Shelby Brown's 'Voice' Choice Is A Game-Changer

Talk about a shocker! Country artist Shelby Brown, 16, just shook up The Voice coaches with a surprising choice — she abandoned her country roots and picked Adam Levine as her coach. This choice was even more shocking given that the Alabama native earned the coveted four-chair turn during her powerful performance of Grace Potter's "Stars." Brown could've chosen ANY coach she wanted and picked the one that seems the furthest out of her wheelhouse. This obviously gave Blake Shelton the shock of his lifetime, but it seemed to have surprised Levine even more. Will this choice be the right one? All signs point to yes.

After hearing her incredible voice, it's crazy to think that the local bowling alley in her small town in Alabama is the largest stage Brown has played until she hit The Voice stage. She's a true professional that sounds like she's been performing on big stages for years, which makes her talent just that much more amazing. Though her roots are in country, there are clear pop and rock influences to her sound that make her the perfect fit for Team Adam. Choosing Shelton as a coach would have only pigeon-holed Brown as a country artist. But Levine will be able to take the country singer out of her comfort zone and bring her talent to the next level, which is exactly what she needs to win this competition.

Shelton definitely could've used Brown on his team and will suffer a big loss by not having her. But she certainly made the best choice for herself by choosing Team Adam. As such a young artist, Brown has so much to learn and Levine is the best one to learn from if she's willing to explore other genres. She'll always have a country base, but infusing that sound with other influences will make her more successful in the future — and will better her chances of taking home the title when she makes it to the finale.

Image: Tyler Golden/NBC