Keiyana Osmond didn’t need a huge note or a dramatic vocal run to get Riley Green’s attention on The Voice.
The 32-year-old Utah singer stepped onto the Blind Audition stage with Sixpence None the Richer’s “Kiss Me,” but instead of trying to recreate the light, instantly recognizable sound of the original, Keiyana completely changed the mood.
She slowed the song down, leaned into her lower register and gave the familiar hit a warmer, more soulful quality.
Riley noticed almost immediately.
He pressed his button early in the performance, becoming the first coach to turn for Keiyana.
But then something unexpected happened.
Kelly Clarkson, Adam Levine and Queen Latifah all remained in their seats until the song ended, leaving Riley as Keiyana’s only chair turn.
That result didn’t disappoint Riley.
In fact, it made him feel fortunate.
After turning around and realizing none of the other coaches had joined him, Riley told Keiyana that he felt “so lucky” it was just the two of them.
Because Riley was the only coach to turn, there was no recruiting battle and no difficult decision for Keiyana to make.
She automatically became a member of Team Riley.
Riley explained that one of the things he liked most was the way Keiyana had taken such a recognizable song and made a series of unexpected stylistic choices.
Instead of copying the original version, she brought the song into a register that better suited her own voice and turned it into something distinctly hers.
That individuality was exactly what Riley believed could help an artist stand out later in the competition.
But viewers watching from home didn’t all understand why Riley was alone.
Reaction to the performance quickly filled social media, with some fans questioning why none of the other three coaches turned.
Several praised Keiyana’s unusual vocal tone and stripped-down arrangement, while others said the performance deserved considerably more than one chair.
One viewer even questioned how the audition failed to produce a four-chair turn, while others compared qualities in Keiyana’s voice to singers including Sade, Tracy Chapman and Corinne Bailey Rae.
Professional reaction was also positive.
TVLine gave the performance an A-, describing Keiyana’s rendition as sultry and stripped down while praising the part of her range where her voice sounded most comfortable.
Keiyana’s musical journey also goes back much further than her appearance on The Voice.
She began performing when she was young and won the Cache County Idol competition as a teenager, performing while accompanying herself on guitar despite not having formal vocal or guitar training at the time.
She later continued collaborating with musicians and sharing music before stepping away from releasing songs for a period.
More recently, Keiyana returned to releasing original material, including songs such as “Like That” and “Things Take Time.”
Now that return to music has brought her to one of television’s biggest singing competitions.
And although three coaches decided not to turn, Riley’s reaction made it clear that he wasn’t worried about being the only person who pressed his button.
Quite the opposite.
While some viewers were left asking why Keiyana received only one chair, Riley Green seemed perfectly happy that the other coaches let an artist with such an unusual sound fall directly onto his team.
