Snoop Dogg makes his entrance as this season’s mentor on ‘The Voice’

There are only a few people who can inspire Blake Shelton to drop it like it’s hot and one of those people is Snoop Dogg. Actually, he may be the only one.

This season’s mentor on The Voice (Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on CTV) is none other than Snoop D-O-Double G and for a man who has made a career out of not singing, he knows exactly what to tell artists to get the best vocal performance out of them. Is there a better hype man than Uncle Snoop?

Monday was the beginning of Knockouts and this season, each coach gets only one steal, which means the stakes are higher than ever. Unlike the Battle Rounds, each contestant gets to pick and perform their own song, which means if things don’t go well, they can’t blame their coach’s song choice. It’s good and bad.

COREY WARD V. RYLEIGH MODIG – TEAM KELLY

Winner: Corey Ward

Ryleigh Modig Stolen by Team Legend

Corey Ward is continuing to defy expectations. Not only did he prove why resilience is important when he came back and made it through the Blind Auditions, but he became one of the few artists to take on a Kelly Clarkson song in front of Kelly Clarkson.

Take it on, he did. He gave Snoop chills and dudes never give Snoop chills. Corey’s emotionally wrought performance of “Already Gone” was stunning and elicited a standing ovation from Nick and tears from his coach.

Blake loved seeing Corey get lost in the moment and picked him as the winner. Nick, who was quick to offer the always emotional Corey a hug, praised the singer for being vulnerable every time he stepped on stage. “It really connects,” said Nick.

John also picked Corey as the winner, saying that Corey’s decision to do (and then deliver) Kelly’s song was nothing short of remarkable.

Ryleigh Modig also opted for a stripped-down performance full of emotion with her cover of Kings of Leon’s “Use Somebody.” Ryleigh’s previous performances have better captured her powerful, unique tone, but she still earned plenty of well-deserved praise from the coaches.

Blake loved Riley’s slow vibrato on the song and Nick appreciated her ability to own it and tell a story with her performance. John told her, “You have a special way of making us feel your presence as an artist and I think that’s super cool."

Kelly had a difficult decision but ultimately chose Corey. Thankfully, Ryleigh’s past performances didn’t go unnoticed by Nick, John and Blake, who all hit their buzzers for the chance to steal her. John and his quick buzzer hand landed the in-demand singer and he brought back his tiny keyboard to serenade Ryleigh onto the team. 

ANDREW MARSHALL V. PETE MROZ – TEAM BLAKE

Winner: Pete Mroz

Andrew Marshall Stolen by Team Nick

Andrew Marshall chose Jason Mraz’s “I Won’t Give Up On You” and dedicated the beautiful ballad to his friend who also went through cancer treatment along with the young singer. Andrew’s personal connection to the song was palpable in his performance, with the emotion running through each note.

Nick admitted that he still felt torn about losing Andrew on his team and declared Andrew the winner of the knockout.

John thought the performances were close but noted that it took Andrew a little longer to get his footing. Kelly called Andrew’s falsetto "magical" and loved seeing him on stage.

Pete Mroz took on Lewis Capaldi’s “Before You Go” and continued to impress with his massive range and strong emotional connection to the song. Nick particularly liked the song choice, saying “I think it showcases your big belt.”

“Pete, there’s something really special about you,” added Kelly, who liked to see him looking casual while nailing his high notes. “It seems so effortless.”

Blake felt like Pete stepped up to the plate with the difficult rap section of the song but noted that Andrew also delivered. Blake picked his ol’ buddy Pete as the winner, but Andrew didn’t even get to say his thank-yous before Nick stole his old contestant back. 

CIANA PELEKAI V. PIA RENEE – TEAM JOHN

Winner: Pia Renee

If there’s a note that Ciana Pelekai can’t hit, we didn’t hear it on Monday’s performance. The powerhouse had the massive range necessary to nail Lizzo’s “Cuz I Love You,” plus the bravado and conversational style the song also calls for. Ciana’s performance had her coach on his feet while the rest looked on impressed.

Kelly called out Ciana for having a few pitch moments due to lack of air, but Blake applauded her for picking a song that required determination and was worthy of the title "Knockout."

“That girl is up there fighting for her spot on the show,” Blake said to Ciana. Nick also commended Ciana for coming out swinging and while he thought some of the verses got lost, he recognized her exceptional vocal talent.

Coming in with a completely different vibe and message was Pia Renee, who took on “What The World Needs Now Is Love” and crushed it. Powerful in some moments and quiet and emotional when the song called for it, Pia’s cover received a standing ovation from her coach plus Kelly and Nick.

“It sounded like you loved being the vessel for that message,” said Kelly. Blake described Pia’s performance as calm, collected and authentic, adding “It just felt like you were in complete control.”

Like this year’s mentor Snoop Dogg, Nick also compared Pia to the late, great Whitney Houston. “You just raised the bar for this whole thing.”

The final decision came down to Coach John, who was full of praise for both.

John told Ciana, “You came with your A-game today and you should be incredibly proud.” He also applauded Pia, saying her ability to beautifully execute a performance that was inspired by the recent loss of her mother was remarkable.

John picked Pia as the winner, but we hope this isn’t the last we’ve heard from Ciana. 

VICTOR SOLOMON V. GEAN GARCIA – TEAM LEGEND

Winner: Victor Solomon

It doesn’t get much smoother than Victor Solomon’s performance of The Temptations' classic “My Girl.” Once again showing off both vocal and choreography skills, Victor gave a joyful performance that had the timeless quality required for the beloved standard.

Kelly said she could see Victor on tour already and Blake made the dad joke we all knew he would, calling Victor the "victor" of the Knockout.

Nick managed to praise Victor without the added cringe, saying “You just made it feel like your song.”

John loved seeing Snoop watch Victor and was pleased that his choreography made it into the performance. To be clear, that EGOT doesn’t include a Dancing With The Stars trophy… yet.

Gean Garcia picked Ed Sheeran’s “Afterglow” and dedicated it to his mom, which is about as cute as it gets. He took Snoop’s advice and got the coaches and audience clapping along with him, which turned up the performance and made it more intimate.

Kelly stuck with her former team member for this Knockout, saying “Gean, you just have a really cool, magical tone.”

Blake started his praise of Gean by roasting Nick's "Peep-hued suit," then moved on to the matter at hand, saying “There was something about your performance, I was really drawn to it.”

Nick, who Gean has not chosen twice, still thought Gean did a great job. John said that Gean came into his moment with this performance. 

Watch The Voice Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on CTV and catch up here.