Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Kendra Checketts and Kim Cherry during their highly successful Team Blake Shelton battle round match on The Voice. (NBC Photo)

And “Here” by Alessia Cara isn’t the type of song you’d envision for a Team Blake Shelton battle round match.

But they certainly made it work, pulling off one of the most successful of the recently completed battles on The Voice.

Kendra, a 19-year-old R&B pop artist from San Diego, wound up on Team Adam Levine after two coaches tried to steal her,

Kim, 30, raps and sings and hails from Boston, where she front the successful event band, Legends of Summer.

Blake declared her the winner of the battle, meaning she’ll represent his team in the upcoming Cross Battles.

Here’s what she had to say about that battle round match.

Voice Views: What do you think made the battle so successful that both you and Kendra advanced?

Kim: I think the battle was so great because we didn’t think of it as a battle! We wanted to put on the best performance we could together. We genuinely get along and are big fans of each other’s voices, so on stage we were just having fun together versus trying to beat one another.

Voice Views: And what did you think of the song choice? Did you encounter any difficulties in working out the duet and, if so, how did the two of you overcome them?

Kim: I loved That Blake chose “Here.” I have performed it many times before and it really fits my style of singing. Honestly, once we had the form mapped out, it was all about giving each other moments to shine, as well as coming together in harmony at some points. There really wasn’t any difficulties!

Voice Views: What do you think turned the tide in your favor when Blake announced his decision?

Kim: I think my comfort on stage was a factor in Blake choosing to keep me on his team. Our vocals were so even, so I think the execution of expressing of the song was one of the only ways to stand apart. Blake has also mentioned many times that I am unique in this competition, so I think he wanted to keep his wild card.

Voice Views: Are there any facets of yourself as a singer and musician you haven’t gotten to show viewers yet that you’re eager to in upcoming rounds?

Kim: Absolutely. Although my wheelhouse is fun party songs, I would love to show everyone a more intimate side of my artistry. I can hype the crowd and rap, but I can also sit down at the piano and sing emotional songs too. I have many layers of myself I am still waiting to show! I wouldn’t mind busting out my saxophone for a song as well!