Watch 17-year-old contestant on “The Voice” get a standing ovation — and a 4-chair turn
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The Voice is (almost) always a good time, but it's especially fun when you can tell that all the coaches are super impressed with the artist who just stepped onto the stage — and even more so when that impressive artist is just a teenager who has never performed on a stage so big. That's exactly what happens when 17-year-old Kaylee Shimizu arrives on season 24.
Kaylee Shimizu hails from Ewa Beach, Hawaii, and comes from a big Filipino family full of singers — minus dad, who is just fine with sticking to his dad dance moves. For her audition, Kaylee sings the classic Beatles song "Golden Slumbers" in honor of her late great-grandfather, who was her biggest fan. It's emotional before she even opens her mouth. Once she starts singing, you can see it all over the coaches faces — they are so in. The moment Kaylee goes up into her head voice, John Legend, Reba McEntire, and Niall Horan all push their buttons. Gwen Stefani isn't far off, making it an easy four-chair turn.
The coaches seem even more impressed once they get to see Kaylee own the stage. The more Kaylee hits her runs and shows off her slow vibrato, neither John nor Niall can remain seated. Niall giggles in disbelief while John keeps encouraging Kaylee to sing. At the end of the performance, the teen from Hawaii gets a standing ovation and an immediate "I can't believe what just happened," from the former One Directioner.
All four coaches want Kaylee on their team. John talks to her about how creative and musical she clearly is and that her preference for "soulful, R&B" music would make him a great fit. Gwen calls out her vibrato, which she compares to a slow, rolling wave — but more than just how cool it sounds, she's impressed that a 17-year-old could have so much control over it. Niall loves that Kaylee took a song that can sometimes be "so linear" and made it dynamic by infusing her own style into it. Reba calls the performance "spiritual." That's a whole lot of compliments heaped onto such a tiny person.
NBC Kaylee Shimizu
In the end, with her family up on stage next to her, Kaylee decides to join Team Legend. Maybe it was the soulful music connection, or maybe it was John saying point-blank, "you know you could win The Voice, right?" Either way, the decision makes John very happy… and the other three coaches just a little bit heartbroken.
The Voice airs Mondays and Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.
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