Kelly Clarkson insists she knows how to navigate her way through The Voice competition. And, on Tuesday night (Sept. 28), she proved that by navigating her way into the hearts of pop-gospel duo the Cunningham Sisters.
The biracial teens of Marie, 14, and Macie, 15, are from Hamilton, Ohio, and in an introduction video, they shared their excitement for their blind audition, telling viewers they were “obsessed” with the show. While giddy to have an opportunity to be featured on The Voice, they knew their chance to shine was not a “giggle moment.”
“If we turn a chair, definitely I think it would communicate that what you’ve been through or where you come from, that doesn’t have to dictate where you go in the future,” Marie explained.
Once on stage, it was clear the Cunningham Sisters were a double threat as they swapped verses on a powerful rendition of Tori Kelly’s “Never Alone” feat. Kirk Franklin. They showed off their respective deep vocals and unique blend of sibling harmony, earning not one, but two chair turns from Clarkson and fellow coach John Legend.
After the performance, the two coaches began making their pleas to gain the Cunningham Sisters for their team, but not before newbie Ariana Grande admitted she regretted not pressing her button for the talented girls.
“My heart hurts,” Grande said. “I’m so mad right now. It took me a second, but I realized there were two of you singing before you started singing together because your tones are very distinct. What a privilege to hear you today, and welcome to The Voice.”
“I’ve been to Ohio. My mom’s from Ohio! See how much we have in common?” Clarkson shared, pointing out how she could relate to the talented singers given that Legend is from the Buckeye State. “You have so much in common with John Legend, right. But, you’re here to learn new stuff.”
“I know how to navigate the competition, and I’m probably going to lose anyway, so I’m just going to go all-in,” Clarkson continued. “I’m going to start coaching you. You both have such amazing voices. On your own, you could have a career. I didn’t know two people were singing until I turned around because I turned early. But, one thing that I did notice is that it wasn’t perfectly in sync. You have to learn how to blend and to let each other shine within moments, and I’m good at that.”
After Clarkson shared her comments, Legend said, “Honestly, I love working on harmonies with a group and helping you figure out the best way to arrange a song and take advantage of the voices. I would love for you to be on Team Legend.”
Even though Legend put up some strong words to persuade the Cunningham Sisters to join his team, they chose to represent Team Kelly.
Viewers can tune in to a new episode of The Voice next Monday (Oct. 4) at 8 PM ET on NBC. The show airs Mondays and Tuesdays.
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