Entertainment

Reagan James is the Girl to Beat on 'The Voice'

by Jessica Molinari

She may be the youngest, but that's no reason to write her off. Fifteen-year-old Reagan James stood out in the first few rounds, but her rendition of Colbie Caillat's "Try" in the Live Playoffs really set her apart from the competition. Her ability to take command of her performance both in rehearsal and on stage, paired with her instrumental and vocal talents make James the girl to beat on Team Blake.

After wowing the judges with a flawless performance where she both sang AND played guitar, James received some of the best comments of the night. Gwen Stefani praised her efforts of playing while singing, and the rest of the judges recognized how effortless her performance was. But the best comment came from Coach Blake, who called her one of "the most important artists" this competition has ever seen, and that's no doubt because she's more than just a great voice.

Reagan James is the whole package. Not only can she play the guitar while delivering a flawless vocal performance (which is no easy feat), she does it with amazing self-confidence and expression. James is more confident in herself at age 15 than many aspiring performers are at 30. Not only did she control the stage during her performance, she took control of her rehearsal with Coach Blake Shelton and told him how she wanted the song to go. I don't know about you, but I would be so star struck by Shelton that I would barely be able to speak, let alone tell him that I was going to do things my way. She's mature beyond her years, and that will get her far in this competition.

Image: Tyler Golden/NBC