Provo indie singer Belle Jewel lost her knockout round battle Tuesday on “The Voice” when coach Alicia Keys picked Christian Cuevas as the winner.
Jewel isn’t out of the competition yet.
She is headed to the first round of live performances as coach Miley Cyrus used her only knockout round steal to add 18-year-old Jewel to Team Miley.
During this round, the singers pick a song to sing against another member of their coach’s team.
Jewel picked “Don’t Dream it’s Over” by Crowded House to sing.
“Belle is totally unique,” Keys said. “She takes these '80s songs and puts this jazzy 1940s thing on top of them.”
Keys was the only coach to turn her or his chair during the blind auditions for Jewel and Keys picked Jewel to win the battle round, in which two singers from each team sing the same song.
In this week's knockout round, the singers met with Tim McGraw and Faith Hill and their coach during rehearsals.
They had feedback on her emphasis on specific words and complimented her personal style.
“I think Belle is one of those artists who really, stylistically, has carved her own niche out in this show,” McGraw said. “That is what is going to serve her the best.”
Hill said, “She was just so confident and had an ease about her that made me very comfortable.”
Cuevas, of Orlando, Florida, sang “Superstar” by the Carpenters. And it was a tough choice for Keys.
Several of the judges, including Cyrus, Adam Levine and Blake Shelton, complimented Jewel but pointed out how Cuevas’ performance showed his vocal talent.
“You came up here, both of you, and you completely delivered your song,” Keys said to both of them. “Belle, I love your voice.… I love the mixture of styles that you bring.”
After Keys picked Cuevas, Cyrus quickly hit her buzzer to steal Jewel in what host Carson Daly called one of the fastest steals in the knockout round history.
“She has her own style in every way,” Cyrus said. “I’m looking forward to picking songs with Belle because I think I’ll grow a lot and learn a lot in this experience, too.
Jewel shared her excitement on Twitter.
“thank you thank you thank you @MileyCyrus,” Jewel tweeted Tuesday evening. “so excited for the future!”
In the live show playoffs, the top 20 artists perform and viewers vote to save two on each team and the coaches also select an artist. The top 12 then go to the live show finals. The winner receives a recording contract.
The knockout rounds continue next Monday and Tuesday evening on “The Voice."
Here is Belle Jewel singing "Don't Dream It's Over" on "The Voice" during the 2016 knockout round:
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