The Voice: Cedrice wows judges with coach Kelly Clarkson calling her ‘crazy cool’ as top 17 perform

Cedrice turned in a ‘superstar’ performance on Monday’s historic episode of The Voice, wowing all of the coaches and becoming a frontrunner for the win.

Her sultry cover of Billie Eilish’s Everything I Wanted, which she sang on a fainting couch, had the coaches hanging on every word, then bursting into applause.

‘My god!’ Cedrice’s coach Kelly Clarkson, 38, told her. ‘You’re so crazy cool, man.’

The show’s top 17 contestants were all singing remotely for the first time in history, with Cedrice, 28, performing from her San Diego home.

‘I love what this show does for people, man, but you do not need a show,’ Kelly informed the bald contestant. ‘You are such a stand-alone artist and human being. I don’t even know if I’ve come into contact with someone as cool as you…’

‘Superstar!’ yelled John Legend, 41, and Kelly agreed, telling Cedrice, ‘I cannot wait to come to your concert, I cannot wait to buy your record… I am so proud that you are on my team.’

The Voice’s playoffs show aimed to whittle its final 17 contestants down to nine, with fans encouraged to vote for their favorites overnight before the results show airs on Tuesday.

But as show host Carson Daly, 46, pointed out, things had changed ‘dramatically’ since the show’s last episode aired, not least the fact that he was presenting without an audience.

For the first time ever, the show’s 17 remaining artists would be singing from locations across the United States in videos that had been pre-recorded ‘to give them a fair shot,’ he said.

Coaches would listen to the contestants via the Microsoft Teams app, while the show’s band, backup singers and a selection of fans would also be shown during the performances.

‘It’s a little different, honestly, a little challenging,’ Carson admitted, as a small number of ‘social distancing’ crew members helped him shoot on a tiny Universal Studios stage.

‘Mega-mentor’ James Taylor, 72, started the show by leading contestants in a video singalong to his 1976 hit, Shower The People, interspersed with shots of frontline workers.

Kelly then called in from Montana; while John and Nick Jonas, 27, signed on from Los Angeles; and Blake Shelton, 43, hoisted up a Styrofoam cup from Tishomongo, Oklahoma.

‘I just had the most expensive hair and makeup artist on the planet Earth, Gwen Stefani, fix my hair for me,’ Blake cracked. ‘So I hope that I look appropriate for this thing.’

‘It’s nice to be at home,’ he confessed. ‘I gotta be honest, I don’t hate this part of what’s happening. To be able to work from home—I’ve never been able to do that.’

John said he missed dining out, moaning, ‘I just want to go to a restaurant. I want to go on a date. Eat some good Italian food and just drink wine and not have to worry about getting sick.’

Kelly was just trying to survive the rigors of child-rearing in quarantine, saying, ‘Being a working parent with three children roaming around has been challenging, but it’s alright.’

Nick thanked those who were ‘putting themselves in harm’s way’ so he could stay home.

The winner of the show’s four-way knockout, shown on its last episode, was revealed to be Team Nick’s Michael Williams, 18, from Mason, Ohio.

Team Nick then led the night’s performances with five artists versus the other coaches’ four, and quickly ‘set the bar high,’ Carson said.

Thunderstorm Artis, 23, kicked things off by singing George Gershwin’s Summertime from a home in Portland, Oregon, whistling to create a special effect that John called ‘magical.’

Allegra Miles, 17, joined the group from West Palm Beach, Florida, where Nick called her haunting cover of Billy Joel’s New York State Of Mind her ‘best performance’ yet.

Arei Moon, 28, wore a red spangly dress to perform Bruno Mars’ Finesse from Tampa, Florida, which got Nick dancing so hard he was ‘sweating.’

Roderick Chambers, 38, crooned a sexy version of Robin Thicke’s Lost Without You from a house in Orange, California, and Nick predicted that Twitter would ‘blow up’ for him.

Michael then performed Harry Styles’ Sign Of The Times, which Kelly called ‘so rock and roll.’

‘The fact that you guys are at home, and you’re performing, and the singing has never been better, this is freaking me out,’ Blake said. ‘I feel like maybe we can never go back from here.’

Team Legend then hit the screen with a series of startling performances.

Zan Fiskum, 22, turned in a modern version of Bob Dylan’s Blowin’ In The Wind from Maple Valley, Washington, which Kelly called ‘the best version of that song I’ve ever heard.’

Mike Jerel, 31, sang K-Ci & JoJo’s All My Life from Columbus, Georgia, and John described it as ‘electric,’ praising his ‘creativity’ and unique approach.

Mandi Castillo, 23, belted Jesse & Joy’s Corre from Carlsbad, California, which had Kelly screaming, ‘You better sing, girl!’ after she finished, as John praised her ‘beautiful tone.’

‘I obviously have no idea exactly what you were singing about, but at one point, you literally had my little square in the palm of my hand on the screen here,’ Blake told Mandi. ‘So I told myself that you were singing a song about me, and you literally had me in the palm of your hand.’

CamWess, 21, also nailed it while singing Bill Withers’ Ain’t No Sunshine from Blythewood, South Carolina, which garnered loud applause from the coaches and listening fans.

Team Kelly was next, with what she felt ‘might be my strongest team ever on The Voice.’

Megan Danielle, 17, soared on Demi Lovato’s Anyone from Winston, Georgia, and made Kelly—who’d just donned her blue Team Kelly jacket—raise a glass of wine to her.

‘I’d be shocked if you weren’t in the finale,’ Kelly told the contestant, as Nick replied to Kelly’s team jacket by showing a handwritten sign reading ‘Nick’ on the back of his chair.

Mandi Thomas, 33, sang Lee Ann Womack’s I Hope You Dance from a music studio in Memphis, which had Kelly admiring her ‘cool vibe’ and ability to ‘sing anything.’

Micah Iverson, 25, in Atlanta, had the coaches swaying with his take on Elton John’s Your Song, which had Kelly calling him ‘so incredibly gifted it’s insane.’

Cedrice then captivated the coaches with her version of Billie Eilish’s Everything I Wanted.

Team Blake went last, and Blake said, ‘any person on my team has a chance to win this thing.’

Toneisha Harris, 44, rocked Kelly’s song Stronger from her home in Roswell, Georgia, as Kelly danced onscreen, yelling ‘What? That was so good!’ and offered to be her background singer.

Joei Fulco, 22, wailed on Del Shannon’s Runaway from her house in Lancaster, California, and Nick called her voice ‘so fun to listen to’ afterward.

Joanna Serenko, 18, in St. Louis, Missouri, made the coaches smile with her upbeat version of Hall and Oates’ Rich Girl, which Kelly described as ‘so fabulous and fun.’

As Blake reiterated what a great job Joanna did, Nick held up a sign that read, ‘Shut Up Blake!’

Todd Tilghman, 41, capped the show with Peter Cetera’s Glory Of Love from his Meridian, Mississippi, church.

‘Oh my God, Todd! You are literally the Karate Kid!’ Blake cried, referencing the film that made the song famous. ‘America. In the name of God, you have got to vote for this man!’

The Voice’s live top 17 Results show will air Tuesday on NBC.