When the opening notes of “River Deep – Mountain High” began during The Voice Season 30 premiere, the Coaches could hear a big voice coming from the stage. What they couldn’t see was the biggest surprise of all: the singer behind it was only 13 years old.
Brianna Cameron, from Union, New Jersey, closed out the first night of Blind Auditions with the Tina Turner classic, taking on a song that demands enormous vocal power, confidence and personality. She quickly showed that her age wasn’t going to stop her from attempting something ambitious.
Kelly Clarkson was the first Coach to recognize something special. She turned her chair early in the performance, and newcomer Riley Green eventually followed, giving Brianna a two-chair turn and setting up a battle between Team Kelly and Team Riley.
But the real shock came after the performance, when the Coaches discovered Brianna was only 13. Adam Levine admitted that the song would be difficult for almost anyone to attempt, while Clarkson told Brianna that she had initially assumed she was much older because of the voice she had just heard.
Clarkson was especially impressed by the details in Brianna’s performance. She praised her runs and even pointed out moments when her voice developed a natural rasp, something Clarkson clearly believed added character rather than taking away from the performance.
Riley’s reaction was just as strong. He told Brianna that hers was the biggest voice he had heard on the show and said he was extremely impressed. He also told the teenager he believed she had the vocal ability to sing virtually anything.
Brianna’s confidence makes more sense once you discover her background. She has been performing since she was only three or four years old and comes from a musical family. At just nine, she competed at the legendary Apollo Theater and won its “Child Star of Tomorrow” competition.
For that Apollo performance, Brianna tackled another enormous song: Whitney Houston’s “Greatest Love of All.” Winning the competition earned her a $5,000 prize and eventually helped lead to an appearance on The Jennifer Hudson Show, where she performed the song again.
Her connection to Tina Turner’s music also runs much deeper than her Voice audition. Brianna previously toured with the Broadway production of Tina — The Tina Turner Musical, portraying the young Tina Turner, also known as Young Anna-Mae. That experience gave her the opportunity to perform professionally while she was still a child.
Brianna is also more than a vocalist. She is a singer-songwriter and actress who plays piano and guitar, giving Clarkson plenty of possibilities if she wants to explore different sides of the teenager’s artistry later in the competition.
Riley certainly wasn’t ready to lose her without a fight. He even brought out his dog Carl as a playful last-minute recruiting tactic, hoping the adorable introduction might convince Brianna to choose him. But not even Carl could change her mind. Brianna ultimately announced that she was joining Team Kelly.
Clarkson was so impressed that she told Brianna she believed she could help take her all the way to the finale. It is far too early to know how far the 13-year-old will actually go, but one thing became clear from her very first performance: Brianna Cameron isn’t simply a young singer with a surprisingly big voice. She already has years of performing experience behind her, and “River Deep – Mountain High” gave The Voice viewers their first glimpse of what she might be capable of on Season 30.
