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Kat & Kristen Open Up After The Voice Eliminations

Thevoice

Season 6 of The Voice will come to a close on Tuesday, with final three contestants Christina Grimmie (team Adam Levine), Jake Worthington (team Blake Shelton) and Josh Kaufman (team Usher) vying for the top spot.

On this week’s episode, Shakira’s last-standing member, Kristen Merlin, and team Adam’s Kat Perkins were both eliminated in the semifinals. Check out the Q&A below to find out what the ladies had to say about their predictions for the finals, hopes for their careers, and more!

What did you think of Adam’s comments toward you and Christina (Adam said he was “team Kat,” but that Christina will win the competition if she’s voted into the next round).

Kat: Adam has been really good about the give and take, the push and pull during this whole contest. If you want my honest opinion about Christina — how do you compete with someone with a following like that? It has always been in the back of my mind. She has also worked hard to have that following, for several years, and way before I even thought about that. She has an amazing talent and I think she will win the whole thing.

You have mixed up your performances this entire competition. Do you think that affected your outcome at all, because sometimes safety works?

Right. I think we played it safe with my looks and appearance, so I really wanted to take risks in other realms. I would be so much more upset sitting here if I didn’t do what I did through this entire competition. I do not regret a thing. To show my diversity was something I really wanted to do for the show.

You used this as a showcase more than anyone else. You came out as the most confident tonight. Do you think your experience has helped you through this competition?

Absolutely. I am seasoned. I know what everything feels like. It is just so fun to get the chance to sing another song.

What is next for you?

This is the beginning of a whole new life for me. I am making the decision to go back into the industry full time. Taking a break was amazing and I needed that, but I would like to figure out how to record a record and be able to reach all of the fans that I have made along the way.

What do you want your record to sound like?

Blake calls me ‘lil sis,’ and he nudges me and goes ,’lil sis, country rocker?’ Country needs a rocking nanny with tattoos! Really, I will stay true to my voice with whatever it is I choose to do.

How much do you think the coaches’ comments influence the voters?

For me as a voter, the comments that coaches made never influenced me. For the five seasons that I would watch, I thought some of the comments they made were out of their minds. But I guess a lot of viewers aren’t singers, and it is natural for me to study a singer. For the average American, that isn’t a singer, there might be a chance that they are swayed after listening to a strong opinion. As a contestant, I have always noticed that even if a coach is critiquing your performance, it is coming from a good place, and it is always something you want to listen to and work on.

You looked nervous tonight. Can you tell us how you were feeling?

Kristen: I knew what was going to happen — are you kidding me? How do you stack up against Christina Grimmie, with a following like that? That alone coming into this competition scared the pants off of me. However, she is amazing! I was just happy to have this opportunity.

Well you made top five! You shouldn’t be too hard on yourself.

Exactly, I made top five in this competition and I came up from an open call. This has been so cool!

What’s next for you?

I would love to release an album. I was close to releasing one before the show started, so I would love to see if I could get anywhere with a record label and, if not, I still have mine ready and waiting to be dropped.

When you go back home, what is one thing that you want to do?

I would love to give back to those who have supported me. I can’t even begin to grasp everything that everyone has done for me. I would love to do a big, outdoor show and have everyone be able to attend.

Out of all the coaches, who would you love to duet with?

I think I would love to rock something with Adam. That would be awesome.

What was it like working with Shakira? Will you keep in touch or like to continue working with her?

Whatever her schedule will allow. Shakira was amazing. At first, deciding to go with her was a gut reaction and I am so excited that I decided to go with her. She carried and believed in be through lives. She is so genuine and that is why I went with her. When she turned her chair around, and made her argument for me, it was heartfelt.

What is the biggest piece of advice Shakira gave you that you’ll always remember?

Shakira always told me to ground myself and connect with the song. Tell the story. For me, that was huge, because if I am not connected with it, then I ma disconnected from my audience. For me ,that was a big thing, and a reason why people were drawn to me. They really listened to the words I was saying and sometimes it got emotional. If I can make someone cry with a song, then I have done my job.

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