HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA: Whatever happens during 'The Voice' Blind Auditions, there's no disputing that getting up to perform requires courage. Standing on the platform in front of a live audience, the Coaches, and the entire globe would be enough to melt an adult, yet 13-year-old 'The Voice' Season 24 contestant Julia Roome stood tall and controlled the room.
Julia from Warwick, New York went into her Blind Audition as the youngest competitor, aiming for a "jaw drop," and she surely got it. Julia reworked "Dream a Little Dream of Me," a 1931 song sung and recorded by hundreds of artists, including Michael Bublé, The Mamas and the Papas, Doris Day, Nat King Cole, and Louis Armstrong.
The song was well-known, but Julia's rendition was completely unique, attracting the attention of two of the Coaches. Niall Horan pressed the button early, perhaps recognizing something in the performance, and Gwen Stefani followed suit just as the song was coming to an end.
"I couldn't tie my shoelaces at 13," Niall responds to Julia's performance. Then he removed a shoe, a slip-on loafer with no laces, and said, "And I still haven't learned." "The fact that you're 13, and you sing like that, makes me want to vomit... in a good way," he continued, turning to Julia.
Gwen Stefani gives Niall Horan a tough run to coach 'The Voice' Season 24 contestant Julia Roome
Gwen, of course, had her sights set on Julia and made her intentions clear. She joined Julia on stage to give her congratulations and a hug before advising her not to work with Niall, a harsh (but cute) male.
"Are you a One Direction fan, a Niall fan?" John Legend questioned Julia, presumably feeling the intensity in the room.
"I sure was," Julia said, much to everyone's delight.
"WAS?" Niall initially answered jokingly before becoming serious. "I had goosebumps from the second you opened your mouth. It was very dream, like, Lana-esque. If I get the chance to work with you, I’ll be proud myself."
'The Voice' Season 24 contestant Julia Roome released first original single at age 10
Julia Roome is a singer and songwriter from the United States who has been performing since she was in the second grade. She published her first original single, "Steel Glass," at the age of ten, and then soared to number nine on the iTunes Charts with her first original EP, "I'm Gunna" at the age of eleven.
Julia began her professional career at the age of 12 by traveling up and down the East Coast from New York to Key West, Florida, Nashville, Georgia, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, doing as many performances as she could fit into her schedule.
Julia, now 13, has gained renown for her rendition of the US National Anthem and her one-of-a-kind four-hour set list that includes favorites from several eras as well as her own originals.
Which coach did Julia Roome pick at 'The Voice' Season 24 Blind Auditions?
It was Julia's courage that got her past the door, and it was her guts that won out when asked whom she would choose as her Coach. "I'm going to go with my gut," Julia decided. "I think I'm going to go with Niall."
Who are 'The Voice' coaches for Season 24?
Coaches Niall Horan, Gwen Stefani, John Legend, and Reba McEntire will reinforce their musical teams after several weeks of conventional Blind Auditions when the 24th season of 'The Voice' airs.
'The Voice' Season 24 airs two-hour episodes every Monday and Tuesday on NBC at 8 pm EDT
