VOICE: Hailey Wright Delivers Yodel-Infused Cover Of “I Want To Be A Cowboy’s Sweetheart”

Hailey Wright Of Team Kelsea Competes In Voice Knockouts With Cover Of A Patsy Montana Classic

19-year-old Hailey Wright showcased her otherwordly yodeling skills while singing “I Want to Be a Cowboy’s Sweetheart” on The Voice. She pulled out all the stops for her performance as she vied for one of the coveted spots in the Season 27 playoffs.

Wright’s yodel-filled performance came during the knockouts, when she competed against her fellow Team Kelsea teammate Jaelen Johnston. The duo previously went head-to-head during the battle round, when they sang Brooks & Dunn’s famous hit, “Neon Moon.”

Coach Kelsea Ballerini chose Johnston as the winner of the battle. But Wright’s Voice journey didn’t end there. Just as she got ready to walk offstage, Ballerini used her only “save” to keep Wright on her team.

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Wright and Johnston reunited in the knockouts. Unlike the battles, the knockout performances are not structured as duets. Rather, each individual in a knockout pairing sings a solo, and then their coach chooses the winner.

For her performance, Wright opted to cover “I Want to Be a Cowboy’s Sweetheart” by Patsy Montana. The classic song was released in 1935, making it exactly 90 years old this year (2025).

“I Want to Be a Cowboy’s Sweetheart” is now known as Montana’s signature song. It’s challenging to sing, although we’ve seen past Voice contestants pull it off with great success.

For example, Ruby Leigh earned a four-chair turn when she sang the timeless tune during the blind auditions for Season 24 of The Voice in 2023. She landed on Team Reba and became the season’s runner-up.

The most difficult part of singing “I Want to Be a Cowboy’s Sweetheart” is the fact that the song includes a lot of yodeling. Yodeling is not easy, and it takes a lot of talent to do well.

Wright clearly has that talent. Her yodels were crisp, loud, and confidently delivered, and she captivated everyone with her skill. But was it enough to help her win the knockout?

Who Did Kelsea Choose As The Winner Of The Knockout?

Wright sang first before her knockout partner, Jaelen Johnston, sang a countrified version of Noah Kahan’s “Drunk Dial.” After their performances, the coaches chimed in to help Ballerini choose the winner of the round.

Michael Bublé was enchanted by Wright’s performance, telling her he loved the “stylized” sound of her voice.

John Legend acknowledged how hard it is to yodel, saying Wright did it “so well,” leaving him “really impressed.”

For his part, Adam Levine said he wanted to “see more” from Wright. He felt her knockout performance showcased the “first real shot of her best.“

Ballerini loved both performances, which made her decision much tougher. As she contemplated her choice, she remarked, “I feel queasy.”

In the end, Ballerini chose Johnston as the winner of the knockout. He’s one of five contestants from Team Kelsea who will sing in the Playoffs, which start on Monday, April 28.

With no “save” to use in the knockouts, this marked the end of the road for Wright on this season of The Voice.

Watch Hailey Wright’s final performance below to see her expertly cover “I Want to Be a Cowboy’s Sweetheart.” We wish her the best moving forward in her career!