Michael Buble raises eyebrows by eliminating 'future MJ' Jaukeem Fortson from 'The Voice' Season 26
On 'The Voice' Season 26, Jaukeem Fortson has had an amazing run. He has already done more at the age of 14 than most artists twice his age.
After beginning his singing career in church, this young Georgian has gone on to play at fairs, parties, weddings, and any other location where he can find a platform and a microphone. It was, to put it mildly, devastating when the journey was ultimately cut short on the November 26 episode of 'The Voice'.
'The Voice' Season 26 singer Jaukeem Fortson performs for the first time under Michael Buble's mentorship
At the Blind Auditions, Jaukeem won a 3-Chair Turn after destroying an Adele song called "Easy on Me." He sang King & Country's "God Only Knows" during the Knockouts, losing to Adam Bohanan, but he made it to the playoffs thanks to a steal from Michael Buble.
Jaukeem was prepared to take the stage once again as Night 3 of the Playoffs got underway, with neither Steals nor Saves remaining. But first, it was time for Carly Pearce, the country megastar and Playoff Mentor, to rehearse.
According to Michael, Jaukeem is the dream. The 14-year-old Jaukeem thrilled Michael, who had just stolen him from Reba McEntire.
Carly was excited like she was meeting a puppy for the first time, hoping to capitalize on the church-upbringing bond between him and his mentor.
'The Voice' Season 26 singer Jaukeem Fortson steered away from his Christian route to tap into his inner MJ
Michael Jackson's "Man in the Mirror," a song on the ability of the individual to change the world for the better, was the tune Jaukeem selected. Jaukeem began his performance quietly before switching to some surprising note selections.
When he took ownership of the song, the Coaches took note. For his Playoff performance, Jaukeem deviated from his usual Christian repertoire and went all out with Michael Jackson's "Man in the Mirror."
'The Voice' Season 26 rookie coach Michael Buble may regret dropping Jaukeem Fortson from his team
We hate this Michael Jackson song, but after listening to Jaukeem perform it, we completely changed our minds. For days, the boy gave it personality, vitality, and emotion, selling it out.
There has been some profanity around our place ever since his coach cut him. In contrast to his other performances, he brought a sense of comfort and swagger.
Since starting this journey, he has genuinely developed as an artist. His best effort of the season was undoubtedly this one.
That child has a special quality. Since his heart is so clear, he doesn't even need to show it to others.
In the future, Michael will reflect and see that he let go of a child who had the potential to become another Michael Jackson. We'll be off in the corner, swearing, if you need us.
'The Voice' Season 26 airs on Mondays at 8 pm ET and Tuesdays at 9 pm ET on NBC. All episodes are available to stream on Peacock.
