Team Legend members Claudia B. and Mara Justine went toe-to-toe in The Voice's battle round with a cover of Dusty Springfield's "Son of a Preacher Man." Both stepped up, leaving John Legend with a tough decision and the rest of the coaches with a shot at a can't-miss steal.
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The contestants showcased what they do best— Claudia B. sang the song with a touch of finesse, while Justice took a more fiery approach.
Afterwards, coach Reba McEntire praised both for their vocal control and stage presence.
"I've been in this business a long time, and you guys are 25 and 21? That's not right," McEntire said. "How did y'all do this? You're so talented, you're so young...I don't get it."
McEntire then dove deeper into her analysis,
"Claudia, unbelievable vocals [and] stage presence. Mara, your voice, your range, your attitude, you got in there and you were all tough about it," she said. "When y'all got into it, I got into it. That's a good performer. You let the person who is watching and listening forget all the troubles. You draw them in. So that is a great trait both of you have. I guess if I had to pick one, I'd say Claudia."
Niall Horan spoke as glowingly about both contenders.
"I remember both of your auditions extremely well," he shared. "The two of you, I turned for and felt very sad that I didn't have you on my team. Mara, I remember just thinking 'superstar.' And Claudia, what I loved about you is ... you were still able to have that much power and control while still being yourself in the song. It's very easy to try and get up and do the stuff that Mara wants to do, and you still managed to make it your own."
Gwen Stefani praised both, as well, and suggested a Justine victory to Legend.
"The moment Mara walked on stage, there was a star quality in her walk ... the performance was animated and flawless," Stefani said. "Because of this 'other thing' that you can't quite put your finger on, I would say Mara."
Ultimately, Legend followed Stefani's advice and chose Justine.
"Both of these artists really did what they do best," Legend shared in his closing remarks. "This is a very tough choice because Claudia did nothing wrong. She sounded so great, she has such a great tone. But Mara just has a little bit more edge. I can see her doing really well as she advances to future rounds."
Claudia B.'s loss became Horan's gain. He head-butted his red button without hesitation to steal her for his team.
"I love how pure Claudia's voice is," Horan said. "There's no way I was going to let Claudia go home. She's going to fit right in on Team Niall."
