100 Most Famous Classical Pieces

Fil-Am Kaylee Shimizu aces ‘The Voice’ Knockouts with Aretha Franklin classic

Fil-Am Kaylee Shimizu makes a stellar performance in ‘The Voice’ Knockouts | Photo from Kaylee Shimizu’s “Ain’t No Way” performance on The Voice/YouTube

The talented teen competed with two fellow hopefuls from Team Legend

By: Jelou Galang - @inquirerdotnetInquirer Manila 

Only the brave souls dare to cover an Aretha Franklin song, especially with public scrutiny involved. Kaylee Shimizu is one of them—and it looks nothing short of a good decision.

After winning the previous Battles stage, the Filipino-American singer from Ewa Beach, Hawaii aced the Knockouts round of “The Voice” on Nov. 6, performing 1968 track “Ain’t No Way” by the “Queen of Soul.”

The 17-year-old offered a stellar performance of the challenging classic, which left Gwen Stefani and Reba McEntire speechless and Niall Horan giggly during her turn on the stage. Meanwhile, her coach John Legend stood still and raised his arms in astonishment as she finished the song. 

Shimizu went against her fellow contestants from Team Legend Caleb Sasser and Mara Justine, who’ve also joined the four-chair turner club like her during the blind audition. In the end, Shimizu reigned the round, letting her take another step in the competition’s 24th season. Meanwhile, Sasser went home and Justine received steals from Stefani and Horan.

On Instagram, Shimizu posted a Knockouts photo dump with a caption bursting with gratitude, from her parents to her glam team. “Thank you to EVERYONE for your kind words and continuous support, I appreciate you all so much. Thank you John for helping me feel more confident in my voice and coaching me through these past performances, you’re amazing,” she said.

In another recent Instagram post, the contestant also posted a sentimental Reel, which takes a quick look at her progress as an artist. “Little me would have neverrr thought,” she wrote.