'The Voice': Liv Ciara and Mikenley Brown's intense battle forces Kelly Clarkson to make a bold move
‘The Voice’ Season 29 finally kicked off the Battle Rounds, and Team Kelly’s youngest contenders, Liv Ciara and Mikenley Brown, stepped into the spotlight first. The song choice? ‘Focus’ by H.E.R. Notably, Kelly Clarkson wasn’t present during rehearsals. Her absence came during a tough time in her life following the passing of her ex-husband, Brandon Blackstock, in 2025. Jennifer Hudson stepped in to fill her shoes and took on two roles at once, as advisor and temporary coach. During rehearsals, Hudson wasted no time figuring the girls out. She pointed out Brown’s strength in that rich, pop-meets-R&B pocket. Meanwhile, Ciara, only 16, got labeled as “a star.”
Instead of pushing them to out-sing each other, Hudson nudged them in a different direction as she advised the girls to find their own moment. When they took the stage, Brown leaned into her lower register, grounding the performance, while Ciara floated above in parts, hitting notes that felt almost effortless. When they were done, the coaches had plenty to say. John Legend pointed out Ciara’s “impressive range” and Brown’s “sultry tone,” eventually leaning toward Ciara as his pick. Adam Levine praised how naturally the two worked together and stated, “In the million seasons I’ve been on this show, that’s the best Battle Round I’ve ever heard. I’m not kidding.”
When it was Clarkson's turn to make the final call, she looked torn. She explained that what made the performance click wasn’t competition, it was cooperation, as both singers enhanced the moment instead of trying to outshine each other. Still, a decision had to be made. In the end, she chose Brown because of her “angelic head voice.” However, it was not the end of the road for Ciara. Both Legend and Levine hit their buttons almost instantly, each using their one chance to steal an artist, clearly not ready to let her walk away. They started pitching, convincing, and making their cases. But Clarkson wasn’t done yet. She suddenly reached for her special advantage: her Super Steal.
That advantage came from earlier in the season when she won the Triple Turn Competition during the Blind Auditions, which gave her a rare kind of control. She could either grab someone from another team or save one of her own stars after a loss, and she used it to make Ciara stay. Clarkson later explained her choice, saying, “I had to use my Super Steal on Liv. Liv reminds me of a young Mariah. At 16 years old, to be able to float like that with all that range and confidence as a performer, it’s really rare. I was never letting her go.” Ciara shared, “I can’t believe it. I’m numb. She sees something in me and that gives me so much confidence.”
