Kelly Clarkson Compares Holly Brand To Carrie Underwood And Faith Hill After Astounding Blind Audition On ‘The Voice’
We don’t have that really, that kind of voice right now in country music,” Clarkson told the contestant.
Holly Brand, Kelly Clarkson; Photos by NBC, The Voice
Former Miss Mississippi, Holly Brand, had jaws dropping with her The Voice audition, which aired during the Season 23 premiere on Monday evening (March 6).
From the moment she took the stage singing Faith Hill’s “Mississippi Girl,” Brand had the coaches in the palm of her hand with her powerful vocals and impressive range.
Coach Kelly Clarkson turned her chair within the first 30 seconds of Brand’s performance, and Niall Horan and Chance The Rapper were quick to follow. Surprisingly, Blake Shelton was the only coach who did not turn his chair.
As Brand’s mom and sister watched from backstage, she continued to impress as she hit the high notes throughout the performance.
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Following the show-stopping blind audition, The Voice coaches Niall Horan, Chance The Rapper and Kelly Clarkson attempted to convince her to join their respective teams.
Horan complimented Brand and compared her to his “Seeing Blind” duet partner Maren Morris.
“Please. Kelly, come on. Give me a chance. You remind me so much of my good friend, Maren Morris. Oh my God,” Horan gushed. ”I’ve spent a lot of time in the States over the years and become very, very, very, very fond of country music and country always leads into storytelling and I tend to do that. Your voice, the control it was just unbelievable and I’m telling you, we’re going to do big things together. If you come with me.”
Chance praised the 22-year-old’s vocal abilities.
“It’s hard to come after that. You hit every note. Spot on… the whistle note. Took me out,” Chance The Rapper said. “Like a couple. You have a crazy control of your vocal range and I think if you get down with me, you’re obviously going to win.”
Clarkson was equally impressed by Brand.
“She took it up! Here’s the thing, I love Maren, but I heard a mix of Faith Hill and like Carrie Underwood. Oh my God,” she gushed. “We don’t have that really, that kind of voice right now in country music and I’m such a fan. I grew up on it. I definitely know a hell of a lot more than these two. Well, since Blake’s deaf, you can win with me. I love your voice so much.”
While she debated on which team to join, the contestant shared a full-circle moment with Blake Shelton.
“I actually have a really cool story about you,” Brand said, before Shelton joked, “is this an ancestry.com?”
“You are the father,” Clarkson exclaimed with a laugh.
“I brought something that I wanted to show you,” Brand shared before showing Shelton a photo from when she served as support at one of his shows over a decade ago. ”When I was 10, I got to open for you in concert. That concert was like the moment that I realized that I wanted to be an artist. I have the picture. I just wanted to show you.”
All four coaches then approached the contestant to take a look at the photo.
“Hi I’m Niall, your coach. I’ve got no one on my team. This is my first season and you are the best thing that’s walked out here,” Horan said.
As the coaches made their way back to their seats, Shelton weighed in on which team she should join.
“I want to say something to you before you guys get back into it. I would pick Niall,” Shelton said, suggesting Brand to join Team Niall.
“That’s why you should pull for me. I mean, be on my team,” Horan added. “We’re going to win this thing.”
Shelton, who didn’t turn his chair for Brand, then asked the contestant to choose her coach.
Team Kelly
Ultimately, Brand decided to join Team Kelly Clarkson.
Fun fact: Holly Brand is from Meridian, Mississippi, the former hometown of The Voice Season 18 champion, Todd Tilghman.
The Voice airs every Monday (8/7c) and Tuesday (9/8c) on NBC and next day on Peacock.
Lauren Jo Black, a University of Central Florida graduate, has immersed herself in the world of country music for over 15 years. In 2008, she co-founded CountryMusicIsLove, eventually selling it to a major record label in 2015. Following the rebranding of the website to Sounds Like Nashville, Black served as Editor-in-Chief for two and a half years. Currently, she assumes the role of Editor-in-Chief at Country Now and oversees Country Now’s content and digital footprint. Her extensive experience also encompasses her previous role as a Country Music Expert Writer for Answers.com and her work being featured on Forbes.com. She’s been spotlighted among Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. Black also spent time in front of the camera as host of Country Now Live, which brought live music directly to fans in 2021 when the majority of concerts were halted due to the pandemic. During this time, she hosted 24 weeks of live concerts via Country Now Live on Twitch with special guests such as Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Jordan Davis, Brett Young, and Jon Pardi. Over the course of her career, she has had the privilege of conducting interviews with some of the industry’s most prominent stars, including Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson, and many others. Lauren Jo Black is a longtime member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.
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