‘The Voice': Mara Justine’s Chris Stapleton Cover Throws a Curveball [Watch]
Fans may not be used to hearing Mara Justine sing country, but that's exactly what they got during her cover of Chris Stapleton's "Parachute" on The Voice live episode on Monday night (Dec. 11).
Justine — who was one of three remaining contestants on Team Niall going into the semi-finals — has performed pop and rock hits by everyone from Rihanna to Elton John during her time on the competition, but viewers at home must have had an inkling that Stapleton's brand of bluesy country could be up her alley.
Monday night's episode was Fan Night, meaning that the viewers picked songs for the remaining nine artists to cover, and it was fans' idea for Justine to perform a Stapleton cover.
Sure enough, she rocked it: Justine's husky, R&B-tinged vocals were the hallmark of her "Parachute" performance, which stayed faithful to Stapleton's searing original but also offered thoughtful reinterpretations of several of the song's vocal phrasings.
Stapleton's songs are versatile enough that Justine could have leaned away from the song's country component if she wanted to. She could've easily stayed in her comfort zone, playing up the substantial rock and blues leanings of "Parachute." But she didn't shy away from the challenge of trying something new. She took on a little twang as she sang the song, without being too obvious about incorporating country styles.
Plus, she rocked some glittery black cowboy boots for the occasion.
Did Justine's leap into a new style pay off? She'll find out when voting results are announced during Tuesday night's (Dec. 12) episode of The Voice.
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Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes