Kara Tenae proved she’s a force to be reckoned with during The Voice playoffs, and Billboard is exclusively revealing her powerful cover of SWV‘s 1997 classic “Rain” ahead of Monday night’s new episode.
“Rain down on me/ Let your love just shower me/ Just rain on me,” the 34-year-old Atlanta native sang, as she effortlessly flowed around the stage in a blue maxi dress, looking a lot like the water she was singing about.
Tenae’s honeyed vocals were met by a standing ovation from the judges, before Niall Horan told the singer, “Kara, that was my favorite performance you’ve done. It was so good. You never over-perform. You always perform a song like it was meant to be performed.”
John Legend agreed that the performance was her best, adding, “[The song] was so good for your voice. You sounded magical. You just looked like a star onstage and you controlled your movements in a way that’s so savvy and beautiful.”
When it came time for Tenae’s coach Gwen Stefani to weigh in, she was blown away by the budding star’s growth over the course of the competition. “This has been so fun working with Kara, because she’s really humble and just eager to learn,” the “Hollaback Girl” singer shared. “Even vocally, your voice has gotten warmer. You’ve got a little bit of rasp. I don’t think people understand how hard it is to be that in control of your voice and move onstage at the same time. That is pro stuff. Real pro stuff.”
Watch the full performance above, and catch the new playoffs episode of The Voice on Monday (Nov. 27) at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.