Holy Tambourine! Melanie Martinez has serious talent… And, she’s managed to impress some all-star musicians.
The 17-year-old gap-toothed Latina singer charmed the pants off of three of the four coaches on NBC’s The Voice during Monday night’s blind auditions episode. Following her 90-minute audition—where she sang a jazz-tinged, folk-like version of Britney Spears‘ “Toxic,” even playing the tamboroune with her feet while strumming her guitar—only Christina Aguilera refrained from turning her chair.
“I was hearing a unique artist that doesn’t sound like anybody else. And then I turn around and see you. And you don’t look like anybody else I’ve ever seen and you’re up there, you’re playing the tambourine with your damn feet while you’re playing the guitar and you’re singing so amazing,” cooed coach Blake Shelton. “I just think that… I think that you’re a star.”
After hearing from Shelton, Adam Levine and Cee Lo Green, Martinez picked the Maroon 5 front man to serve as her mentor on the show.
“I ultimately want to go with someone who will let me express my creativity and someone who will let me be me,” said Martinez after picking Levine as her mentor.
Martinez even saw her jazz-tinged, folk-like version of Britney Spears‘ “Toxic” hit the Top 10 on iTunes‘ alternative chart Tuesday.
“It was absolutely crazy,” she told Newsday Tuesday. “I did not expect that at all. I’m really just so grateful. It’s really surreal. I just can’t believe this is happening.”
Martinez admits it was hard keeping her involvement on The Voice a secret from her classmates at Baldwin High School in Long Island, and she’ll have to be home-schooled for her senior year to participate in the singing competition.
Martinez, who is also a talented photographer, impressed the judges with her voice and her delivery, especially playing a tambourine with her feet, while playing her acoustic guitar.
“You’re amazing,” Levine said while comparing her to Björk.