This 17-Year-Old Worship Singer's Voice Is Like Hearing "Kelly Clarkson for the 1st Time"
You can't beat a comparison to former Voice Coach Kelly Clarkson, can you?
As 17-year-old contestant Kamila Kiehne took the stage for her Blind Audition Monday night on NBC's The Voice, Coaches Reba McEntire, Snoop Dogg, Gwen Stefani, and Michael Bublé could barely hold back their enthusiasm. And neither could Kiehne.
"I can't believe that I'm about to perform in front of these four amazing Coaches," said Kiehne, a native of Los Lunas, New Mexico. "I have been dreaming about this for so long. Hearing the button press would make me shiver in my boots."
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As is often the case on The Voice: dreams do come true. Her fiery cover of "Black Velvet" by Alannah Myles nabbed not one Chair turn, but three — and in quick succession!
Watch Kamila Kiehne's Performance of Alannah Myles' "Black Velvet" During Blind Auditions for The Voice Season 26
Kiehne began her musical career at the age of 9, singing a song called "Dang Devil" at her church. "Ever since then, I've sang the National Anthem at sporting events, but my favorite place on Earth is my church," she added. "I do worship there and that's basically where I got all my experience."
"You just killed it," gushed Bublé once the performance had ended. "You sound great ... I can't give you a better voice. What I can do, is I can help you choose the songs that will take you up to the next echelon. I love entertaining and I can already see that you have this light pouring out of you. I would love to help you become the greatest that you can be."
Stefani, who did not turn around, did confess some regret over not pushing her button, saying: "That was really beautiful. I know I missed out on something, but just finding out that you're 17 was maybe the reason. I could hear something that didn't feel like complete control of the song, but I loved your tone and you got a 3-Chair turn. That's pretty magical."
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Coach Reba added: "I could tell you were singing from the heart. You did a really good job and I'd love to have you on my team."
Ever the charmer, Snoop was quick to remind Kiehne that he was the first Coach to turn around. "You touched me when I heard the first note come out," he said. "That's why I hit the button faster than Mike. I also come from a church background, so it's only fitting for you to find yourself sliding this way and picking Coach Snoop to help give you that fundamental direction to get you to the pearly gates."
When it came time to choose a Coach, Kiehne locked in a spot on Team Michael, trying on her swanky new Voice jersey in the process. "I heard maybe two notes and I started to reach for that button as fast as I could," Bublé said. "I didn't want to say it because I didn't want to put pressure on her, but it really reminded me of when I saw Kelly Clarkson the very first time. Wow, what a voice!"
Before leaving the stage, Kiehne had one more surprise up her sleeve: rings and bolo ties for all of the Coaches. The tie in particular was a very touching gift for Michael, who recalled how his father used to wear them.
How can you watch The Voice?
Catch new episodes of The Voice next Monday and Tuesday at 8:00 p.m. ET on NBC. Every episode also arrives on Peacock the next day!
