Mara Justine has taken The Voice season 24 by storm recently, as she’s made it to the finale on the strength of her voice and stage presence. Want to know more about the 21-year-old powerhouse? Here are three facts about Mara Justine just in time for The Voice finale, beginning on Monday night.
Videos by American Songwriter
She Once Appeared On American Idol at 15 Years Old
Mara Justine auditioned for season 16 of the long-running singing competition American Idol—which will air its 22nd season next year—in 2018, where she performed Rihanna’s “Love on the Brain.” All three judges—new additions Katy Perry, Lionel Ritchie, and Luke Bryan—voted “yes” on Mara, and she entered the competition against eventual top three Maddie Poppe, Caleb Lee Hutchinson, and Gabby Barrett. Mara sang “Something’s Got a Hold on Me” by Etta James in the Hollywood Round, and made it to the Top 24. There, she sang “Run to You” by Whitney Houston and “Fight Song” by Rachel Platten. She made it to the Top 14, where she sang “This is Me” by Keala Settle and reprised “Love on the Brain.” She did not advance to the Top 6, and was voted off the show.
[RELATED: Mara Justine Belts Out “Without You” in the First Knockout Round of ‘The Voice’ [Watch]]
She Auditioned for America’s Got Talent When She Was 11
Before her run on American Idol, Mara Justine auditioned for America’s Got Talent at just 11 years old. She appeared on season 9 in 2014, singing “And I’m Telling You I’m Not Going” from Dreamgirls, and the judges all voted “yes,” sending her to Judgement Week. There, she sang Whitney Houston’s “I Have Nothing,” which resulted in the judges immediately sending her to the Quarterfinals. She performed Katy Perry’s “Unconditionally” in the Quarterfinals, finishing between fifth and sixth place in America’s vote, but the judges voted for her to move forward to the Semifinals. There, she gave an amazing performance of Kelly Clarkson’s “Breakaway,” which earned her a standing ovation and a place in the Top 12. Unfortunately, during the Top 12 performance, there was a sound issue that resulted in an echo for everyone watching on TV. She didn’t receive enough votes, and was eliminated after that.
She Releases Her Own Music Already
Mara Justine released a self-titled EP in 2015, and has posted covers on YouTube which have garnered over 90,000 views. Music is clearly important to her, as she shared during The Voice auditions. “I think with everything that my mom is going through now, music is my medicine,” she shared with the judges, revealing that her mother had been diagnosed with breast cancer a month earlier. “It gets me through everything and so, being here is a blessing. This is a life-changing opportunity for me. I get emotional because I have a new outlook on life. So to have this opportunity, it means everything to me.”
(Image via @MaraJustine1 on Instagram)
