On The Voice, four-chair turns are the stuff of dreams. Grace Bello is allowed to dream.

A 21-year-old, originally from Cibilo, Texas, Bello has just relocated to Lacey, Washington. Now she’s in America’s sweet spot.

When Bello performed Justin Bieber’s “Ghost” during the blind auditions, the response was positive and immediate.

John Legend turned two lines in. Then Blake Shelton spun around, and a frenzy of turns.

“It was amazing, because so many times we’ll get singers with these big, huge voices on the show and they do really well,” Legend remarks. “But, we’ve also had those singers who were way more subtle. I actually won with a singer like that in my first season here. Her name was Maelyn. I heard that in you as well. You just have so much control, and your tone is so beautiful.”

When asked if she plays any instruments, Grace said she’s learning the keys.

“I played a little keyboard in my day,” notes Legend. And then, the sales pitch: “I think we can make some beautiful music on this show, and I would love to coach you.”

Stefani explains, “It’s really rare that somebody will show that many sides of their voice, or that they even have that many sides to their voice. You were able to get tender with your voice, and really listen to the lyrics of what you’re saying.”

The No Doubt singer then gave her best pitch. “That’s also rare for someone so young, and I think you would fit in really, really good on Team Gwen. There really isn’t anyone on my team who can do runs the way that you do. There’s really nobody like you on my team.”

Camila Cabello was the only judge who knew the number by heart. “I was like, ‘Oooh, she’s singing a Justin Bieber song, so I’m guessing that she likes pop music.’ I would be really excited to explore song choices with you.”

Gwen chimed in, “And I love Justin Bieber!”

Sure, they all do.

Camila then compares Grace to Ariana Grande. Bello says she’s Sicilian, to which Gwen says she’s also Italian and John says he got married in Italy. Everyone wants a piece of Grace, who also happens to be Cuban.

“I don’t have a clue what I am. Maybe Italian?” quips Shelton.

Watch how it pans out below.

Watch below.

Loretta Lynn, who died Tuesday (Oct. 4) at age 90, struck up a friendship with Garth Brooks that lasted more than two decades. He helped induct the legend when she received her Kennedy Center Honor in 2003 and he was her date when she received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Grammy Salute to Country Music in 2010. Here, Brooks talks to Billboard about what she meant to him both personally and professionally.

She was the first female [artist] for me. I know her contemporaries and I know there were women that came before Loretta, but Loretta was the first Reba. She was the first Dolly. She was the first of the female stalwarts that you built a foundation on and she never gave that throne up. For me, Loretta Lynn’s name is as powerful today as it ever was. 

The truth is what we believe it to be, but Loretta’s conviction in what she believed the truth to be was in her songs. The crazy thing was Loretta also had a wonderful feel for a melody and a groove.  It wasn’t only the lyrics.

What separates the fantastic artists from the 99% of the rest of us is their truths are the exact same truth as their listeners’. How Loretta Lynn thought with “The Pill” and songs like “Fist City” and “You Ain’t Woman Enough (To Take My Man),” those were universal thoughts. Everyone was thinking them at the time, they just needed somebody to have the balls to say it. And that somebody was Loretta Lynn. 

She never quit being her. We were at a state dinner at the White House.  She was getting a Kennedy Center Honor and her daughters couldn’t keep her shoes on her. Me and Miss Yearwood were there to honor her so we’re all at the dinner table together with Colin Powell.

Now this is a true story. You cannot make this sh– up. This young man is bringing around dinner and she uses his tie like a doorbell. She just reaches up gently, grabs his tie, pulls him down, and she goes, “Son, what is that?” And it was a scone. It was a flat biscuit. She brings this kid right down to her face level and goes, “You tell them people in the kitchen if they put some self-rising flour in that thing, it’ll pop right up.” She was fantastic! Never, ever did she ever come off as uneducated. She always came off as sincere. 

One of the greatest awards you can ever get in this business is being part of giving an award to another artist. She asked me to be her date [in 2010 for the Grammy Salute to Country Music to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award]. She actually asked Trisha if it was OK.

I said, “OK, if we’re going to be a date, let’s do it right. Limo or truck?” She said truck. I [go] to pick her up and when she comes out, she’s glitter from head to toe in this big ballgown. She looks gorgeous. She looks like she’s 20. She’s so happy.

She walks straight up to the driver’s side and just waits. I’m going, “Holy cow, Loretta Lynn is going to let me open the door to the driver’s side and she is going to ride right in the middle of the bench seat.”

I crawled in next to her. We pulled into the Ryman sitting side by side in a pickup truck. It’s like dreams are made of this stuff. When I went to step out, I offer my hand to her and she pulls it and she slides across that [seat] like she had done it 1,000 times. And she began to be the queen of queens with everybody. I’ve got a front-row seat to this.

