Kelsea Ballerini just felt it in her gut.
In the first episode for Season 27 of “The Voice” that aired on February 3, Ballerini turned her chair during the audition of Angie Rey, who sang Ballerini’s song “Penthouse.” Ballerini said something told her, before Rey even began, that a special moment was about to happen.
“I literally said before you came, I was like, ‘I have a good feeling about this,’” Ballerini said.
For Rey, those seconds before she started felt more like a mixture of extreme nervousness and absolute delight. According to a report by the Tampa Bay Times, Rey had worked long and hard for just this moment, and to finally be singing in front of Ballerini …
Well, Rey thought it wise to make it a familiar song.
“I’m so glad I chose it, because I was listening to the song all the time — in the car, the shower — and I knew it was the one I would never forget the lyrics to, even if I was terrified on stage,” she told the Times.
Kelsea Ballerini Compliments Singer on ‘Hitting Notes That I Don’t Hit’
Ballerini was the only one to turn her chair around for Rey, but she was the only that truly mattered to the 25-year-old from Seminole, Florida.
“I love John (Legend), and I love Michael (Bublé), and I love Adam (Levine), but they’re not Kelsea,” Rey said after her performance.
Ballerini expressed thanks for Rey choosing a song of hers, then paid compliment to what Rey was able to do with her version.
“That’s scary for me, ‘cause you’re hitting notes that I don’t hit in that song, let me tell you,” Ballerini said.
Ballerini also said she could tell that Rey is songwriter based on “the way that you sang certain phrases in that song, and even how I recorded it, is different than how I sing it live, because it’s such an emotional story.”
Kelsea Ballerini Joins Angie Rey on Stage to Sing ‘Penthouse’
The Times report noted that Rey, who was born in Southern California, moved at a young age with her family to the Tampa Bay area. She finished in the top 18 for a children’s talent show on Telemundo, “La Voz Kids,” then discovered a connection between her Latin heritage and country music based on “the shared values of family, God, and love.”
A failed audition on “American Idol” didn’t slow Rey down, as she played relentlessly around the Tampa Bay area. She moved to Nashville two years ago and has opened for country stars such as Wynonna Judd, Scotty McCreery and Tanya Tucker.
“I never took no for an answer,” Rey told the Times, “and I’m already knocking on the door of Kelsea’s record label to maybe record … or tour with her.”
Perhaps even sing with her, like they did on “The Voice.”
Per Bublé’s suggestion, after the judges talked about Rey’s performance, Ballerini went on stage. The three other “Idol” judges stood and clapped in anticipation as Ballerini made her way up, and then the duo sang a few verses together, with Rey providing beautiful harmony for Ballerini’s part.
“This is good, this is good,” Legend said.
“There we go!” exclaimed Bublé.
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Kelsea Ballerini Had ‘A Good Feeling’ About This ‘Voice’ Audition