Before he was selling out stadiums and breaking Billboard records with 36-track albums, Morgan Wallen was just a guy in a thumb-hole sweater trying to survive a reality TV elimination. It's wild to think about now. He’s basically the biggest name in country music, yet the show that "discovered" him didn't even want him singing country.
Honestly, if you go back and watch the clips from 2014, it feels like looking at a different person. No mullet. No sleeveless flannel. Just a 20-year-old landscaper from Sneedville, Tennessee, with a shaky vibrato and a dream that almost died when his baseball career ended due to an elbow injury. Most fans today see him as this unstoppable force, but morgan wallen the voice era was a series of narrow escapes and, eventually, a "failure" that turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to him.
The Audition: Collide and the Surprise Turn
When Morgan walked onto the stage for Season 6, he didn't pick a George Strait song. He didn't even pick something with a banjo. He sang "Collide" by Howie Day.
It was a pop-rock choice that felt a little safe, maybe even a little awkward. But about twelve seconds in, Shakira hit her button. She heard that rasp—the same gravelly tone that would later make "Whiskey Glasses" a multi-platinum hit. Usher followed shortly after.
Adam Levine and Blake Shelton? They sat still.
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Why Team Usher?
You'd think a guy from East Tennessee would be a lock for Blake Shelton, but Blake's team was already full. So, Morgan had a choice: Shakira or Usher. He went with Usher. It was a bizarre pairing on paper—the R&B legend and the church-raised kid from the sticks. Usher actually spent a lot of time trying to refine Morgan's "stylings," which basically meant trying to smooth out the very edges that now define his sound.
The Steal That Kept Him Alive
Morgan didn't actually last that long on Team Usher. During the Battle Rounds, he was paired against a singer named Stevie Jo to perform "Story of My Life" by One Direction.
It wasn't his best night.
Usher chose Stevie Jo, and for a second, it looked like Morgan Wallen was going back to landscaping. But then Adam Levine used a "steal." Adam saw something in the kid's grit, even if the performance was a bit pitchy. Suddenly, Morgan was a member of Team Adam, moving into the Playoffs.
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Why He Actually Got Kicked Off
Here’s the part most people get wrong about morgan wallen the voice history. He didn't lose because he couldn't sing; he lost because he finally decided to be himself.
After weeks of being pushed into the pop-rock lane, Morgan finally performed a country song in the Playoffs: "Stay" by Florida Georgia Line. It’s poetic, really, considering he’d later go on to tour with those guys and become bigger than both of them combined.
- He felt out of place in the "pop" clothing the stylists gave him.
- The arrangement didn't quite hit the mark with the judges.
- Adam Levine eliminated him before the live shows.
Years later, Morgan admitted that he was actually relieved. He’s gone on record saying the show wanted him to be a pop singer, but his heart was in Nashville. Being "kicked off" was the catalyst that sent him to Tennessee to start writing the songs he actually wanted to sing.
The "Voice" Effect: Does it Even Matter?
If you look at the stats from 2025 and 2026, it’s clear that winning The Voice is often a curse, while losing is a springboard. Morgan joined the ranks of stars like Maren Morris and Chris Stapleton—artists who were rejected by singing competitions only to dominate the industry later.
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The Aftermath
Immediately after the show, Morgan didn't have a record deal. He had a vocal coach named Sergio Sanchez and a bunch of demos. He did the "grunt work" that most reality stars avoid. He moved to the epicenter of the dream. He met Seth England at Big Loud, and the rest is basically chart-topping history.
What You Can Learn From the Wallen Journey
If you're a creator or just someone trying to catch a break, Morgan's stint on The Voice is a masterclass in staying true to your brand. He tried the pop thing. It didn't fit. He tried the "sweater-vest" look. It didn't work. The moment he leaned into his Tennessee roots, the world actually started listening.
- Failure isn't final. Getting cut in the Playoffs didn't stop him from becoming the most-streamed artist in the country.
- The "Expert" isn't always right. The coaches are legends, but they couldn't see a superstar in the kid singing One Direction covers.
- Pivot quickly. Morgan didn't mope; he moved to Nashville.
The reality is that The Voice was just a footnote. It gave him a glimpse of the industry, but his own grit did the heavy lifting.
If you want to see the "raw" version of the star we know today, go back and watch that 2014 audition. You’ll see a kid who had no idea he was about to change country music forever. He just knew he didn't want to go back to being "that normal landscaper guy."
Next Step: Watch the "Stay" performance from Season 6 and compare it to his Dangerous era live sets. You can literally hear the moment he finds his real voice.