We performed [classic Lynn/Conway Twitty duet] “After the Fire Is Gone.” I just remember being scared to death. It’s the first time I ever played the Ryman, and so the first time we ever played the Ryman and you’re playing with Loretta Lynn — that’s crazy. But what I loved about that whole evening was I watched her drive her ship. Even when they surprised her, she could turn the surprise around where she was in control of the moment. 

As an artist, you’re going, “This is magic, what I’m watching right here.” I think there are some people that are born to be that person and I think she was, but I think what made Loretta Lynn special was she never ever made you not believe she was that little girl from the holler, because I think she always was. But I think God just touches some people in certain areas and she was meant to do this without ever becoming the big glossy celebrity and leaving what she knew. She never left what she knew.

When the night was over, I put her in the truck. She handled [the evening] with all the grace, style and elegance, while pretty much carrying me because she knew so much more about being spectacular than I will ever know. It was quite possibly one of the most fun nights of my life. 

[Over the years,] we’d send each other gifts. When she went into the Kennedy Center Honors, I sent her a necklace that I just thought was her. [One day,] I get this unbelievable package in the mail. They’re her cowboy boots with a little note on it. They’re beautiful. If I was to show you all the cool things I’ve ever got, that would be the first thing I would show you. 

I don’t know what it is. I can just tell you that there was a bond with that woman that I’m sure everyone that ever met her felt, that she made you feel like you were so special. I just loved her. And she had me convinced that she loved me right back. 

–As told to Melinda Newman

BMI honored Ed Sheeran and Johnny McDaid with the European song of the year award for their global hit “Bad Habits” at the 2022 BMI London Awards. The private event was held at London’s Savoy Hotel on Monday (Oct. 3).

The award is given to BMI’s most performed song of the previous year by U.K. or European writers. The single spent 11 consecutive weeks at the top of the Official U.K. Singles Chart.

Accepting the award via video message, Sheeran said, “We had so much fun making the song and it has been so much fun playing the song out on the road and seeing the reactions of people all around Europe and I can’t wait to go out and do some more.”

Accepting alongside Sheeran, McDaid said, “Ed, I’m so grateful, man, for the fact that you still trust me to make music with you after over a decade of us writing songs together and I hope we have many more to come.”

Sheeran previously won the award in 2016, 2017 and 2018. The 2018 award was for “Shape of You,” which he also co-wrote with McDaid.

Sheeran was also awarded several other BMI London Awards this year, honoring 4 million performances of “I Don’t Care” and 5 million performances of “Perfect.” He was also honored in the pop songs category with “Afterglow,” co-written with David Hodges, and “Shivers,” co-written with McDaid and Kal Lavelle.

BMI honored Ellie Goulding with the BMI President’s Award. Global breakout star Tems received the BMI Impact Award. Both awards were previously announced.

Goulding was presented with the honor by BMI president & CEO Mike O’Neill. “I’ve never won anything like this before and it means so much to me,” she said. “I moved out of my home when I was 16 and I kind of started then. And I felt I had so much to lose making a living out of something that everyone told me was definitely impossible. … In the U.K. particularly, and as a woman, it’s sort of ingrained into you that ambition is a bad thing and it’s not very cool, but it shouldn’t be. Ambition is an essential ingredient for what we all do, and along with the talent and a bit of luck, for anyone who hopes of a long-lasting career, in a really tough industry actually, it’s essential, so to anyone who’s on their way there, please don’t listen to those people who have anything to say about you wanting bigger and better because you deserve it. … In a world now that needs urgent action, in a country that demands empathy, may music play its part in empowering others to begin.”

Goulding performed her singles “Woman” and “New Heights,” from her 2020 album Brightest Blue, accompanied by a pianist and backing vocalists.  

Upon being presented with the BMI Impact Award, Tems said simply, “I just wanted to say thank you. Thank you for this award… I’ve come a long way and I’m so grateful.”

Among the multiple Million-Air awards presented throughout the evening were Tom Barnes and Sam Roman for 4 million performances of “Someone You Loved” performed by Lewis Capaldi; and Sam Smith and Normani for “Dancing With a Stranger.” With 6 million performances, Stig Anderson, Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus were honored for “Dancing Queen” as performed by ABBA. Elton John was honored with three BMI London Awards, honoring 7 million performances of “Rocket Man,” 6 million performances of “Tiny Dancer” and in the pop songs category with “Cold Heart (Pnau Remix),” co-written with Andrew Meecham and Dean Meredith.

The event was hosted by O’Neill and Shirin Foroutan, BMI’s vice president, creative, Europe.

Alongside the BMI President’s Award, BMI Impact Award, Million-Air Awards and European Song of the Year, awards for pop, dance, film, television and cable and streaming were also presented throughout the ceremony.  A complete list of 2022 winners will soon be available here.