

“Kayleigh, you have such a huge presence. But your range is incredible,” Clarkson confirmed. “Lillie, from the first time you opened your mouth, it crushed me.” She called the rendition “breathtakingly beautiful,” but admitted she was “leaning slightly towards” picking Kayleigh.

Levine applauded how Lillie crushed the performance, despite the song being more suitable for Kayleigh. He noted that he would probably pick Lillie for stepping up to that challenge and succeeding.

“I feel honored for being here and being able to witness that,” Latifah told the ladies. She was super impressed by both singers, but ultimately chose Lillie as the winner because of the one “special and unique” note she sang in the performance.

However, it wasn’t the end of the road for Kayleigh, because Clarkson and Green both pushed their buttons to Steal her. The coaches then had to fight it out for Kayleigh to pick them, and they gave big pitches.

“Remember when you thought you were going home, the feeling you felt when you were like, ‘Oh my God, she picked me.’ He didn’t push his button. I pushed first,” Clarkson made sure to point out. “I have won a competition. I promise you. I can do it. I think you should pick me.”

Levine backed up Clarkson by trying to block Green from Kayleigh’s view, but the country singer finally weighed in, telling Kayleigh, “I’ve obviously been a huge fan of you since your first audition. It was a four-chair turn. I remember pulling out any tricks I could, duck calls, anything I could to try to get everybody to shut up. They don’t want you on my team because they know we’re going to win The Voice. I’m excited about this opportunity and I’m glad it worked out. I want you on my team, let’s go win The Voice.”