15-Year-Old Allie Rae Looks Back on Her ‘The Voice’ Journey and Shares What’s Next

At just 15 years old Allie Rae went from performing in Texas honky-tonks and dance halls to making her debut on national television and performing in front of her musical idols on The Voice. Now that her time on the show has come to an end, she’s looking back on the whirlwind of an experience while figuring out what’s next.

This season 30 contestant caught the attention of viewers and this year’s coaches when she performed “Black Velvet” by Alannah Myles during the Blind Auditions, earning herself a spot on Team Riley Green. Choosing to sing this song felt like a full-circle moment as it’s a track that she’s been performing for as long as she can remember.

In a recent interview with Houston Life, Rae joked that one minute she was signing up for the show online and the next she’s on a flight to LA. Instead of feeling nerves when it was her turn to take the stage, she recalled feeling more excitement than anything.

“I was like, ‘Oh my God, I get to meet Kelly Clarkson and all of them and they get to hear me sing?’ I was really ecstatic,” she recalled.

Rae made it through the Battle Rounds after performing Bill Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine” with her duet partner, Harmony McKee, thus advancing her to cut week. She delivered a stunning rendition of Lainey Wilson’s “4X4XU,” but was ultimately eliminated during one of the biggest eliminations in show history.

Even though her time on the competition has come to an end, she gained a whole new set of followers from showing off her unique country-blues sound. She notes that growing up in Santa Fe, TX, her parents introduced her to “all types of music,” which has helped develop her own sound as an artist today.

“My mom likes music from this side of the spectrum to the other side. And I went to Memphis when I was really young. I went, I think when I was 11 and I was walking up and down Beale Street and there’s just so many different types of blues music and that really broadened and just enlightened my eyes to, ‘I can do this type of music too.’ Down here in Texas, it’s very much country music and that’s the main thing, but I really just fell in love with blues too,” she explained.

There’s no question that music plays an important role in Rae’s life. In fact, she shared one quote in particular that perfectly captures just how much it means to her: “From the moment I wake up to the moment I lay my head, music is all I think about.”

Whether she’s performing on national television, helping out at her family’s RV park business or fixing up a 1968 Chevy C10 with her dad, music is always part of her day.

“Even while working on the truck, I always have to have music going or anything, there’s music in my headphones or just in my brain. I’m always thinking about music and that is the one thing that God has led me to do with my life.”

When asked how she plans to take her music career forward after the competition, Rae simply stated that she intends to “keep grinding” and “putting in the hard work.”

“I love playing live shows, so that’s what I’m going to do. Just keep putting myself out there and kind of just letting God take the reins and lead me where he wants to go.”

Fans can keep up with Allie Rae on Instagram.