The Voice is on its 26th season but the well of potential superstars in America still hasn’t run out – and Memphis, Tenessee native Jeremy Beloate is ready for his turn in the spotlight.

The singer smashed onto the iconic NBC reality competition series with a stirring rendition of Giveon’s “Heartbreak Anniversary,” turning the chairs of all four judges. Who would’ve thought he’d have Gwen Stefani, Snoop Dogg, Michael Bublé, and Reba McEntire fighting over him for a spot on their teams? And despite hopping between Bublé and Snoop Dogg’s teams over the course of the season, he’s now entering the Top 8 live shows with an all-star support system, a newfound confidence, and a refreshed perspective on growing up queer in the South.

Out caught up with Beloate just ahead of the premiere of the live shows for a candid chat about his time on The Voice, making Reba McEntire cry, grief, and what he’s learned from his mentor Snoop Dogg.

Out: Where are you from? How did you start singing?

I’m from Memphis, Tennessee and I was quickly influenced by people like Elvis, Al Green, Tina Turner, all the greats that grew up singing there. I would sing around town. I started singing when I was four in a little group. I was the only boy and there were like twenty girls and I would wear Rhinestone jackets and we would sing Motown hits around the city. I grew up singing that kind of music and singing in church and then I went into the theater. I found my community in that and then decided after high school I really wanted to do this. I was in a singing group in high school and we got to do some cool stuff like America’s Got Talent. So I was like, I think I want to do this. I got my bachelor’s in musical theater then I moved to New York about 3.5 years ago and I’ve been pursuing it.

What does it mean to you to be on a show as iconic as The Voice mean to you?

What’s crazy is that I’ve always grown up watching the show. For my family, we’re all very different. I’m the only one in music. I had a brother who has passed away but he was a drummer, we related with that. But all of us would watch The Voice together and it was that thing for us that unified us. From the beginning I was like, I want to do The Voice. I’ve auditioned for several years and never heard anything back. The nature of the game.

I ended up working with Todrick Hall. I’d been in New York, I’ve been kind of facing all these nos and he was like, “listen, go out there and network and really get up your social media and your videos.” So I really focused on that and then The Voice ended up reaching out to me and then I found so much success on the show and it just feels like it feels like this is the right time for me to be doing it.

Can you tell me about the meaning behind you covering “Impossible Dream”?

What’s funny is I started the show with Michael Buble. You would think Michael Buble would give me that song. And then I switched to Snoop Dogg. He stole me. What’s funny is like, stylistically, they’re very different but they couldn’t be the more similar. They’re the same, like brothers, they’re just so sweet and sincere. He suggested that song to me. He was like, listen, I want to find you a big record and we’ll figure it out together. He’s super collaborative. So I was like, “yes, Sir, Snoop Dogg.” I have always grown up loving that song. All the great singers sing it. Elvis, Frank Sinatra, Jennifer Hudson, Cynthia Erivo, all these people, Josh Groban. I was just going to wait until the right time to even attempt this. But he was like, I think this is great.

What’s so weird about it is it fell on the anniversary of both of my brothers’ passing and we had just passed Overdose Awareness Month. I was listening to the song and it’s talking about the unbeatable foe. I was like, I’m going to honor my brothers with this and he helped me find a way to do that beautifully. Snoop Dogg has gone through so much too. That was the journey with it and it ended up becoming a really beautiful moment for me on the show, beyond singing. Spiritual.

How has Snoop Dogg helped you?

So it was him and Simone Biles. I walked in and I was like Snoop Dogg and Simone Biles. All right, here we go. It’s eight in the morning. I started out being very emotional then he was like, “When you honor someone. You want to think about the beautiful moments that you shared. You know, it can’t all be this. People don’t relate to this.” He really helped me find the versatility and the dynamics within the song and the storytelling. It brought out a lot of beautiful memories that I forgot that I had with my family. He kind of flipped the script for me. It doesn’t have to be like this sad thing, also show the beautiful moments. I want to see you smiling too. He helped me discover a really beautiful, well-rounded presentation of it.

