The Voiceis bringing Kymberli Joye to the world.
The 26-year-old singer delivered an epic rendition of Hillsong United’s 2013 hit “Oceans” on Monday night’s Live Playoffs show, and while the lyrics are certainly powerful, the woman behind the performance is just as inspirational.
“Before I came on the show, I said, ‘If I have a platform, I want to be able to help somebody else that deals with this like me,'” she continued. “So that was what my plan was for tonight, and I feel like I executed it.”
Kymberli Joye.Tyler Golden/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images
Hillsong United is a worship band that sprung out ofHillsong Church, which is a Christian megachurch that originated out of Australia and is well-known for its countless celebrity congregants. Everyone fromJustin Bieberto Bono toVanessa Hudgenshas attended services, and Joye said she hopes she’s able to spread a similar message through her own music.
“Hillsong is one of my biggest inspirations, it really is,” she said. “But then I want to take my African-American gospel and infuse it into that. I just want to cross borders and cross racial lines and cross spiritual lines and just get everybody on the same page, in the same room worshipping together.”
Music and church have been important parts of Joye’s life from the beginning. She is a worship leader and minister, and she sings in the choir at her church, where her parents are pastors. For the past seven years, Joye has been working alongside gospel singer JJ Hairston.
Though Joye has been a consistent contender throughout the show and even broke through to the top 10 on the iTunes chart last week with her fiery performance of gospel singer Tasha Cobb’s “Break Every Chain,” she still feels recognizes that the reality is that two people are going to be sent home on Tuesday night.
“The smaller the numbers get, the more glaring the reality is that this is a competition,” she said. “There are only two weeks left and somebody’s going home, and only one person is going to win. It’s daunting, but I know I can say this for myself and I’m sure for [fellow team Clarkson members] Sarah Grace and Chevel [Shepherd], we’ve all hit the stage and done what we came to do and that is to be ourselves. At this point, win or lose, we’re all winners.”
Paul Drinkwater/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images
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Those who do end up moving forward to the Top 8 on Tuesday will be one step closer to the finale and getting a chance to perform with one of their celebrity idols.
As for who is at the top of her list, Joye said, “I’m thinking CeCe Winans or Yolanda Adams or Natalie Grant. That would be so amazing to work with them.”
Regardless of the outcome, though, Joye plans on continuing to make music after the show.
“I have a band,” she said. “I have songs, and I’m ready to start recording and take this around the world.”
Season 15 ofThe Voiceairs Mondays and Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.
source: people.com
