Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Koryn Hawthorne admits she and battle partner Vance Smith were thrown a bit by the song they were asked to sing during the battle round on The Voice.

“We’re both R&B soul singers, but we got a current pop song,” Koryn, 16, of Abbeville, La., said in a Wednesday conference call with the media. “We struggled a little with that.”

Coach Christina Aguilera asked them to sing “Love Me Harder” by Ariana Grande and The Weeknd in a performance viewers saw just a small snippet of because it was packaged with two other performances.

Christina declared Koryn the winner, meaning she advances to The Voice knockout round; Vance was eliminated.

“We actually had a good pairing,” Koryn said “Our voices complimented each other very well. I’m kind of sad people didn’t get to see that and see what a great battle partner I had.”

And what turned the tide in her favor?

Koryn said she worked very hard on her stage presence and connecting with the song.

“And I think that hard work pays off,” she added.

Here are photos from the battle round match between Koryn and Vance.

Koryn Hawthorne and Vance Smith prepare for their battle round match on The Voice. (NBC Photo)

Koryn Hawthorne performs in the battle round on The Voice. (NBC Photo)

Vance Smith performs during the battle round on The Voice. (NBC Photo)

Vance Smith and Koryn Hawthorne perform during the battle round on The Voice. (NBC Photo)