Oh, wow, that is great advice. That’s beautiful.

He is everything. I mean, how can you not love him? He’s just everything.

You made Reba and Snoop cry with that performance! How did that feel?

It was just crazy. I was fortunate enough to have my family there. My mom came! She was in Vegas. My mom remarried because my dad has also passed. My stepdad’s son lives in Las Vegas. They drove in last minute and I had my friends there and they all wore the purple pins.

I put pictures of both of my brothers in each lapel and it was like, OK, here we go, God. Let’s just share this. So I cried and then at the end, I’m like, oh my God, they’re crying. In our society, we don’t expect men to be vulnerable like that. Snoop Dogg and Michael Bublé, they have their hearts on their sleeves. It’s super inspiring to see someone with that kind of platform be like it’s OK to be a real human being, you know? And it was beautiful. With Reba too, I mean, you can’t get more sweet. She’s like candy. She’s literally always smiling, always supporting you. She said that she hasn’t been to this touched before and I was really, like, I don’t know, it was a beautiful moment.

– YouTubewww.youtube.com

You were the first on Snoop’s team to be chosen for the top eight. What does that mean to you?

First of all, it’s crazy. In that performance, I realized there are a lot of things working that are outside of me. I’m very spiritual, especially after going through so much loss. I’ve had to turn to something. That gaining the confidence of being the first selected to go to the lives… Snoop Dogg believes in me. And he shared that on TV: “This was the best performance of the season. I think he can win. He’s a superstar in the making,” all these things.

We had a two-month break after this performance and I took that with me and I really went in and did some inner work. I went to the gym, I’ve lost 20 pounds, prayed a lot, taking care of myself and it was beautiful. He was like, “I see God working in you and things happening for you.” And I was like, thank you. I think trust, that’s the big thing that I want to continue with. I trust him. I trust myself. I trust this gift and I trust all the angels working in my direction.

Going forward, song-wise, I would say [Snoop] knows every song known to man. All he does, it looks like at least from social media, is sits and listens to music in a great state of mind. He really knows every genre. Him and I just kept being like, listen, we’ve got to find the right record. I can’t tell you what it is, but I can promise you that it’s a big classic, like Chef’s Kiss record.

Exciting! What are the biggest lessons you’ve learned on the show?

Growing up being someone who felt like an underdog, just growing up in the South and being different, I really struggled. My confidence is always weaving in and out. I always struggled to fully embrace who I am. Being on the show, I’ve realized all the world wants you to be is you and all of these iconic people that I’m getting to work with, they just want to see you, they don’t want you to be perfect. They don’t want you to be this, you know. It’s like just be yourself. I’ve really embraced who I am and I’m continuing to learn and understand who who I am.

How did it feel going on to the show as a queer person? Intimidating?

The biggest thing that’s intimidating is now that we’re in the lives, it’s up to America, you know what I mean?

And when I came to The Voice… I grew up being bullied by country guys. Immediately started be becoming friends with all these people who sing country or from like small towns. You know what I mean? The love that I felt, I quickly kind of took my walls down. When you’re bullied or made to feel othered or whatever, you have walls up, of course, to protect yourself. And I had this ego death moment where some of them got eliminated and I cried, I was like, thank you for making me feel like a brother, you know, like a normal this person. They were like, “what do you mean?” I’m like, you don’t get it and you never will. But that’s ok and beautiful. I was weeping at the bar and one of them came up and grabbed my shoulder and was like, “what’s up buddy?” I’m like, you didn’t even get it. I think that was the most beautiful experience in terms of sexuality, but I have really felt so accepted. It’s been beautiful. I think the show exists in a way to really try and make everybody visible and get to share who they are and embraces that. The coaches couldn’t be more amazing about that too.

New episodes of The Voice air Monday and Tuesday evenings on NBC. It’s available to stream on Hulu and Peacock.