It looks like Joselyn Rivera won’t be heading back to Miami anytime soon…
During Monday night’s episode of The Voice, the 17-year-old pop diva faced off against another Latina singer, Kayla Nevarez, in what proved to be a heated Knockout Round clash.
In the brand new addition to NBC’s singing competition, the coaches –Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, Christina Aguilera and Cee Lo Green – pit two of their team members against each other. The artists sing songs that they chose themselves, while their opponent watches on from the corner.
The former Team Christina member, who advanced after Adam Levine used one of his steals to keep her alive in the competition in the previous round, picked Beyonce’s “Love On Top” as her song to show her “high range and personality,” while the 17-year-old Nevarez chose V.V. Brown’s “Shark in the Water” for it’s “vibey” sound.
Following their inspired performances, Shelton believed Nevarez played it safe while Rivera took more risks with the song, including some ambitious runs.
Aguilera, Rivera’s former coach, seemed to have the biggest kudos for her former protégé.
“’Love On Top’ is a challenging glass of difficulty to swallow,” declared Aguilera. “It’s unbelievable… the range in that song, and you were hitting it.”
Green added that Rivera “did it with such grace and such confidence.”
In the end, it was up to Levine to decide which Latweena singing sensation to advance…
“I can’t think of a more ambitious song to choose,” Levine told Rivera. “You didn’t have to choose this song, so that says a lot to me. And you’re 17! So it’s just crazy. It’s a testament to your ability.”
And with that declaration, Levine chose Rivera to advance to the next round on The Voice.
“I’m super excited to move on to the live shows,” exclaimed Rivera. “And I’m just so grateful for this opportunity and to keep going. It’s just an honor to be here.
