Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Kayla Nevarez credits her dad with her musical influences.

He introduced her to soul, R&B, blues and doo-wops, she tells The Voice.

Unfortunately, he couldn’t be at her audition because he’s been diagnosed with a liver disease.

“He used to be so strong. Now he’s like the weakest person in the world,” Kayla said, tearing up.

His medical condition keeps him from working, leaving Kayla’s mom to support the family.

As a result, the 17-year-old said the family of seven has moved into a two-bedroom apartment.

“I sleep on the couch. My brothers sleep on the floor. But I’m sure a lot of people have it worse than me, so I’m thankful I have somewhere to live.

“I get through it all with my music.”

The Mission Viejo, Calif., teen concludes her Voice intro by looking into the camera and promising to turn around some chairs for her dad.

Then she goes on stage, sings “American Boy” and does just that.

In fact, the only chair that doesn’t spin around over the course of the performance is Blake’s.

Cee Lo compliments Kayla on seeming “confident and swaggery” on stage, “very seasoned for a young lady.”

But it’s Christina and Adam who do the hard sell. Christina says there’s a “smooth quality, an effortless quality” to her voice.

Adam notes he has one last spot on his team. “Without a doubt, I know you’re the one for that.”

Kayla decides to fill that spot, then tells Adam “we’d better win this” as she leaves the stage.

What the show didn’t show: Kayla describes herself as a “singer-songwriter, performer” on the Facebook page she just started and writes that “I love every aspect of music.” If she has any pre-Voice music on the Internet, I’ve been unable to find it. If anyone knows of any, please point me in that direction. In her Voice bio, Kayla says she’s teaching herself to play piano. She’s also entering her senior year of high school. In a post-audition interview, she told Christina Milian she felt like she was “in a debate” as the coaches lobbied for her to pick their respective teams. “I walked in with an open mind,” she said. “At first I wanted Adam … but then, I grew up listening to Christina Aguilera … I took in everything they were saying, and I went with what I thought was right.”

Editor’s Note: Check back for live blogs once the battle rounds begin on The Voice.

Kayla sings “American Boy” for her Voice audition