Riley Green Says Jelly Roll Would Be “Proud” of Brendan Coulter’s Take on “Liar” on The Voice

Brendan Coulter walked onto The Voice with a familiar song, a guitar, and a clear idea of how he wanted it to sound. By the time his Blind Audition ended, however, Jelly Roll’s “Liar” had been transformed into something that felt distinctly his own.

That approach impressed both Riley Green and Kelly Clarkson, setting up a coaching battle that ended with Coulter making a surprising choice.

Brendan Coulter puts his own spin on “Liar”

The 27-year-old singer from Sylvania, Ohio, now based in New York, chose Jelly Roll’s “Liar” for his Blind Audition. Rather than closely imitate the original recording, Coulter reshaped the song with a pop-country approach that better reflected his own musical personality.

He started the performance quietly, guitar in hand, letting the song build gradually. As the rhythm picked up, Coulter increased the intensity of his delivery without losing control of his vocals.

That balance became one of the strongest parts of the audition. He showed that he could take a song audiences already knew and give it a different identity instead of simply reproducing the original.

Coulter’s performance ultimately earned chair turns from both Riley Green and Kelly Clarkson.

Riley Green sees a strong fit

Green was quick to praise Coulter’s performance and suggested that Jelly Roll himself would be proud of the way the singer approached “Liar.”

Coulter explained that he is particularly attracted to music that sits somewhere in the pop-country space. For Green, that made the singer an especially interesting fit for The Voice.

The country star pointed to Coulter’s ability to combine vocals with storytelling, noting that those qualities could translate well in the competition.

“You’re going to appeal to somebody like me who loves a country song and storytelling,” Green told him, calling the pairing a strong fit.

Green’s comments also reflected the broader appeal he saw in Coulter. The singer had demonstrated enough range to move beyond a single genre while still connecting with the storytelling tradition that Green values.

Kelly Clarkson makes her case

Kelly Clarkson also turned her chair, and she had her own reason for being impressed by Coulter.

Rather than focusing solely on the vocal performance, Clarkson highlighted the fact that Coulter’s interpretation made her want to sing the song herself. To her, that was an important sign that he had connected with the material and brought something personal to it.

She also praised his song choice and the thought behind the performance, emphasizing how important song selection can be on The Voice.

Clarkson’s argument was that Coulter clearly cared about what he was singing, and that connection came through in his performance.

Riley Green pushes back on the idea that Coulter belongs with Kelly

Adam Levine did not turn his chair for Coulter, but he still became part of the coaching debate.

Levine argued that Clarkson might be the better choice because Coulter’s musical direction crosses between pop and country, two areas Clarkson has explored throughout her career.

Green quickly countered that point.

He reminded Coulter that his own musical background goes well beyond traditional country. Green said he grew up listening to a wide range of artists and genres, including rock, The Mamas & the Papas, Weezer, Sublime and No Doubt.

He even shared a personal example, explaining that he still performs “Dear Mama” when his mother attends one of his shows.

The exchange gave Coulter another reason to consider Green’s team. While Clarkson could offer a natural connection to his pop influences, Green made the case that Coulter would not have to leave those influences behind by choosing a country coach.

Coulter had been planning to pick Kelly

For a while, Coulter appeared to have his decision made.

He admitted that he had been “dead set” on joining Team Kelly. With Clarkson’s pop and country experience, the choice seemed to make sense for the musical direction he had described.

But when the moment came to choose his coach, Coulter changed course.

He ultimately selected Riley Green, sending himself to Team Riley and giving Green another artist with a smooth voice and considerable vocal range.

Why Riley Green wanted Brendan Coulter

Green’s interest in Coulter went beyond the singer’s ability to handle a recognizable song.

He heard a smooth quality in Coulter’s voice, but also noticed several moments that revealed greater vocal range than might have been obvious at first.

“Brendan’s voice is very smooth,” Green said, while pointing to the range Coulter displayed during the audition.

That combination gives Green an artist who can potentially explore several musical directions as the competition continues.

Coulter’s journey to The Voice has also taken more than one attempt. According to coverage of his Season 30 appearance, he had previously auditioned for Season 25, but the teams filled before he was able to perform. His return ultimately gave him the opportunity to perform “Liar” and secure a place on Team Riley.

With the Blind Auditions now complete, Coulter is part of Green’s 12-member team as the competition moves into the Battle Rounds.

For a singer who arrived expecting to choose Kelly Clarkson, ending the night on Team Riley was an unexpected turn. His next challenge will be proving that the distinctive sound that earned those chair turns can carry him through the rest of the competition.