Why did Sydney Sterlace pick Gwen Stefani? ‘The Voice’ Season 26 sees first standing ovation
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: A premonition struck Gwen Stefani right before Sydney Sterlace took the stage to audition on 'The Voice' Season 26. She said out loud, "I hope a really great singer comes on." Then, in stepped Sydney.
The moment she started with Olivia Rodrigo's popular song "Drivers License," Snoop Dogg was blown away. In just a few seconds, he hit his button and turned his chair. It didn't take that long for Michael Bublé and Gwen Stefani to join him, both turning their chairs at the same time, impressed with her voice. The three coaches were immediately smitten by Sydney's incredible vocals, incomprehensibly emotional and skillfully captured. A little later, Reba McEntire turned her chair, too, which means the ultimate recognition for Sydney was a four-chair turn. When Sydney was finally finished, the coaches were all blown away and immediately rose to their feet to give her a standing ovation except Reba, who opted to stay sitting but still acknowledged her great talent. They told her how much they loved her voice and that she had sung with so much heart. In the end, it left Sydney with the tough decision of which coach to go with. She chose Gwen Stefani because she had believed in her right from the beginning and was hyped to have her on her team.
Gwen Stefani says she wants to be Sydney Sterlace's 'mom' on the show
During her pitch on 'The Voice', Season 26, Gwen Stefani gave a very genuine yet hilarious offer to Sydney Sterlace. To the 15-year-old, Stefani went as far as to say she wanted to be much more than just her coach. She claimed she wanted to be like Sydney's super cool mom on the show, coaching and looking out for her through the competition.
But Gwen didn't stop there: she made her pitch even more special because she surprised everybody, bringing a small kitten onto the set. She mentioned that she had already named the kitten "Sydney," which amused everybody, including the other coaches. It was light and a really creative way to connect with the young singer. In the end, Sydney joined Gwen's team. She admitted she had always wanted to be part of Gwen's team, so this feeling seemed even more special. She was very happy finally to have Sydney on her crew, and they seemed just perfect from the very beginning!
'The Voice' judges think Sydney Sterlace sounds just like Olivia Rodrigo
After Sydney Sterlace finished her audition on 'The Voice' with her rendition of Olivia Rodrigo's now-viral hit "Drivers License," some of the judges asked her for any of her influences. They asked her, first and foremost, if she was an Olivia Rodrigo fan. Sydney claimed she was. She then shared that Olivia actually inspired her, and thus, the song choice meant even more.
The judges observed that Sydney's voice bore a strong resemblance to Olivia Rodrigo's. They pointed out to her that she shared several vocal traits with Olivia, particularly in how she conveyed emotion and presented the song overall. The coaches were amazed at how effectively Sydney's performance reflected the genuine and passionate energy that had contributed to Olivia's music's widespread appeal.
