Cait Martin and Kala Banham of Kelly Clarkson’s team show off their dynamic voices during the Knockouts on The Voice.
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Martin took an operatic approach to Whitney Houston’s “All the Man That I Need,” which instantly showed off her Broadway-esque voice. When the chorus kicks in, Martin lets some impressive high notes fly while demonstrating the range in her voice. She allows her personality to come out full force near the song’s end, taking to the front of the stage for a display of showmanship that gets coach Clarkson on her foot and cheering in support.
“That was crazy,” Chance raved. “She’s got that Whitney tone.”
After Martin wowed the crowd, Banham brought the atmosphere back down to earth with her cover of the Goo Goo Dolls’ “Iris.” The soft piano ballad showed off her gentle voice and the sweet tones weaved throughout. The song suited Banham’s ballad-friendly voice while allowing her to flex some of her range. Clarkson also gave her a standing ovation.
“I’m so angry, you both did such a great job,” Clarkson says smiling while squirming in her seat.
Giving Clarkson time to collect herself before making the big decision, Blake Shelton remarked that “there was a lot of sharp notes” in Martin’s performance while saying that Banham offered a “very passionate performance” with “a lot of emotion in there and a lot of dynamics,” voting her as the winner.
“You absolutely smashed it,” Niall Horan raved of Martin. He then told Banham, “Your storytelling ability is just insane,” also picking her as the winner.
Chance the Rapper agreed that Martin “smashed” the Houston song and said she “took that round by the throat,” declaring her as the winner.
Clarkson also agreed with Chance that Martin “killed it.” “I thought it was incredible,” she raved of Martin’s performance. “Not many people could’ve done what you just did.” She also echoed the other coaches’ sentiments about Banham’s ability to evoke emotion, calling her “one of my favorite storytellers I’ve ever worked with.”
“You don’t deserve to go home, either one of you,” Clarkson said before making the tough decision of selecting Martin as the winner of the Knockouts, with Banham ultimately getting stolen by Chance, keeping her in the competition.
The second part of the Knockout rounds takes place on Monday (April 24) when The Voice airs on NBC at 8 p.m. ET.
Photo by: Tyler Golden/NBC
