To succeed in music, it is always preferable to have your own musical identity, which will allow you to stand out from other proposals. Mélodie-Jade opened the door to her unique universe during her blind audition of “La Voix” this Sunday, performing an offbeat version of Stromae’s famous “Papaoutai”.
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As soon as he recognized the song, Corneille pressed his button, followed by Marc and Mario.
While Mélodie-Jade was trying to come to her senses after her performance, Corneille went to give her a hug to comfort her. The connection was clearly established.
“You took the risk of singing Stromae by doing it well, he explained. I came to “La Voix” to meet you.
The coach did not need to add more, Mélodie-Jade seemed to have made her decision. “I knew that Corneille was going to understand my influences and where I want to go, she told in interview. He went through hardships before succeeding, and even if our stories are not the same, I also come from an atypical background. My father was in a street gang and he was murdered when I was 16. It’s easy to think that life doesn’t love us, and that we’re unlucky. Corneille was able to show resilience, and I am also like that. I knew we would understand each other.”
Way of life
The pandemic has helped Mélodie-Jade to deepen her artistic approach. “I worked a lot on my compositions. My friend suggested that I go to “La Voix” to see the reaction of the public and people in the business.”
The 23-year-old feels ready, she knows herself as an artist and knows how she wants to present herself. “I’ve always loved taking songs and doing different things with them, making them my own. Music is part of my life. I have also always written texts and poems. Without knowing it, I think I was preparing for what is to come, but I did not realize it.
Sister of rapper MikeZup, she can also count on his help and support. “I said to myself: ‘if my brother was able to break into his field, why not me?’ I started to be more serious in my writing, in what I wanted to do. I was able to take advantage of his studio during the confinements, I spent hours and hours there creating and thinking about my music.
Welfare
While making big changes in her life, Mélodie-Jade also discovered yoga. “It’s liberating for me to be able to analyze my thoughts, to feel my emotions, to think about what’s going on in my body. Yoga had a snowball effect in my life, it brought me a lot of different things. This practice has also allowed him to alleviate the symptoms of Crohn’s disease, which he was diagnosed with. “When I started doing yoga, eating better, doing acupuncture, meditation and breathing techniques, my disease went from extreme to almost in remission in less than six months. Stress is a factor in inflammation, and I work hard to reduce this component.”
Corneille’s empathy and gentleness should also help him go far in the adventure of “La Voix”.
Gabrielle Grenon, 15, Terrebonne
The youngest candidate of the season, Gabrielle Grenon impressed the coaches, who all turned around during her performance with “What A Girl Wants”, by Christina Aguilera. “Singing is one of the few things I’m good at,” she said in an interview. On stage, it’s my moment. My life without music would be boring, and when I hear applause I feel appreciated, which is not something you get in everyday life. It makes me proud of myself.” The teenager can also count on a teacher of choice, since she is a student of Kevin Bazinet, winner of “La Voix” in 2015. “He is really nice, he teaches me a lot of things. He helped me a lot with my anxiety so that I didn’t come to the blind audition too stressed. I knew what to expect and that reassured me. If all the coaches highlighted his raw talent, it was Marc Dupré who found the right words. “His speech brought me to him. He told me that he already saw where he could take me and that gave me confidence. He has also been a coach for several years and we have seen how he acts with his protégés. Plus, he’s super funny.” Being the youngest of the season doesn’t worry her at all. “I took it as an honor. I came to this show to start a career in this environment. I’m not here to fool around, even if I’m the youngest.”
Joel Boudreault, 32, Alma
Last candidate of the blind auditions, the cornflower of Alma feared not being able to sing “I Surrender” for the coaches. “I have tried many times in the past to introduce myself to “La Voix” or “Star Académie”. This year, it finally works. I think maturity and experience helped me. It was the right time for me.” The 30-year-old has been singing since his childhood. “My parents made music. I was 4 years old and I cried to accompany them when they left to do shows. I then started with them. My father died in 2021, and I continued with my mother and my boyfriend. I never gave up.” Mario Pelchat had tears in his eyes hearing him sing. “What a voice and what power,” he exclaimed. I’m flabbergasted that I’ve never heard of you, even though we come from the same area.”
Audrey Lachance, 39, Saint-Roch-de-l’Achigan
Singing is a vital need for Audrey Lachance. “It has always allowed me to express my emotions, both my joys and my sorrows. In life, there are people who work like crazy, others who are followers of one sport or another. Me, it’s music. At certain times in my life, I tried to put that aside, but something was missing.” His cover of “The Best”, by Tina Turner, left no doubt in Marjo, who was followed by Mario Pelchat and Marc Dupré. “Seeing the chairs turn was liberating, they gave me nice compliments.” To convince her to join her team, Marjo even went to join her on stage to kiss her, a gesture far from trivial. “Each coach could have brought me elements. Marjo said I was emotional like her, she came to hug me, and I decided to go with her. A single mother, Audrey Lachance will soon be finishing her studies to become a CPA. “I hope to make myself known to the general public so that I can do small private contracts from time to time. But just living the experience is already an experience in itself.”
Team rookies:
Corneille Team
Mélodie-Jade, 23, Montreal
Mathieu Langlois, 24, Granby
Team Marc Dupre
Nathael Barrière Morissette, 17, Vaudreuil-Dorion
Gabrielle Grenon, 15, Terrebonne
Darren Vaudreuil, 26, Quebec
Team Marjo
Steven Grondin, 28, Sainte-Clotilde-de-Beauce
Audrey Lachance, 39, Saint-Roch-de-l’Achigan
Christopher Therrien, 33, Sainte-Anne-de-Madawaska, New Brunswick
Mario Pelchat Team
Joel Boudreault, 32, Alma
Tommy Demers, 43, Acton Vale