Marilyn Hucek brought a completely different energy to The Voice Season 30 when she stepped onto the Blind Audition stage with a fiery Spanish-language performance of Shakira’s “La Tortura.”
The 34-year-old singer from Washington, D.C., immediately stood out from the other contestants by choosing to perform the song entirely in Spanish.
And it didn’t take long for one coach to react.
Queen Latifah pressed her button almost immediately after Marilyn began singing, becoming the first coach to turn and giving herself a front-row view of the rest of the performance.
Marilyn continued leaning into the song’s rhythm, attitude and rapid-fire Spanish phrasing, confidently moving through a track closely associated with one of pop music’s most distinctive voices.
Eventually, Adam Levine decided he had heard enough.
He pressed his button as well, giving Marilyn a two-chair turn and setting up a battle between Adam and Queen for the singer.
Adam admitted that performing a Shakira song is particularly difficult because the Colombian superstar has such a recognizable style.
But he believed Marilyn managed to handle that challenge.
He praised the power, emotion and connection in her performance and specifically highlighted the vibrato in her voice.
Adam also called Marilyn a “breath of fresh air,” joking that after hearing so many English-language performances throughout the auditions, he was happy to hear something completely different.
Queen Latifah was just as impressed, but focused on a different part of the performance.
She praised Marilyn for capturing the difficult cadence and rhythmic “pocket” of “La Tortura” while still performing it in her own style.
Queen also pointed out how difficult the song’s rapid Spanish lyrics are to deliver clearly while maintaining the passion and rhythm required by the music.
“You did it in your style,” Queen told her, praising Marilyn for maintaining that energy throughout the audition.
Kelly Clarkson did not turn, but she also offered an interesting explanation.
She felt there were moments when Marilyn sounded a little too close to Shakira’s original delivery, suggesting she wanted to hear even more of Marilyn’s individual identity.
Adam heard things differently.
He believed Marilyn’s vibrato and personality separated her enough from the original and made the performance something worth fighting for.
That left Marilyn with a decision between Queen and Adam.
Queen had believed in her almost from the first note, while Adam argued that her distinctive energy could bring something his team didn’t already have.
In the end, Marilyn chose Adam Levine, officially joining Team Adam as the Blind Auditions moved toward their conclusion.
Marilyn’s journey to this moment also wasn’t her first connection to The Voice.
She previously auditioned for the competition years earlier but did not make it through the Blind Auditions. Since then, she has continued developing her music and building a stronger sense of the artist she wants to be.
This time, the result was very different.
Marilyn didn’t need to translate the emotion behind “La Tortura” for the coaches to understand it.
Her Spanish vocals, rhythmic delivery and unmistakable confidence earned two chairs — and ultimately a place on Adam Levine’s team.
Now the question is whether that same fiery personality can help Marilyn stand out when Team Adam reaches the Battles.
