The Voice’s Kelly Clarkson and John Legend Receive Backlash for Being ‘Too Political’

Gyth Rigdon’s “God Bless the USA” performance sparked a LOT of drama. 😬

The Voice contestant Gyth Rigdon performed “God Bless the USA” during this week’s semi-finals.
John Legend and Kelly Clarkson gave the vocalist their well-intended critiques of the song, but some fans have accused the coaches of being “too political.”

As seen on The Voice, the road to singing stardom demands open, constructive feedback—and lots of it. Plus, in the wise words of Kelly Clarkson, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, right? Well, many viewers are actually shading the American Idol alum and fellow coach John Legend for their honest comments about contestant Gyth Rigdon’s rendition of “God Bless the USA.”

During the show’s Top 8 Semi-Final Performances, Gyth initially belted out the celebratory ballad solo from a microphone covered in red, white, and blue scarves. As the song progressed, a team of backup dancers in all-white ensembles accompanied him on stage for the grand finale.

It’s a tough call to analyze such a patriotic cover, but Kelly initially took a stab at it after the performance. “I feel like you can’t critique this song or you’re going to hell or something,” she joked. Backtracking a bit, though, the “Broken & Beautiful” songstress got candid about Gythe’s pipes.

“I will say, this is not my favorite vocal of you this season because I think you are a ridiculously talented vocalist,” Kelly said. “This song is a lot of sustained notes, you know, because it’s all heart. It’s all of us singing together, usually in a big crowd. So, this wasn’t my favorite, but I loved that you picked it, and I love that it means something to you, and I think that it’s beautiful that it’s never been done on the show before.”

John chimed in next and shared a similar sentiment. “I agree with Kelly that this wasn’t your greatest vocal performance, but it was very strong and I felt the energy and the emotion,” he explained. “It was a powerful rendition. Great job.”

Despite their intentions, fans were outraged over Kelly and John’s reactions. Some even went so far as to accuse the coaching pair of being unpatriotic.