The Knockout Rounds began Monday night (April 17) on The Voice, which meant another slew of show-stopping performances, heartbreaking decisions, and surprise steals. These Knockout Rounds were made all the more special with “mega-mentor” Reba McEntire.
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Among the performers of the night were ALI, a 24-year-old native of California, and Marcos Covos, a 30-year-old from Texas. The two Team Kelly performers put up a good fight in their own right with equally as challenging songs.
“I paired ALI and Marcos together because I find them both to be incredibly soulful,” Kelly Clarkson said.
For her song choice, ALI picked Daniel Ceasar’s “Best Part.” ALI made the intimate and rich song her own, playing with the melody and dynamics of the 2017 hit. The singer is hearing impaired, which Clarkson feels makes her performances feel unique.
“The cool thing about ALI is that as an artist being hearing impaired, it’s like she hears and feels the music differently than all of us,” Clarkson said prior to the performance.
You’re the coffee that I need in the morning / You’re my sunshine in the rain when it’s pouring / Won’t you give yourself to me / Give it all, she sang during the chorus.
On the other side of the coin, Covos chose Carrie Underwood’s “Jesus, Take the Wheel.” Clarkson and McEntire urged him to push the storytelling aspect of the hard-hitting lyrics: She threw her hands up in the air / Jesus, take the wheel / Take it from my hands / ‘Cause I can’t do this on my own.
Covos hit some high-flying notes while ALI impressed the judges with her lower register. Both had stellar moments but, ultimately, the judges leaned toward ALI.
“We know exactly who you are as an artist and the style that you bring to the stage,” Niall Horan told ALI after the performance. Chance the Rapper added: “It’s just fun watching you perform.”
While Clarkson was proud of both artists from her team, she felt ALI has “no choice but to sing.”
“Look, I love Marcos,” Clarkson said, “but I had to pick ALI because every time she delivers, even in a subtle way. She has no choice but to sing. And that’s such a beautiful gift.”
Check out ALI’s performance below.
Photo by: Tyler Golden
