Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Amanda Ayala, left, and Shelby Brown prepare for their battle round match on The Voice. (NBC Photo)

Shelby Brown turned all four chairs during her blind audition on The Voice and received high praise for her powerful country voice.

But coach Adam Levine presented her with a pretty daunting challenge in the battle round.

He asked her to sing Stevie Nick’s “Edge of Seventeen,” hardly a country song. And he pitted her against fellow 17-year-old Amanda Ayala, who had been singing in rock bands since she was 12.

Shelby admits the situation “had me wondering how it was going to all work out.”

But then the gal from Elberta, Ala., came up with a simple strategy.

“I think my mindset was ‘Yeah, this is a rock song. And, yeah, Amanda’s a rock singer. But I’m a country singer and I sing the way I sing.

“I’m just going to sing this song how I would sing this song on any other day. And I just went out there and stayed true to myself.”

That strategy worked. Adam Levine selected Shelby to advance to the knockout round. Amanda was eliminated when no one stole her. And their cover of the song wound up landing on the iTunes’ rock chart.

Shelby said her biggest improvement during the battle round process was gaining confidence and learning to shut out negative thoughts. Working with John Fogerty helped, because he told her about times he messed up during performances, “and he’s a legend,” she noted.

“He was so reassuring, and I’m really grateful that I got to learn from him,” Shelby said during a Wednesday conference call with the media.

For more on Shelby, head here. And for more on Amanda, head here.

For more of the stories behind the battles on The Voice, head here.

Amanda Ayala, left, and Shelby Brown perform during the battle round on The Voice. (NBC Photo)

Shelby Brown performs during the battle round on The Voice. (NBC Photo)