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Hear How Mafe “Sang 3 Different Ways” in 1 Battle on The Voice
Mafe and Rivers Grayson sang a bilingual duet of "You’ve Got a Friend."
Two members of Team Legend on The Voice,, Mafe and Rivers Grayson, have very different vocal styles. The latter is very subtle and pleasant, while the former is a bilingual powerhouse. Both are extremely good at what they do, which made John Legend’s decisions during their Battle in Season 25, Episode 10 very difficult.
Legend explained that he paired Mafe, a 22-year-old from Miami, Florida, with Grayson, a 27-year-old from Huntsville, Alabama, because they “both have a sense for classic songwriting.” The two performed “You’ve Got a Friend,” the 1971 song that Carol King wrote, during their Battle. Both King and James Taylor recorded versions of the song, and both of their versions were huge hits. Mafe and Grayson were singing a bilingual duet version of it, which Legend said they got “special permission to do.” Mafe, who immigrated to the United States when she was in high school, speaks fluent English now, but as she showed during her Blind Audition, her Spanish-language singing is something to behold.
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“It’s so interesting because both Mafe and Rivers are subtle; they’re gentle vocalists,” Legend said ahead of the Battle. “Mafe’s voice is gorgeous. You just feel like you could sit by the fire and listen to her sing all day. But what makes Rivers special is that gentle voice with a beautiful tone, and that’s a way to stand out. You don’t always need to be the biggest vocalist to stand out in this competition. I’m hoping they both give beautiful, graceful performances [and] make my decision difficult.”
Mafe and Rivers Grayson perform “You’ve Got a Friend” on The Voice Season 25 Battles
They did indeed make it very difficult for Legend to decide who won. The other Coaches were split on who they thought should win. Reba McEntire said Grayson’s tone made her “relax and just feel so good,” but she was impressed by how Mafe “sang two or three different ways during this song.”
Chance the Rapper leaned towards Grayson and was tickled that his speaking voice was so similar to his singing voice.
Dan + Shay had praise for both singers, complimenting how well their voices sounded harmonized together. The two Coaches took advantage of being a pair to spread both their arms as wide as possible to convey how Mafe’s range is “just everywhere!”
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As their Coach, though, it was ultimately up to Legend. He gave Mafe the win, praising the young singer for having “so many tricks up [her] sleeve.”
“Rivers made this decision as difficult as he possibly could. It was wonderful, it was a flawless performance,” Legend said after the performance. “Mafe sounded so beautiful singing both in Spanish and in English. I think that she is definitely one of the best Artists on Team Legend and one of the best Artists on this season.”
