At only 14 years old, Brooklyn Marie is already making an impression on “The Voice” Season 30. But long before Kelly Clarkson and Queen Latifah turned their chairs for her, another superstar had been influencing the young singer-songwriter: Taylor Swift.
Brooklyn Marie Ostlund, from central Minnesota, has described Swift as her favorite artist and a major musical inspiration. In a get-to-know-me post earlier this year, Brooklyn wrote about how important music is to her before naming Swift as the artist who inspires her most.
The connection makes sense when looking at the kind of artist Brooklyn is becoming. She isn’t simply a vocalist—she also writes her own songs, plays guitar and has been developing a style that mixes heartfelt songwriting with acoustic pop and country influences.
Brooklyn had already started building that musical identity before appearing on national television. She released two original singles, “Tired” and “i miss u,” giving listeners an early glimpse of her songwriting and emotional approach to music.
For her Blind Audition, however, Brooklyn chose a song from another hugely successful young songwriter. Accompanying herself on guitar, she performed Olivia Rodrigo’s emotional hit “Traitor.”
Queen Latifah was the first Coach to recognize something special in Brooklyn’s voice and turned her chair. Kelly Clarkson eventually followed, giving the 14-year-old a two-chair turn and a choice between two superstar Coaches.
The Coaches were even more surprised when Brooklyn revealed her age. Adam Levine, who didn’t turn, admitted afterward that he wished he had because he was impressed by how much she already had going on musically at such a young age.
But it wasn’t only the Coaches who noticed something distinctive about her sound. After the performance, some viewers began comparing Brooklyn’s vocal tone and delivery to Dolly Parton, with fans hearing a country quality in her voice despite her performance of a Rodrigo song.
That reaction makes Brooklyn’s musical influences particularly interesting. Taylor Swift famously built her early career around country music and autobiographical songwriting before expanding into pop and other styles, while Brooklyn is similarly showing interest in both pop and country sounds.
Brooklyn ultimately had an easy answer when it came time to select her Coach. Despite Queen Latifah turning first and making a strong pitch, Brooklyn revealed that Kelly had been the Coach she wanted from the beginning, declaring, “It’s always been Kelly!”
That officially placed Brooklyn on Team Kelly, where she now has an experienced Coach who has repeatedly worked with young singers throughout her time on the show. Brooklyn joins the competition with original music already released, live-performance experience and songwriting ambitions that extend beyond simply singing covers.
And while “The Voice” viewers may hear hints of Dolly Parton in Brooklyn’s distinctive vocals, the young singer herself has made clear which superstar has provided some of her biggest inspiration. For Brooklyn Marie, Taylor Swift is the artist at the top of that list—and at only 14, Brooklyn is just beginning to discover where her own sound might take her
