Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Kailey Abel interacts with the coaches following her blind audition on The Voice Season 18. (NBC Photo)

Not to mention the potential to win Season 18 of The Voice.

So he was shocked when he didn’t have to fight his coaching colleagues to land Kailey as the final member of his team heading into the show’s battle round.

Blake’s praise came after the 19-year-old raspy-voiced singer from Verdigris, Oklahoma, delivered a fine version of “Forever Young” by Alphaville.

Here’s what Kailey told Voice Views about that blind audition experience.

Voice Views: How did you wind up auditioning for The Voice Season 18 and what prompted you to do it?

Kailey: My dad actually really encouraged me to audition for the voice this year! I had been really busy leading worship at my college, ORU, and for my church, Verdigris Assembly, And he told me that I should submit a video and just see what came of it! I guess, the rest is history!

Voice Views: Why did you choose “Forever Young” for your audition song? What’s your performance history with that song?

Kailey: “Forever Young” is such a well-written song. I remember the first time I heard it, I was so drawn in by the lyrics… One of my favorite things to do is take older music and rework it into a new sound. This song is one of the best examples of what I love to do as an artist. I felt like it was a perfect song to present to the coaches because it showed my range and vocal style, but also my creativity within any song they threw at me!

Voice Views: Did you have a coaching preference heading into the blind audition? How do you feel about landing on Team Blake?

Kailey: I had zero preference stepping into the blinds… I respected every coach on such a different level. They’re all incredible artists in their own right. So I knew that all of them could help me uniquely … When Blake turned my heart literally stopped. All of that hard work paid off in that moment, and I felt so blessed. Blake is a great coach! Us both being from Oklahoma also gives us a really unique connection!!

Voice Views: What was that blind audition experience like? I know you’d auditioned for The Voice and American Idol in the past. Did those experience help and what do you think made the difference this time?

Kailey: I had such an amazing time!!! I feel as if every experience in my life helped to shape me for that one moment on The Voice stage. Blind auditions are so unique because you’re singing to people who aren’t looking at you. I definitely had to wrap my head around the fact that it was real life a couple of times. I would also definitely say that my experience leading worship and having auditioned for American Idol in 2015 helped me a lot in understanding what the audition process would be like.

Voice Views: How would you describe your original music and what are you hoping to accomplish during your time on The Voice?

Kailey: I’ve released an album called The Piano Sessions, and I’ve written well over 150 original songs! My original music is a mix of a lot of different genres, I love pop and soul music… but I am very open to writing, producing, and releasing many different genres of music.

My raspy vocal tone allows me to sing a lot of coffee house style music, but the gravelly powerhouse side of my voice can open up so many other genres to sing as well. My biggest goal in the voice is to represent foster care, and to bring understanding to what it is and what it means Obviously with that being said I am hoping to be a successful artist on the show, and I would love to see more opportunities come out of such an amazing opportunity!

For more on Kailey, her already released music and her social media links, head here.