One Cedar Falls native had viewers of 'The Voice' at the edge of their seats on Monday evening.

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WARNING: THE FOLLOWING STORY CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR RECENT EPISODE OF 'THE VOICE' THAT AIRED ON MONDAY OCTOBER 18TH, 2022.

Rising country star Jay Allen has been making waves on the hit NBC show 'The Voice' over the past few weeks. We first told you about this Cedar Falls native after his audition aired in late September.

You can read more about that first performance here.

After Allen's first performance, a song that he wrote five years ago suddenly rose to the top of the iTunes USA and country charts. That track he wrote about his mother's Alzheimer's struggle before she passed was for a moment the #5 song on the U.S. iTunes charts.

'Blank Stares' beat out songs by HARDY, Sia, Elton John, and country megastar Morgan Wallen.

The singer initially picked Gwen Stefani to be his coach in the competition. He shared in an exclusive interview that there were several reasons as to why he initially picked the pop superstar.

Reason #1

Allen's mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's when she was 51 and passed away a few years later. Gwen Stefani is the same age as his mom when she died. He felt like there was some sort of emotional draw to her and this coincidence kind of proved why.

Reason #2

Allen admitted that it wasn't just him who wanted Gwen to help him in this competition.

"My wife told me to pick her," Allen said.

Reason #3

The Nashville based singer understands the presence that Blake Shelton has in country music. He felt like he could stick out more on Gwen's team.

"Everyone who's country on this show is gonna choose Blake," the singer explains "...and I would really love to stand out and have a fair shot!"

"I never saw myself as just country. What I do is more of a ministry."

Listen to this full interview with Jay Allen below.

On Monday night at the Voice Battles it was Jay up against Cara Brindisi with a fantastic rendition of 'Leather & Lace.' If the coaches are anything to go on, the Iowa native won this battle.

John Legend

"The power of your voice and the rasp-iness. It was just a little more compelling to me..."

Blake Shelton

"I feel like Jay has the more Stevie Nicks approach to his vocals. And you definitely stepped into that role, and man, it sounded good!"

Camilla Cabello

"You seem like you've been doing this for a really, really long time and that gives that star quality. Your voice just made me feel more."

These comments from the other judges would lead you to believe that Gwen would declare Jay the winner of the battle...but you'd be wrong!

In a shocking turn of events Gwen ended up picking Cara.

"This was just a challenging one for me because Jay...he was humble, he was grateful, he was willing to try anything. AND he really does have such an amazing voice that could do so many different things!" explained the coach.

Just as Allen was about to leave the stage...another surprise! Gwen hits the save button!

As the pop star is about to explain her reasoning for keeping him around, Blake Shelton decides to swoop in with his one and only steal!

"Jay Allen may cause a celebrity divorce!" Carson Daly shouted.

"I was going to use my steal, but I was waiting for the perfect moment for a perfect zinger right there!" Shelton jokes.

In the end, when it came to choosing between Mr. and Mrs. Blake Shelton, Allen went with the country star. That's right! Jay Allen is officially #TeamBlake now!

Hopefully Blake isn't in TOO much trouble with Gwen after this.

Watch the full heart pounding clip down below!

Allen watched the episode air while at a music benefit to help the people of Florida. He shared the video on his social media, which you can check out below!

Fenelon Street Elevator

The steepest and shortest railway is in Dubuque.

50 Classic Country Artists Today’s Fans Should Know

Today's country music stars owe a debt of gratitude to the legends who formed and cultivated the genre, starting in the early 20th century. These 50 classic country artists remain relevant today. Some developed a style that's emulated on today's country radio. Others set a bar for vocal talent or songwriting skill.

This list of 50 influential classic country artists features country music singers who started their careers before 1990. It's ranked by each artist's current influence on the country music format today, not individual, lifelong impact. Tell us where we got it right or wrong on Twitter.

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