Kenna Elpers walked onto “The Voice” Season 30 stage hoping for one particular chair to turn. The 23-year-old country singer already had a connection with Riley Green, but first she had to prove that her voice deserved a place on his team.
For her Blind Audition, Kenna chose Chris Stapleton’s “White Horse,” giving her the chance to show the grit and power in her country vocals. Queen Latifah recognized something almost immediately and became the first Coach to turn for her.
For much of the performance, it appeared Queen might get Kenna without a fight. But near the end of the song, Riley finally hit his button, turning the audition into a two-Coach battle.
Both Coaches noticed some nervousness in Kenna’s performance. Queen told her that she could hear the nerves at first but felt Kenna become stronger as the song continued. Riley offered similar encouragement, assuring her that the performance improved as she settled into it.
That reassurance meant more to Kenna than viewers might have realized. She later recalled Riley acknowledging that he was nervous too because coaching on the show was also a new experience for him. Kenna said hearing that helped calm her.
Then came the detail that completely changed the coaching battle: Kenna and Riley had met before.
Their paths had actually crossed multiple times. Kenna sang the national anthem at the 2019 Vanderburgh County Fair, where Riley was also performing. Then, in 2023, she opened for him at a music festival in Missouri.
That 2023 appearance produced a souvenir Kenna never forgot. Riley gave her a signed koozie, and she kept it for years. When she finally arrived on “The Voice,” she brought that same koozie with her.
Once the other Coaches learned about their history, they realized Queen was facing an uphill battle. Kelly Clarkson joked that the competition might effectively be over, while Riley appeared pretty confident about where Kenna was heading.
Queen still fought for her. She acknowledged that country music was naturally Riley’s territory but emphasized that she knew how to recognize and work with a strong singer regardless of genre. Kenna later admitted Queen’s pitch had nearly won her over.
Ultimately, however, Kenna chose Team Riley. What had started years earlier with two performers crossing paths at shows had suddenly become a Coach-and-Artist partnership on national television.
Kenna’s journey to “The Voice” had been years in the making. She began joining her cousin for performances around age 12, started playing solo shows at 13, later opened for Josh Turner and eventually moved to Tennessee after high school to study music business at Middle Tennessee State University.
Now, the singer who once opened for Riley Green gets to work directly with him. For Kenna, joining Team Riley wasn’t simply about earning two chair turns—it brought her musical journey full circle, transforming an Artist she once shared a stage with into the Coach helping guide her next chapter.
