‘The Voice’ Live: Karen Waldrup Sings Breathtaking Cover Of “I Hope You Dance”

On Monday night (May 6), The Voice went live for the first time this season as the Top 12 try to earn America’s votes for a spot in the Top 9.

During Monday’s episode of The Voice, country songstress Karen Waldrup brought an emotional cover of Lee Ann Womack’s “I Hope You Dance” to the stage. Ahead of her performance, Waldrup’s coaches, Dan + Shay, shared their confidence that their protege was going to nail her first live performance of the season.

“Karen has what it takes to make it in the country music industry. She has some of that ‘90s throwback [sound],” Dan Smyers sad.

Shay added, “Karen is our country powerhouse. She is such a pro.” 

Karen proved Dan and Shay right as she delivered a flawless rendition of the now-classic country hit. Her powerful voice lent itself perfectly to the emotion of the song and earned her a standing ovation from the entire coaching panel.

“Karen, I’m so proud of you … I feel like younger you, this is the song you would have sang to you. I’m just blown away by you,” Shay told her.

Karen Waldrup’s Voice Journey

Karen Waldrup earned an immediate turn during her Blind Audition with her cover of Jo Dee Messina’s “Bye Bye.” Dan + Shay were the first to turn their red chair but used their only Block to keep Reba from landing Karen on her team. The move was a smart one for the country music duo as Reba did indeed push her red button.

Due to their use of the Block, Karen automatically landed on Team Dan + Shay and has delivered top-notch country performances in the weeks since. From Trisha Yearwood’s “Georgia Rain” to Lainey Wilson’s “Heart Like A Truck,” Waldrup has shown time and time again that she is in it to win it.

“I Hope You Dance”

Lee Ann Womack released “I Hope You Dance” in 2000 and it quickly became her signature hit. The song won the CMA’s Single of the Year award in 2001 and was named Song of the Year for the ACM (Academy of Country Music), NSAI (Nashville Songwriters Association International) and BMI (Broadcast Music Incorporated). That same year it won the Best Country Song Grammy.

A year after finding success with “I Hope You Dance,” Womack told The Early Show, “I thought it was very special. It made me think about Aubrie and Anna Lise [her daughters]. And I—I didn’t know—I can’t predict if something’s going to be a big hit or not. But it certainly hit home with a lot of people, connected with a lot of people and took me a lot of new places that I had not been able to go before and took my career to a new level.”

Watch Karen Waldrup sing “I Hope You Dance” in the video below. To vote for her to advance to next week’s Top 9, visit the official Voice app or go to nbc.com/VoiceVote. Tune in Tuesday night (May 7) to find out Karen’s fate on the show.