Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Mandi Castillo, 23, of San Antonio, Texas, and Team John Legend on The Voice Season 18. (NBC Photo)

Mandi Castillo was one of those seven, and she accomplished the feat by singing “Así Fue” entirely in Spanish.

The bold move paid off for the 23-year-old from San Antonio, who got high praise for her performance from all four Voice coaches.

She opted to join Team John Legend. Here’s what she told Voice Views about the experience.

Voice Views: How did you wind up auditioning for The Voice Season 18 and what prompted you to do it? Had you ever tried a show like this in the past?

Mandi: The voice casting reached out to me on Instagram and asked me if I’d be interested in auditioning, and at the time I was preparing to donate my kidney to my mom. Thankfully, The Voice reached out again this season, and I took the opportunity because all I want to do is sing and share my talent with the world. I haven’t been on any other singing competition shows.

Voice Views: Why did you choose “Así Fue” for your audition song? What’s your performance history with that song (for instance, is it one you’ve played often)? Did you think singing in Spanish for your entire audition would be a risk?

Mandi: I chose the song “Asi Fue” by Juan Gabriel, because I felt it would be a great way to represent my culture and who I am. This song is special to me because it was one of the first songs I sang when I first started performing and taking music seriously here in California. Can’t forget to mention that Juan Gabriel is like the Michael Jackson of Mexico! I really wanted to make my fellow Latinos/Latinas proud! I never thought singing a Spanish song would be a risk because I feel I have both Latin and American parties’ support now.

Voice Views: Did you have a coaching preference heading into the blind audition? And why did you choose John Legend as your coach?

Mandi: Going into the blinds, I already had my mind set on John Legend because I genuinely feel he’s more my vibe when it comes to music. I’m a bigger Soul/R&B vibe than I am anything else, and I feel like John will really hear that and pick great songs for me.

Voice Views: What was that blind audition experience like? I mean, you got remarkable feedback from the coaches. And what’s the biggest performances you’d done musically prior to The Voice?

Mandi: The blind audition experience was so beautiful and better than what I expected it to be. It was such a blessing to have my mom and dad there together. I got to sing Juan Gabriel in front of legends and they actually loved it. I mean I couldn’t ask for a better outcome. The feedback I got back from Nick Jonas really made me feel like I accomplished what I wanted to do that day. I learned that Kelly Clarkson and I are the same person. John said he’s a huge fan of my singing which really blew me away, and Blake said he loved me, called me sis, and told me my vocal ability was unbelievable! It was the best day of my life! The biggest performance I’ve had before this was in middle school for a Turkish competition I did.

Voice Views: Can you tell me a little about your original music, how you would describe your sound and whether your have plans to release more original music anytime soon?

Mandi: My original music is no particular sound. I enjoy getting together with my producer and creating different sounding beats. I like writing soft R&B ballads, Spanish trap, Caribbean, Rock N Roll, Country etc. It’s really whatever I’m feeling when I’m creating. I’ve been working on new music a lot this year and hope to release it very soon.

For more about Mandi, her background in music and the music she’s released, head here.