Wendy Moten Earns High Marks With Two Performances on ‘The Voice’ [Watch]
Wendy Moten from Team Blake performed twice on Monday night (Dec. 13) during night one of the Season 21 finale on The Voice. Vying for a chance to win the top prize, she took the stage to sing Whitney Houston’s “How Will I Know.”
Dressed in a glittery outfit, Moten, 57, was the epitome of a star in the making. Roller skaters moved about on stage behind the singer as she effortlessly tackled the lyrics of the ‘80s hit, making it difficult for coach Ariana Grande to turn away. After Moten’s first performance, host Carson Daly commented that her voice “sounded exactly like the record.”
“I can’t! You do this to me every week. I don’t know how to talk to you. I don’t even know where to start or what to say. Do you know how insane it is to sing Whitney that well?” Grande commented. “You’re such an incredible vocal technician, insane vocalist and human being. I don’t understand! It’s remarkable.”
“I am absolutely at a loss. After all of these weeks talking to you. After every one of these things that you do. I’m running out of great things to say about you. Then, you go and do something like that. That is one of the greatest live vocal performances I have ever heard,” Blake Shelton added, begging America to vote for Moten.
Even though Moten made her coach proud, she wasn’t done offering up her talent to viewers. She later closed out the show with a heartwarming ballad dedicated to her two hometowns, Memphis and Nashville. Performing a personalized version of the classic, “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” — which she won a talent contest with at 16 years old — Moten earned plenty of cheers for her performance from coaches and the studio audience.
John Legend called the showcase “perfect” and “flawless.”
“We’ve never seen anything like you on this stage in 21 seasons.” Shelton added.
Moten, who earned a four-chair turn for her blind audition, is competing against four other contenders for the Season 21 crown. Fellow Team Blake artist Paris Winningham, Team Legend's Jershika Maple and Team Kelly’s Girl Named Tom and Hailey Mia are also vying for the win. Although she’s got some stiff competition this season, Moten has a very good chance of winning it all. Not only does she have experience as a former backup singer for stars including Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, but she has also previously nailed songs including Aretha Franklin’s “Ain’t No Way,” as well as Whitney Houston’s version of the Dolly Parton classic, “I Will Always Love You.”
The Season 21 winner of The Voice will be announced on Tuesday (Dec. 14) on NBC.