John Legend called her rendition of Drake’s “Hotline Bling” perfection as she truly created her own version. 27-year-old LVNDR from Lowell, Michigan, just performed in the blind audition for season 24 of NBC’s The Voice and had two of the four coaches turn their chairs for her: Legend and Niall Horan.
LVNDR, pronounced Lavender, is Lindsey Garcia. She told trainers that she got her nickname because she uses lavender to help her stay calm. She then gave the coaches lavender necklaces. She shocked them after her performance by saying that she was actually new to music.
“I only started taking music seriously a couple of years ago,” she said. “I actually learned to play guitar through YouTube. I never showed anyone that I could sing.”
“What I loved so much about it was the atmosphere and the feeling, it was just magical and transported me,” Legend said after her performance. “Your voice, your tone was so graceful. It was peaceful but musically bold at the same time. You made so many variations of the melody because you changed almost the entire melody. In my opinion, you can sing, you have a point of view and a story to tell.”
“It was something special,” added Niall Horan. “I was wondering, should I let her finish the first sentence before I press the button? I just love character and you have it in spades. I felt like I was watching a movie and listening to the soundtrack. To say you nurtured this in your bedroom, just taught yourself how to play guitar via YouTube… you’re amazing. It was amazing.”
“I really regret not turning around. I liked your voice, I liked your singing,” Reba said. “I’m happy for you. What you did is very beautiful,” Gwen Stefani said.
LVNDR eventually chose Horan as their coach. “It was impressive,” Horan added. “It was such a dreamy audition. There is no doubt that LVNDR has it all. I can’t wait to see what creativity she brings to Battles.”
LVNDR isn’t the only Michigander to make the team during the blind auditions. 23 year old Alison Albrechtfrom Novi in metro Detroit, performed Alanis Morissette’s “Ironic” in her blind audition last night and made Reba’s team.
32 year old Chechi Saray performed Minnie Riperton’s “Lovin’ You” in her blind audition, which also aired last night. All four trainers turned to look at her. In the end, she decided to be on Team Gwen Stefani.
This is only the second week of blind auditions. The next round, Battles, will take place in a few weeks, followed by Knockouts, Playoffs and Live Shows. The winner of a TV singing competition receives $1 million.
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