'The Voice' Season 18: Mandi Castillo gets four-chair turn for 'Asi Fue' performance, picks John Legend as coach
21-year-old Mandi Castillo from San Antonio, Texas takes the stage. Selena Quintanilla, the famous Tejano singer and also from Texas, would have been proud of her.
Before her performance backstage, the young singer chats with her family and seems like she might be leaning towards Kelly Clarkson as her choice for a coach. Her family certainly loves Kelly. Mandi does mention, however, that her musical influences range from Mariah Cary (whos album 'Rainbow' is the singer's favorite) to R&B and soul to something closer to her roots, Spanish music. Mandi says she would love to showcase her cultural Latino roots through her music.
Her beautiful bond with her mother is also rooted in culture as the two share a love for Spanish music and dance. Her mother, Mandi says, is the strongest person she knows. When she was diagnosed with Lupus and had to undergo three years of dialysis, Mandi saw her mother stay strong throughout. And when she needed a kidney transplant and Mandi was not a match, the young singer opted for an exchange deal that allowed her to donate her kidney to someone else in need of one so her mother could receive a kidney that was a match.
It turns out, both mother and daughter are strong, brave women who are filled with love and compassion and share a connection that runs deeper than most get to experience in a lifetime.
They're both in a better place now and Mandi is even recording her own music and is all ready to show us what she has got.
Kelly already knows this is going to be good, saying she can feel it as her hand already hovers over her button, and all of this before Mandi has even started singing.
She starts her song in Spanish, and the coaches can be seen looking at Kelly, because they know she loves Spanish singers. Mandi takes on 'Asi Fue', a song hugely popular in Latin America. As Kelly is waiting for Mandi to hit the high notes, Nick Jonas sneaks in and hits his button first. Mandi does not disappoint as she gently climbs to the bigger and bolder notes of the song and even delivers some flawless runs throughout, and that's all Kelly needed to hear, she turns.
This slow jam is perfect for Mandi, who ends with some beautifully emotional vocals that get John Legend to hit his button as well. And right before the last second, Blake Shelton hits his as well, giving her a four-chair turn.
Mandi and the judges exchange some love, as Kelly bellows "I LOVE YOU TOO, PICK ME!" drawing laughter all around. Mandi has love for both Kelly and John. As Nick begins to talk, he gets quite emotional, holding back tears and highlighting how important representation is, especially on a show like this. He loves international music and says he would love to help her grow as an artist and bring joy to more people just the way she did to the audience today.
Kelly quips about how she was was just on Duolingo learning Spanish before the performance, and says the show needs more bilingual artists. Naturally, she flashes her team jacket as Blake muses, "what is the deal with that jacket?!"
Blake tells Mandi that he was not able to understand a single word she sang, but that helped him focus on her vocals instead and he loved everything he heard. But was that a fiddle or a violin in the background? The coaches cannot agree. Let the debate rage on!
John asks Mandi about her musical influences and she names Mariah, who John has done a duet with, and Sade, who John happens to have toured with. So naturally, John is quite confident about this contestant's pick. He compliments the subtlety and emotionality of her vocals, and the "fireworks" with which she ended her performance.
Mandi also says that 'Vanishing' is her favorite Mariah song, and Kelly knows that is track #5 on that album. They certainly match music taste-wise, don't they? And now it's a close call, will she pick John or Kelly?
She goes with her gut and picks John. This gives his team a fantastic edge as Mandi is easily one of the most unique contestants this year. John is also the perfect coach to really help her bring out the emotions in her vocals even more.
'The Voice' airs Monday nights at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.