Damali brought her A game for The Voice [1]'s knockout round this week, and it paid off big time. During Tuesday night's episode, the talented 16-year-old went head-to-head against fellow teen Gracee Shriver [2] to battle for one spot on Kelly Clarkson [3]'s team, and she wound up earning high praise from all four judges.
Damali performed quite the emotional song — Demi Lovato's "Sober" [4] — emphasizing the depth of the heart-wrenching track by taking her time with the lyrics. After Gracee crooned a cover of The Wreckers' "Leave the Pieces," the judges delivered their candid feedback on both performances [5]. Gwen Stefani [6] admitted that she was "more impressed" with Damali than she'd ever been that season so far, adding, "There are certain moments when it sounds like a professional Grammy-winning singer." Meanwhile, John preferred Gracee's yodeling and tone, although he couldn't resist commending Damali's knack for storytelling while singing.
When it came time for Kelly to pick between the two singers, she admitted that it was "the hardest decision" she'd ever made on the show before ultimately picking Damali. But that wasn't the end of the road for Gracee, as Blake Shelton wound up stealing her for his team! Watch Damali's stirring "Sober" performance above to see just how moved the judges were while she belted out the heartfelt lyrics.