The Shocking Twist on ‘The Voice’ that Helped John Legend Land This Four-Chair Turn
Mafe
The final artist on night four of The Voice Season 25’s Blind Auditions was 22-year-old Mafe, from Miami, FL, who has been singing since she was four years old and joined a choir. Now 22, she says music helped her get through the tough move when her family was forced to flee Venezuela when she was 15, so for her Blind Audition, she chose to sing a song that speaks to her heart: "Bésame Mucho" by Consuelo Velázquez.
“This song talks about kissing someone as if it’s your last time seeing them and that’s my story, too, saying goodbye to our family and friends and kissing them as if there was no tomorrow because you didn’t really know when you’d see them again,” Mafe explains in her video package.
This isn’t the first time that a Spanish-singing artist has appeared on The Voice. Several have made a team, especially when Kelly Clarkson was a coach, but it’s the first time that someone singing in Spanish was a four-chair turn as she managed to get John Legend, Reba McEntire, Chance the Rapper, and Dan + Shay to all turn for her.
“That was such a beautiful performance,” Chance told her. “Your vocal talent is extreme, and all your ranges are so fluid. My job here is to just give you a platform and the space to show who you are, so I would be honored to be your coach.”
Then it was Reba’s turn to try to woo Mafe. She said, “Your vocal touched my heart and soul. You are a beautiful woman with the beautiful ability to touch people’s hearts. I would love to have you on Team Reba. Best of luck to you.”
But John had the best ammunition to persuade Mafe. He said, “That was thrilling, honestly. You’re so tasteful. For you to be so young and sound so seasoned, it was magical. You sang with feeling, emotion. I’ve collaborated with quite a few Spanish artists, Sebastián Yatra and Juanes, and I just feel like we could have a lot of fun working on music together. I would love to have you on Team Legend.”
Shay Mooney admitted, “That’s a tough act to follow. I can’t speak Spanish. I can barely speak English. I couldn’t understand the words, but I could understand the emotion that you’re emoting to the song, which is impressive.”
And Dan Smyers joined in, “You’re living proof that music is the universal language. I was absolutely blown away. I felt every bit of that performance. You’re one of the greatest singers I’ve ever heard. We’d love to have you on Team Dan + Shay. We’re big fans.”
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Then in a shocking twist, Chance told Mafe, “I normally would never do this. I really, really, really want you on my team but I think you would do exceptionally well if you were on John’s team. I’m just being honest.”
John’s response was to say, “Chance, I feel that I’m being the beneficiary of some charity.”
Shay asked, “Is this some reverse psychology?”
An unhappy Reba hit her cowbell.
Of course, John said, “I actually agree with Chance.”
Reba chimed in, “I bet you do.”
Then John tried to get it all wrapped up and said, “Let’s just ask her the question now before she changes her mind.”
So, Chance asked, “Who do you want to be your coach?”
Mafe took Chance's advice and joined Team Legend.
The Voice airs Monday and Tuesday nights at 8 p.m. ET/PT on NBC. Episodes are available to stream next day on Peacock.
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