Kara Tenae brought some R&B flavor to The Voice with her blind audition on Tuesday (October 10). The 33-year-old from Riverside, California, had the coaches Gwen Stefani, John Legend, Niall Horan, and Reba McEntire swaying in their big red chairs as she serenaded them with a cover of Ella Mai’s “Boo’d Up.”
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The performance showed off the flair and smooth R&B tones in Tenae’s voice, her confident stage presence elevating the performance. She ended the set with a series of impressive high notes, her performance earning a three-chair turn from Stefani, Horan, and McEntire.
“That was amazing,” raved the former One Direction member Horan, adding that she has a “really nice tone.” “You started off really subtle and nice and then went off on these crazy runs just when Gwen and I turned.”
Tenae then shared how ’90s R&B “molded me, that’s what shaped me.” “It was so impressive to watch, I would love to work with you,” Horan continued. “The crowds were right in your sight, the people are already in.”
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“I was blown away,” praised country queen McEntire, noting that Tenae’s vocal range is “incredible.” “It comes from your inner soul…It touched me so deeply.”
“That was so beautiful,” observed Stefani, who advocated for herself as a coach by saying she has a knack for helping contestants “find the actual emotion of the song, but also showcase their talent.” “You’ve got so much style, you got swag, you got personality, you got stage presence–you have it all.”
Stefani won over Tenae, who selected her as her coach. “Can’t even put into words how blessed I feel,” Tenae shared on Instagram about her audition. According to her Instagram bio, Tenae was living in Los Angeles and is now based in Atlanta, Georgia.
The Voice airs on Monday and Tuesday nights at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.
Photo by: Greg Gayne/NBC
