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Hear Why Jackie Romeo’s “Crispy” Voice Was Compared to Fried Chicken (Yes!)
John Legend coming in hot with the creative compliments!
Season 25 of The Voice is broken up into sections with unique vocal challenges each step of the way. First are the Blinds, when Contestants audition for the panel of celebrity Coaches and are placed onto Teams. During the Blinds, 20-year-old Jackie Romeo, from Massapequa, New York, sang “Flowers” by Miley Cyrus and earned a 2-Chair Turn from John Legend and Coach duo Dan + Shay. Romeo’s soulful voice ultimately found a home on Team Legend.
Now that we’ve entered the Battles, two Contestants from the same Team go head-to-head on stage in a duet of a popular song. Two Artists enter, and one song later only one Artist remains. Romeo went up against teammate 24-year-old Olivia Rubini.
Jackie Romeo sings "Edge of Seventeen" with Olivia Rubini on The Voice
The duo tackled a version of “Edge of Seventeen” by Fleetwood Mac front person Stevie Nicks, from her 1981 solo album Bella Donna. Romeo had never heard the song, having missed that chapter of musical evolution, and Rubini provided a musical history refresher to bring Romeo up to speed. During rehearsals, both Artists locked in on an emotional connection which rang through in their respective performances. Despite her prior unfamiliarity with the song, Romeo was an early favorite.
RELATED: How Jackie Romeo Got 2 Chairs After “Crushing” Some “Phenomenal Long & High Notes”
“I love Jackie’s voice, it’s crispy, it crackles a bit,” said Coach John Legend. “It’s like the best Southern fried chicken, it’s got a nice crispy tastiness to it. Both of these Artists are powerful and they’re killing this version of the song. I hate having to choose between my artists and not having a Save.”
“Dynamically, I like that you guys were giving each other spaces as vocalists,” said Chance the Rapper after Romeo and Rubini's Battle. “Jackie, you have just a fuller voice, but Olivia you have like this really cool, soft vibe to it, but you can also belt. Even though it was very evenly matched I would give the edge to Jackie."
Dan Smyers, of Dan + Shay echoed those sentiments and complimented the duo’s ability to bring out the best in themselves and one another. “That really looked and sounded like y’all were having so much fun and I can tell you guys really, really rehearsed that,” Smyers said. “I would say that was one of the most ‘together’ performances we’ve seen in the entire Battle round.”
RELATED: Hear the “Next-Level” Range & “Super High Notes” That Got Asher HaVon 3 Chair Turns
With the last notes sung and all opinions shared, it came to John Legend to make a decision. “It was so cool; I just loved your interactions with each other and your unique approaches to the song. Olivia, you have this stylized, softer approach. Jackie, your voice just cuts through in this really powerful way, it has this crispness to it. It was a joy for me to be a part of,” Legend said, and without hesitation, he named Romeo the winner of the Battle.
