WATCH: ‘The Voice’ Australia Contestant Shocks Keith Urban with Song That Name Drops 13 Of His Biggest Hits
Blind auditions are underway on The Voice Australia and one contestant that stood out among the rest is 32-year-old Kaylee…
Kaylee Bell, Keith Urban; The Voice Australia
Blind auditions are underway on The Voice Australia and one contestant that stood out among the rest is 32-year-old Kaylee Bell from New Zealand and resides in New South Wales, who sang a song she wrote as a tribute to Keith Urban in front of the superstar himself.
Bell took the stage to perform her original song, “Keith,” while Urban and fellow The Voice Australia coaches, Rita Ora, Guy Sebastian, and Jess Mauboy, listened from the signature red Voice chairs.
With her guitar in hand, Bell effortlessly belted out the lyrics she wrote as a tribute to the country superstar. The lyrics include:
“I remember we were somewhere in your car / I fell fast when you stole my heart / The long hot summer that I can’t forget / I was hanging off every single word you said / We were summer on the speakers out on road / A little KU on radio / Hand out the window, sun sinking low / Singing raise em’ up’ baby ooooh / i know those days go by / it wasn’t just wasted time / had a little bit of everything / making memories of you and me / yeah back when we were us / once in a lifetime love / can’t help but think of you / hope you’ll think of me / when you play that Keith / Summer out on the speakers on the road / a little KU on the radio / Somebody like you / somebody like me / Yeah, it sure feels good baby / Play that Keith..”
In total, Bell name-dropped at least 13 of Urban’s biggest hits throughout the lyrics: “We Were,” “Somewhere In Your Car,” “Long Hot Summer,” “Days Go By,” “Raise Em Up,” “Wasted Time,” “Little Bit Of Everything,” “Making Memories Of Us,” “Look Good In Your Shirt,” “We Were Us,” “Better Half,” “You’ll Think Of Me,” “Once In A Lifetime,” and “Somebody Like You.”
A smile flashed across Urban’s face as he realized what Bell was singing and he immediately pushed his button to turn his chair for the promising contestant.
Other coaches were quick to follow as Bell ultimately earned the coveted four-chair turn.
At the conclusion of her performance, Urban and the fellow coaches praised Bell for having the courage to perform not just an original track but a song written about one of the coaches witnessing the performance.
“That’s gravy,” Urban said, while giving Bell a standing ovation, as she concluded her blind audition.
“Did I just hear what I thought I heard,” Ora asked while looking at Urban. “Did you just say Keith’s name in a song?”
“Is this song about Keith?” Mauboy asked Bell.
“Yes, it is, I wrote it in Nashville a couple of years ago with two buddies of mine,” Bell replied.
“Holy moly, that is a smash!” Ora gushed.
“We really got no chance then,” Guy joked. “So, you wrote a song about Keith and we [all] turned our chairs with hopes to get you to join our team.”
The four coaches then fought over the contestant with hopes of Bell joining their team.
“I’m just going to go for because I also don’t feel like I have a shot and I just want to say, you are made to be on the stage,” Ora said. “To do an original in front of the person by the way that you wrote the song about. You took a huge risk and it worked. That was like a perfect package of artist.”
Bell went on to share the story behind the song.
“I actually had this crazy idea of writing a song and cramming as many Keith song titles as I could into the song to tell the story. So, I think there’s like 13 titles, but then you keep releasing songs with similar names like ‘We Were’ and ‘We Were Us’ and it just keeps growing,” the school teacher and singer/songwriter explained. “I just wanted to write a song that felt like Keith cause Keith has such a feel about his music that I really love and so that was kind of like the aim of the game was to write a song that felt like Keith’s music.”
Much to Bell’s surprise, Urban revealed that this wasn’t the first time he’s heard the song.
“Kaylee, I know about that song because somebody sent and told me about it,” Urban said. “A friend of mine told me about it and I just couldn’t believe how incredibly catchy it was and how much it sounded like the radio like right out of the gate. I never had any song written about me before and the fact that you wrote it about the songs and the titles and the feeling in those is just so touching Kaylee. It really is, and I can’t thank you enough for that.”
