Holly Brand and Rachel Christine of Kelly Clarkson’s team shone in their own unique ways during the Knockout round on The Voice.
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Brand took on the country classic “Blue Moon of Kentucky,” written and recorded by Bill Monroe and made famous by Elvis Presley and Patsy Cline. She opened the song a cappella, which showcased the peaks and valleys of her dynamic voice. When the music kicks in, Brand shows off her sassy stage personality that had her coach up and dancing at her seat, with Chance the Rapper bopping his head along to the catchy country tune. The song suits Brand’s range and the smoky tones of her voice, her performance keeping the coaches engaged from start to finish, ending with a high falsetto note and boisterous cheers of approval from Clarkson.
Christine also held her own on Fleetwood Mac’s hit “Rhiannon” which again brought Clarkson to her feet. “My team is so good,” she cheered at the performance’s end.
“That’s pretty crazy,” Chance added.
“I think you guys both did great,” Blake Shelton commented, adding that Knockout rounds “suck” for the coaches to have to pick between contestants. Praising Brand for her “great yodel” that she has “awesome control of,” Shelton said that Christine also did an “awesome job” for finding notes that were “different” than Fleetwood Mac’s version.
Chance agreed with Shelton that Christine did an “awesome performance,” while hailing that Brand “completely blew me away.” “The whistle note at the end was a crazy cherry on top,” he said, calling it a “cool moment.”
Citing “Rhiannon” as one of his “favorite songs of all time,” Niall Horan commended Christine’s ability to “change things up” as “really impressive.” “You smashed it out of the park, it was bulletproof,” he added. Horan also said that he’s been a fan of Brand’s since “day one.” “I think we got to see what Holly Brand is about,” he remarked, choosing her as the winner.
Brand and Christine’s coach Clarkson said they both picked “perfect songs” and praised Brand for “trusting” herself when it came to belting out that whistle note. She told Christine that she reminds her of herself when she was starting out. “You’re just a really, incredibly gifted singer,” she raved of Christine. Clarkson admitted that this was her “toughest” Knockout decision, ultimately declaring Brand as the champion.
The Playoffs begin on May 1 when The Voice airs on NBC at 8 p.m. ET.
Photo by: Tyler Golden/NBC
