As the 24th season of The Voice kicked off this week, viewers were treated to a stunning display of talent. The premiere showcased a remarkable array of contestants, but it was the enchanting Mara Justine from Galloway, New Jersey who truly stole the show.
Regarded by coach John Legend as a “magical gem,” her Blind Audition performance of “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” by Elton John earned a coveted four-chair turn and secured a spot on Legend’s team. Fans on X (formerly Twitter) are now eagerly anticipating Mara’s future performances, with many already predicting her as a strong contender for the season’s top prize.
“I have chills all over,” one Voice viewer wrote on social media after watching Justine’s powerful and passionate rendition of the 1973 hit. “I really like mara justine from last night’s show and member of team legend,” another tweeted. They added: “I think she can win this competition and be a major dark horse in this season.”
The Voice Viewers Predict Mara Justine Will Be The Season 24 Winner—Or A Major Contender To Look Out For
During the 21-year-old singer’s audition, she impressed the coaches with her soaring range, control and tone. Legend was the first to turn his chair around and ask her to join his team, followed by Gwen Stefani, Reba McEntire and Niall Horan. After the foursome duked it out to convince Justine to choose one of their teams, she picked Legend’s after the two of them sang an abrupt and beautiful duet of his 2013 song “All Of Me.”
“I hope you noticed I was the first one who turned for you,” Legend said to Justine before she joined his group. “They just didn’t have the foresight that I had in understanding what a magical gem you are as a vocalist,” Legend added before Stefani, McEntire and Horan made their own fervent pleas, each vying for the opportunity to have her on their team.
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Legend stressed that what made him "turn so quickly" for Justine was her "tone in that lower part of the song," and her "really light touches." Justine was all smiles as the coaches fought for her, ultimately becoming a member of Team Legend moments later. She noted that she "did not expect" having an impromptu singing session with Legend, and that it made her choose him as her coach after first contemplating the idea of jumping onto McEntire's team.
These two glimpses of Justine's voice were enough to win over fans, as many of them are still tweeting about how confident they feel when it comes to her future on the show. "I really like Mara Justine and I think u got a winner in her," one tweeted to Legend as another added: "Mara Justine is on the Voice this season? I loved her on AGT and have a few of her Idol covers on my phone. This is almost exciting enough to make me want to watch The Voice lol."
Justine may appear familiar due to her extensive background in musical competition shows. Her vocal talents were first recognized at the age of 8, and since then she has participated in various competitions. Notably, she made it to the finale on season 9 of America’s Got Talent at the age of 11 and achieved the same feat on season 16 of American Idol at the age of 16, advancing to the Top 14.
We'll be tuning into The Voice for more, as it airs Monday and Tuesday nights on NBC at 8 PM, ET.
