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‘The Voice’ contestant’s rendition of Taylor Swift song stuns coaches

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Posted 2 hours ago by inuno.ai



If you’re going to sing a song by Taylor Swift on The Voice, you’d better bring it.

That was the message that coaches Kelsea Ballerini, Michael Bublé, John Legend, and Adam Levine had for contestant Tori Templet, who sang Swift’s 2019 track “Lover” Monday on the last night of the show’s signature Blind Auditions. And they thought the 24-year-old from Atlanta truly did.

Making a song from Swift your own is “one of the hardest feats,” first-season coach Ballerini told the singer after her performance. “And you have such a unique voice. I listen to that song differently, and your voice made me do that. I will be your fan on this show.”

While Ballerini didn’t turn her chair for Templet, the contestant had her choice of the two coaches who did: Bublé and Levine. (Legend had already filled up the 12 spots on his team when she took the stage.)

Bublé complimented Templet on the “breathy” quality of her voice, and said that he selfishly wanted to hear her do some jazz.

Levine agreed that she had talent, but he had other ideas about where she should direct it. He noted that he had been impressed when he turned around and saw her playing the guitar as well as singing.

“The purity and the simplicity of what you do is something that I think is really lacking,” Levine told Templet. “There’s something about your voice, too, where I start thinking Cranberries, and I’m thinking Sundays and you know, like, Mazzy Star, who was a band from the ’90s. I’m hearing that in your voice, and that’s a lane that we get to have, that gets to be ours.”

Not only did Templet know of those acts, she’s a fan. She joined Team Adam, the second-to-last contestant to do so.

Another singer who covered a high-profile artist was not as fortunate. Cornelius Versa, a 35-year-old from Detroit, sang Elvis Presley‘s rousing “Burning Love,” but he failed to turn any chairs. Realistically, his chances were lower from the start, because Levine was the only coach with any spots left on his team.

Michael Buble, Kelsea Ballerini, and Adam Levine on ‘The Voice’.

Trae Patton/NBC


Bublé offered his comments anyway: “For me, the comparison of Elvis Presley was just hard.”

Levine advised Versa that he should focus more on his vocals than his movement, since the coaches can’t see what he’s doing.

“I genuinely believe that you have that kind of voice where, if you come back and you were to do something that gave you the room to sing more than perform it,” Levine said, “I really think that that would go a long way for you.”

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The contestants who did make the cut will be moving on to the next round, the Battles, where they will be advised by recognizable names. Cynthia Erivo (Team Bublé), Little Big Town (Team Kelsea), Coco Jones (Team Legend), and Kate Hudson (Team Adam) will step in to help.

‘The Voice’ Battles begin Monday, March 10 at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on NBC.

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