The Battle rounds are officially heating up on The Voice Season 28, and one pairing has quickly captured fans’ attention: Lewis Capaldi joining Niall Horan as a Battle Advisor.
Monday night’s episode (Oct. 13) revealed the full roster of celebrity mentors, including Kelsea Ballerini returning to assist Michael Bublé, Lizzo advising Snoop Dogg, and Nick Jonas guiding Reba McEntire. Lewis Capaldi’s addition to Team Niall brings not only musical expertise but a decade-spanning friendship that promises to shape this season’s competition.
The Battle rounds kicked off with a twist: singers themselves chose their partners, though coaches retained the authority to pick songs. This format allowed for dynamic showdowns, exemplified by Team Snoop’s Natalia Albertini and YOSHIHANNA performing Carole King’s classic “(You Make Me Feel Like) a Natural Woman.” The performance, which merged country twang with powerhouse vocals, drew tears and praise from all mentors, highlighting the high stakes and emotion of the Battles.
Capaldi’s presence on Team Niall offers more than guidance; it brings insight from someone who knows the pressures of a chart-topping career. The Scottish singer-songwriter, famous for blockbuster hits like “Someone You Loved” and “Before You Go”, has toured with Niall Horan and co-starred with him in the 2022 Amazon Prime documentary Niall Horan’s Homecoming: The Road to Mullingar with Lewis Capaldi.
Their friendship began in 2017, when Horan reached out after hearing Capaldi’s early music, forming a bond rooted in mutual respect and humor. Horan has described their first meeting as chaotic and fun, while Capaldi recalls the significance of Horan supporting his music before fame arrived.
The film’s synopsis says it all:
“What happens when two of the biggest names in music embark on a road trip in Ireland? A film that captures adventure, friendship, storytelling and non-stop laughter. All inspired by Horan’s desire to revisit and reconnect with all that he loves of home; to retrace the origins of the exciting life journey he’s on and experience the reality of Ireland today, alongside his best friend, Lewis Capaldi.”
In an interview with Glamour, both stars were asked about their bond, with Horan’s description of his first meeting with Capaldi standing out as especially authentic. “First time I ever met him I just thought he was a lunatic, it was St. Patrick’s Day, we had a few beers… and we got very drunk, and then both played shows the next day,” Horan confessed. “He’s very funny to be around, he makes me feel funnier, even though I’m not that funny at all, maybe it’s because I’m famous and he’s big into famous things these days.”
As it turns out, Capaldi always appreciated Horan believing in his music, even when he was still a relative unknown in the industry. “All joking aside, before any of my music was doing f**k all, he was one of the first to reach out and say he loved my music and that meant a lot to me,” Capaldi admitted.
The pairing is significant for The Voice audience. Capaldi’s track record in the charts—his Grammy-nominated Someone You Loved spent three weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and remained charted for nearly a year—demonstrates his ability to navigate both commercial success and emotional performance. Niall Horan, meanwhile, brings his extensive experience from One Direction and a successful pop-rock solo career, making their combined mentorship a potential game-changer for emerging talent.
As the Battles continue each Monday and Tuesday on NBC, viewers can expect Lewis Capaldi and Niall Horan to offer both technical guidance and personal insights that could tip the scales in favor of their team. With music, mentorship, and camaraderie in equal measure, this pairing is one of the season’s most compelling storylines.
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