Kenna Elpers walked onto “The Voice” stage already knowing which Coach she hoped would turn. The 23-year-old Evansville, Indiana singer had her eyes on Riley Green—and there was a special history behind that choice.
Years before appearing on Season 30, Elpers had already shared a bill with Green. She opened for the country star at a music festival in 2023, long before she could have imagined eventually auditioning for him on national television.
That earlier encounter left Elpers with a memorable souvenir. Green had given her a signed koozie at the event, and she kept it. When it was finally time for her Blind Audition, she brought the koozie along as a reminder of that first meeting.
For her big moment, Elpers chose Chris Stapleton’s hard-driving “White Horse.” The song gave her an opportunity to show the powerful country voice she hoped would be enough to make Green recognize her potential.
It worked. Green turned his chair during the performance, but he wasn’t alone. Queen Latifah also turned, creating a two-Coach battle for the 23-year-old singer.
Both Coaches noticed some nerves in Elpers’ performance, but neither seemed overly concerned. Latifah praised her voice and reassured her that she had already gotten those first-audition nerves out of the way.
Green also appeared confident that the nervousness was something Elpers could overcome. More importantly, he had heard enough in her performance to want her on his team.
Then Elpers revealed their previous connection. She explained that she had opened for Green several years earlier and showed everyone the signed koozie she had saved from that encounter.
Suddenly, the other Coaches realized just how difficult it might be to beat Green. Kelly Clarkson jokingly suggested that Queen Latifah’s recruiting battle was basically over, while Green seemed equally confident about where Elpers was heading.
Latifah still refused to give up easily. She acknowledged that country music was Green’s natural territory but argued that recognizing and developing a great singer went beyond musical genre.
When the decision finally arrived, however, the connection proved too strong. Elpers chose Team Riley, bringing her journey with Green full circle—from opening for him at a festival to becoming one of the Artists he will now personally Coach on “The Voice.”
Green later joked that he had handed out plenty of koozies over the years, but this particular one clearly became special for Elpers. Three years after their first encounter, she carried it onto “The Voice,” earned his chair turn with a Chris Stapleton song and finally landed the Coach she had wanted from the beginning.
