In recent years, televised singing competitions have sprung up all over the place.
The entire craze seemed to have started with American Idol, but there have been all kinds of other developments since then as well.
For one example, America’s Got Talent has proven to be a wackier and more all-inclusive version of the same show aimed at more or less the same effect. Still, of all these shows, The Voice may be the most consistently surprising and entertaining.
That’s because the show takes familiar tropes and turns them on their head.
For one thing, the audition process on The Voice is much different than other shows.
Though everything is still about talented singers proving themselves and getting an opportunity to break out, they do so through “blind auditions.”
In these sessions, the contestant comes out while all the judges’ backs are turned and starts singing. If the judges like what they hear, they can hit their buzzers to turn around, competing to add the contestant to their team. After all, each season has a winning singer and a winning vocal team.
The performance we’re talking about today came from the 2016 season of The Voice UK.
As the clip begins, performer Kevin Simm walks out to the middle of the stage.
A moment later, the backing piano music starts playing. The song he’s decided to sing is “Chandelier” by Sia, a powerful ballad about addiction and isolation that has become something of a staple among would-be reality show contestants in recent years.
From the very first notes, it’s clear that Simm is going to do his own version of the song. Though the original was sung in a chirpy and raspy female voice, Simm slows it down and adds some huskiness to it.
From the very beginning, all the judges know that they’re hearing something unusual.
As he continues through the first verse, it’s clear that his voice packs a ton of emotion.
Still, nobody is quite sure what to make of it from the outset. Everything changes a moment later when his voice balloons and soars through the chorus, easily hitting or exceeding the notes that Sia laid out in the original version!
As soon as the judges hear just what his voice is capable of, Simm gets his first three buzzers!
Once they see who’s standing in front of them, all they can all do is smile widely.
Though everyone thought he had already hit his peak, his voice still seems to get more and more powerful as it goes on.
Even though his voice is amazing, there’s still one hold-out—judge will.i.am. As Simm winds his performance down, there are just a few words left to sing.
At the very last second, will.i.am hits his buzzer as well for a full four-chair turn! Once he sees what he’s done, Simm can’t help but burst out into a huge smile.
Since the clip has been uploaded, it’s been viewed some 12 million times!
Though it goes without saying, Simm’s performance is one of the best on the show in a while.
Sia’s smash-hit song is already quite difficult to sing, but Simm found a way to imbue it with a whole new life.
Though nobody was sure how it would go at the beginning, his confidence and power blossomed halfway through to make this a song to remember. Everyone in the crowd had chills!
Congratulations to Kevin Simm on a jaw-dropping audition! Be sure to watch the entire thing in the clip below:
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