Patti LaBelle Praises The Voice Contestants After They Take On Her Classic Duet
Queen Latifah challenged two members of her team to perform a song made famous by Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald during the Battle Round of The Voice. With LaBelle herself serving as Team Queen’s Battle Advisor, Marcus Ladden Jr. and Chari faced the daunting task of singing “On My Own” in front of one of its original performers.
The challenge even made Latifah nervous. Before rehearsals began, the rookie coach admitted she was unsure about asking her contestants to tackle such a beloved song in front of LaBelle.
“I’m not a good person for doing that,” Latifah said on camera. “Who does that to people they care about in front of the lady herself?”
Her concerns soon proved unnecessary. LaBelle was impressed by the singers’ interpretation, enthusiastically praising their performance and encouraging them to make the song their own.
“You better end that song right. Beautiful!” she exclaimed. “I’m gonna call Michael and let him know that y’all killed our song.”
During rehearsal, LaBelle also offered the contestants an important piece of advice: rather than trying to imitate her and McDonald’s original recording, they should trust their own instincts.
“I’m serious,” she told them. “That’s no good. Do you.”
Kelly Clarkson Steals Marcus Ladden Jr. After the Battle
When Ladden Jr. and Chari took the stage, they followed LaBelle’s advice and delivered a performance that impressed the coaches.
Riley Green praised their vocals and the overall quality of the duet. “I loved every second of that. Y’all’s vocals are unreal. That was an awesome performance,” he said, before wishing Latifah luck with her difficult decision.
Kelly Clarkson highlighted the contrast between the two singers’ vocal tones, while Adam Levine also expressed admiration for both performances.
Latifah was equally enthusiastic, revealing that she and LaBelle had been impressed by the pair during rehearsal.
“I thought it was incredible. I’m so proud of both of you. You have done a phenomenal job,” she told them. She added that the opportunity to perform the song with LaBelle’s blessing had allowed them to put their own stamp on it.
Ultimately, however, Latifah had to choose one singer to advance. She selected Chari, explaining that her exceptional vocal control and distinctive qualities made her particularly compelling to watch.
“She’s just so special,” Latifah said. “Her control of her voice is so deft. I just love watching her.”
Although Ladden Jr. lost the Battle, his journey on the show was not over. As he thanked Latifah for her guidance, Clarkson pressed her button to use her Steal, bringing him onto Team Kelly.
Explaining her decision, Clarkson said Ladden Jr. had all the qualities she wanted in a performer.
“He’s kind of the whole package,” she said. “He has range, he has tone, he has that emotionality that you really want from a singer.”
Team Queen Becomes a Target for Rival Coaches
Clarkson’s decision meant that both she and Green had now used their Steals to bring singers away from Team Queen Latifah.
Latifah was well aware that her fellow coaches were paying close attention to the talent on her team. Rather than appearing discouraged, she took their interest as a sign of her singers’ strength.
“These are some smart coaches sitting next to me,” she said. “They would be very smart to pick what’s happening on Team Queen, because I’ve got the singers.”
With the Battle Rounds underway, the competition is becoming increasingly challenging as the coaches decide which artists deserve to move forward and which eliminated contestants they want to rescue.
The Voice airs Mondays on NBC.
Photo by Cory Osborne/NBC.