Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Her audition: Jessica Manalo, 31, from Las Vegas, Nevada, performed “Unholy” by Sam Smith and Kim Petras: A big note just before the chorus earned Jessica a chair turn from Michael Buble. Midway through the performance, Kelsea Ballerini turned as well. In spite of a solid performance, the chairs of the other two coaches didn’t budge. John complimented her on a “cool take” on the song. Kelsea loved the way she rearranged the song and said Jessica has an identifiable sound and style. Michael said he loved the performance as well. The audition clip The Voice leaked stopped before Jessica chose a coach.

Here’s more about Jessica.

* She’s a Las Vegas based soul and blues singer with lots of already released music.

* That includes a five-song acoustic EP from 2018 and an eight-song album of originals called “Magic” from 2021.

* You’ll also find some of her covers on streaming sites, including “Fast Car,” “Toxic,” “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” and “Tennessee Whiskey.”

* Jessica was also busy releasing original music in 2024, including “Make Believe,” “Lucky Day,” and, her latest single, “Jaded.”

* The latter came out in October and is a song she wrote in 30 minutes on a day she was feeling just that way. “Sometimes your pockets run empty and you’re literally hoping and wishing for that one day to come where all of your hard work pays off,” she wrote on social media. ” I believe if us creatives continue and never ever stop, that jaded feeling is gonna go away.”

* According to her web bio, Jessica has been performing since her early teens and busked on the streets of Vegas.

* She’s since opened for Allen Stone and Bruno Major and performed at the Viper Room and the Hotel Cafe in L.A.

* Jessica’s developed an impressive following on TikTok with 20,000 followers and more than 150,000 likes.

* She says her influences include Amy Winehouse, Teddy Swims, Sam Smith, Adele, Erykah Badu, Yebba and Steve Nicks.

* Jessica told The Voice her decision to pursue music rather than going to college, getting a degree, then using the degree to get a good job caused a rift with her mom, who was born in the Philippines. They’ve since mended fences and Jessica’s mom was at her blind audition.

* And she writes on her website that her goal is to create music that “reminds her audience that there is always a light at the end of the tunnel, no matter who you are or where you came from.”

Jessica on social media:
Instagram
TikTok
Facebook
YouTube