Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Mandi Thomas has advanced to the playoffs on The Voice Season 18. (NBC Photo)

But from the snippet shown, it was pretty clear that she slayed Maren Morris’s “My Church,” so Kelly Clarkson’s decision to award her the knockout round victory didn’t come as a surprise.

Mandi went up against talented teen Anaya Cheyenne, who performed Kesha’s “Praying.” Viewers didn’t get to see any of Anaya’s performance.

But it marked the second straight round Mandi went country after earning her spot on Team Kelly by singing a classical number in the blind auditions.

Here’s what Mandi, from Memphis, Tenn., and 33 when she auditioned, told Voice Views about her knockout round experience.

Voice Views: Can you tell me a bit about that knockout round sound choice? Why you decided to go with “My Church?”

Mandi: I chose “My Church” because going into the competition, I knew I wanted to probably end up as a country artist even though I love all genres. Country music always has a story in the lyrics, and it is usually easier to connect to when performing. I also wanted to put own spin on it as well because it’s so fun to perform!

Voice Views: We only got to see a small snippet on the show. What did fans miss and what type of feedback did you get?

Mandi: I’m not going to lie and say I wasn’t a little upset the whole song didn’t air. I do feel that was my best performance so far, but I’m also glad they chose to show one of the strongest parts of the song. Going into a show like this, there is always a possibility that you’re going to be the one that gets shortened or not shown at all. I’m just grateful to have advanced, and I’m heartbroken for my competitor, Anaya Cheyenne, who wasn’t shown at all.

Voice Views: What’s your performance history with that song? Is it one you’ve performed live often?

Mandi: I actually heard about “My Church” from one of my students and her mom. I was immediately hooked, but didn’t introduce it into my bands set list until shortly before auditioning for The Voice.

Voice Views: How did you feel about your chances of advancing once the performances were completed?

Mandi: There is always going to be some doubt in my mind about whether or not I am going to move on. Anaya is very talented, and I definitely had my work cut out for me. Kelly always says she likes consistency, and I think my performances offer her just that.

Voice Views: Anything else you’d like to add about the knockout round experience?

Mandi: Just that it was a cool experience, and definitely one of the parts of the show that made me the most nervous. Like I said before, SO MANY super talented people get sent home for different reasons like pairing, song selection, and coaches personal taste.

Voice Views: Singers are now through three rounds of the show. Can you pinpoint / explain the biggest improvement you think you’ve made to this point as a result of the show?

Mandi: I think/know the biggest improvement I’ve personally made is with my confidence in my own talent. I still sometimes think to myself “do I deserve to be here?”, or “there is no way I can beat this person…”. At the end of the day, I just know I gave it my all on each performance.

Voice Views: And, finally, during this lockdown period, what have you been doing to stay musically sharp and make sure you’re ready when competition resumes?

Mandi: Honestly, teaching my students their lessons is what keeps me practicing. Singing with them and doing warm ups most days is very beneficial for any vocalist.

See also …
Meet Mandi Thomas
Mandi talks about her blind audition
Mandi talks about her battle round match