Mauboy then used her block to prevent Bell from joining Urban’s team. Upon seeing the block, Urban was in shock and shouted, “you’re kidding.”
“She literally just sang a song with my name it,” Urban said laughing. “And I’m blocked.”
“Yes, she sung a song about you, but I said I was going to fight for her, and I meant that,” Mauboy said. ”I could give you country, I could even hear you singing Maggie Rogers, but regardless of that. You totally stand out and I love that about you.”
“Even though Jess, that was brutal, but I also know why Jess did it, because she doesn’t have ‘Somebody Like You’ on her team and I would’ve had you on my team in a nanosecond, so, I totally understand why she just fought for you,” Urban explained.
Ultimately, Bell chose Jess Mauboy as her coach. The contestant’s new coach and Keith Urban then walked over to her on the stage and gave her a big ol’ hug.
The Voice Australia airs Monday to Wednesday 7.30pm on Channel 7 and 7plus.
Lauren Jo Black is a longtime country music journalist, editor, host, and media personality whose work has helped shape the conversation around country music for nearly two decades. As the current Editor-in-Chief of Country Now, she has become one of the genre’s most respected voices, interviewing hundreds of country music’s biggest stars, including Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, Randy Travis, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, and countless others. Over the course of her career, Black’s written work and interviews have reached billions of country music fans worldwide. A 2009 graduate of the University of Central Florida, Black began her career by founding Country Music Is Love, one of country music’s earliest independent digital publications, which she later sold to a major record label in 2015 before it was rebranded as Sounds Like Nashville. She then served as the publication’s Editor-in-Chief for more than two years. Her work has also appeared in Forbes, and she previously served as the Country Music Expert for Answers.com. Widely recognized for her expertise, Black has appeared as a featured guest on The Bobby Bones Show, BobbyCast, and Scripps News Morning Rush, providing insight on country music’s biggest moments. She has also hosted Country Now Live, a concert series featuring performances from artists including Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Riley Green, Jordan Davis, Dustin Lynch, Gabby Barrett, Brett Young, Jon Pardi, Kip Moore, Chris Young, and more. The series has welcomed thousands of fans in person while reaching millions more online. In addition, she hosted Connect With Country Now, a weekly interview series featuring conversations with rising country stars. Throughout her career, Black has earned a reputation for discovering and championing artists long before they become household names. She has covered Luke Bryan since the early days of his career, beginning when he was writing songs for other artists, including Billy Currington’s No. 1 hit “Good Directions,” before stepping into the spotlight with his debut single, “All My Friends Say” and eventually becoming one of biggest names in music. She also gave Megan Moroney her first opportunity to walk a major red carpet as Country Now’s official guest correspondent at the 2022 CMA Awards. An interview she conducted in 2018 for Forbes.com with Luke Combs that inspired his multi-week No. 1 hit, “Doin’ This.” She has also hosted stages at CMA Fest, moderated an industry panel at Country Radio Seminar, and helped lead important conversations about the evolving landscape of country music media. Beyond journalism, Black has also used her platform to support charitable causes and highlight organizations making an impact. Through Country Now Live, she has helped raise awareness and support for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, while also advocating for animal rescue through Country Now’s Pupdate series, spotlighting organizations including MuttNation Foundation, Wags & Walks, and Proverbs 12:10 Animal Rescue. Black has been recognized as one of Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. She is a longtime member of both the Country Music Association (CMA) and the Academy of Country Music (ACM). After nearly 20 years covering country music, Lauren Jo Black has spent her career telling the stories behind the artists, songs, and moments that have shaped the genre. Her first-ever book, Country Music Forever: An A-to-Z Celebration of Icons, Songs and Stories, brings that same passion and firsthand knowledge to the page, celebrating not only the legendary artists and timeless songs that have become the soundtrack to generations of fans, but also the places, traditions, and cultural moments that have made country music one of the most beloved genres around the world.
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