Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Her audition: LiLi Joy, 15, of Chino Hills, Calif., auditioned with “Cool” by Gwen Stefani. Accompanying herself on ukulele, she got a chair turn from Blake Shelton, who’s dating Gwen. He was the only coach to turn, meaning LiLi automatically became a member of Team Blake.

About LiLi:

* According to her Voice bio, LiLi first started singing to her grandmother, who had Alzheimer’s and was rarely lucid. The sound of LiLi’s voice gave her grandmother joy and brought a smile to her face.

* LiLi has been performing around her hometown with her band, Abnormal Joy. The indie-pop trio includes LiLi on vocals and guitar and friends Leyla Lagueux on guitar and bass and Alani Diaz on keys and cajon. LiLi says they’re looking for additional band mates.

* But LiLi’s ventures with music hardly started with the band’s founding. According to her Facebook bio, she’s been taking vocal training for nine years. She told Voice Views she’s been playing guitar since she was 8 and picked up the ukulele about two years ago “because I really wanted to experiment with what would sound good along with my voice and my songwriting.”

* In terms of musical inspirations, she says “I love singing old jazz and have incorporated some of the styles into all my music.” Other inspirations include Ella Fitzgerald, Amy Winehouse, Lana Del Rey, Kali Uchis, and SZA.

* On Facebook, she describes her sound as one that “combines jazz and soul along with some of the pop and indie influences of today.”

* In terms of her songwriting, LiLi says her goal is to “create new songs in my own style that will be relate-able and send a message of hope and love to people of all ages.”

* She told The Voice she started wearing wigs in middle school because she was bullied so much “and was afraid to show who I was. (The wigs) are a great form of expression for me. When I put on the wig, it’s like I’m into this character. I’m into my alter ego.” Pink is for performing, she said, purple for everyday use and green for when she’s feeling feisty.

* What led her to The Voice? “I have been watching The Voice since I was 8,” she told Voice Views, “and always dreamed of being on the show. I have been performing through singing since I was 6 and wanted to have an opportunity to be heard by more people and have these amazing coaches help me improve my voice even more!”

* She said she opted to audition with “Cool” because “Gwen Stefani has always been an idol of mine and her style in her vocals and her image are similar to mine. This song holds such conflicting emotions and I was really excited to interpret that in my performance.”

* And you won’t find her complaining about automatically landing on Team Blake. In her Voice bio, she said she’s had a crush on him since she was young. “He is such a supportive and hands-on coach,” she told Voice Views. “He’s also the biggest gentleman/sweetheart.”

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