Monday night’s episode of The Voice delivered one of those auditions that makes you rewind the clip. Allie Rae, a 15-year-old from Santa Fe, Texas, took on Alannah Myles’1989 chart-topper“Black Velvet,”and Riley Green didn’t even wait for her to get through the first word before hitting his First-In button. Kelly Clarkson and Queen Latifah turned their chairs too, but Green’s button locked it down before the competition could really begin.
The pitch war that followed was almost as good as the performance. Clarkson praised the song choice for giving Rae room to show off her belt, and she compared the teen’s voice to none other than Dolly Parton and Alison Krauss. Latifah called the performance exquisite and noted that Rae“didn’t go too low, you went just low enough.”Adam Levine, for the record, stayed out entirely. But none of it mattered once Green had the First-In in play.
What makes the moment even better is Rae’s own influences: Aretha Franklin, Koko Taylor and Reba McEntire. That’s a serious playlist for someone who just turned 15. Green was also the last judge this season to use his First-In button, which means he’d been holding onto it until the exact right singer walked through those doors. Did he make the right call, or should he have waited for a more seasoned contestant? Tell us what you think in the comments.
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Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.