Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Her audition: Oliv Blu, 20, of Flossmoor, Ill., performed “On & On” by Erykah Badu for her blind audition. The Voice showed only a 10-second snippet of her performance, but she got a chair turn from John Legend. He complimented her for having a sound all her own and for flipping the song in a cool way. Since he was the only coach to turn, Oliv automatically became a member of Team Legend.

More about Oliv Blu:

* Oliv is a Chicago-based R&B / neo-soul artist who, learned her appreciation for music at a young age, according to her Facebook bio.

* Oliv recalls that when she was in second grade she’d visit her best friend Camryn Taylor. Her dad was a former deejay who played house music on his turntables in the basement. Oliv and Camryn would dance and sing along.

* But it wasn’t until years later when Oliv joined Freesole, a music collective of singers, rappers and producers from the southern suburbs of Chicago, that she began making music of her own.

* Prior to The Voice, she said her biggest performance was at a Chicago music festival called Mamby On The Beach. “I performed one song on the community stage to help promote an open mic I used to attend called Young Chicago Authors (YCA). Coming from the suburbs, YCA played a huge role in helping me break into the music scene in Chicago,” she said.

* To date, she’s released just one single, “Anything,” from 2017. But she released a music video for a song called “Puzzled” last year and has other originals you can check out on Soundcloud, including “One Way Ticket,” “Boomerang” and “No Love Song.” Check out the music video for “Puzzled” below.

* Oliv told Voice Views she’s planning on releasing a debut EP in the next few months, adding “I’m excited for everyone to hear the new music I’ve been working on.”

* As for her original music, Oliv describes it as a collection of love songs, life lessons and inspiration for others. “They are a weapon against the returning nature of the problems of the past for you, for me, and for the rest of the world,” she writes on Facebook.

* As she noted on the show, she calls herself “the girl with a pick in her fro.” She said that stems from insecurity she felt about her appearance growing up. “I keep my pick in my hair to remind myself I’m beautiful,” she told The Voice.

* You won’t hear Oliv complaining about her one-chair turn. She said John Legend was “her heart’s choice” for a coach entering the blind auditions. “He’s been someone I’ve listened to and have been inspired by for quite some time, I never thought I’d end up being able to work with him.”

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