University of Virginia student Simone Marijic’s rendition of Olivia Rodrigo’s song, “favorite crime,” inspired two celebrity coaches on “The Voice,” NBC’s singing competition show, to try and persuade her to join their teams.
In an episode that aired Monday night, Marijic wasn’t even 10 seconds into her blind audition performance on an NBC stage in Hollywood when coach Kelsea Ballerini pressed her button. A smile spread across the face of the famous country singer when her chair spun around and she first laid eyes on the third-year student, who is a member of the Virginia Belles, an a cappella group founded for women in 1977.
Crooner Michael Bublé later followed suit as she was finishing the song.
After singing, Marijic told the coaches, who also include John Legend and Adam Levine, that she was born and raised in Los Angeles. Pointing at Marijic’s cowboy boots, Ballerini said, “You have boots on, so that threw me.”
[Simone Marijic singing “favorite crime” by Olivia Rodrigo]
Know that I loved you so bad
I let you treat me like that
I was your willing accomplice, honey
And I watched as you fled the scene
Doe-eyed as you buried me
One heart broke, four hands bloody
Those things I did
Just so I could call you mine
The things you did
Well, I hope I was your favorite crime
You used me as an alibi
I crossed my heart as you crossed the line
And I defended you to all my friends
And now, every time a siren sounds
I wonder if you're around
'Cause you know that I'd do it all again
All the things I did
Just so I could call you mine
The things you did
Well, I hope I was your favorite crime
It's bittersweet to think about the damage that we do
'Cause I was going down, but I was doing it with you
Yeah, everything we broke, and all the trouble that we made
But I say that I hate you with a smile on my face
Oh, look what we became
All the things I did
Just so I could call you mine
All the things you did
Well, I hope I was your favorite crime
Your favorite crime
Your favorite crime
'Cause baby, you were mine
[Kelsea Ballerini speaking]
Hello. What's your name?
[Simone Marijic speaking]
Hi. I'm Simone Marijic.
[Kelsea Ballerini speaking]
Simone. What a pretty name.
[Adam Levine speaking]
Simone, I love that song. I have two little girls that listen to it so much. I think you have a great voice. This is actually gonna be fun to watch.
[Kelsea Ballerini speaking]
Simone, where are you from?
[Simone Marijic speaking]
I’m actually from L.A.
[Kelsea Ballerini speaking]
You are?
[Simone Marijic speaking]
Yeah, I'm from L.A.
[Cheers and applause]
[Kelsea Ballerini speaking]
I love it.
[Adam Levine speaking]
Born and raised?
[Simone Marijic speaking]
Born and raised!
[Adam Levine speaking]
Me too!
[Kelsea Ballerini speaking]
Stop trying. You didn't turn.
[Adam Levine speaking]
I’m an idiot.
[Laughter]
[Kelsea Ballerini speaking]
You have boots on, so you threw me.
[Simone Marijic speaking]
I go to school in Virginia. University of Virginia.
[Kelsea Ballerini singing]
She gets the best of both worlds.
[Kelsea Ballerini speaking]
I think that was a very ambitious song to pick. I think you nailed it. I am craving on my team a voice that is pure. I don't have that yet, and you opened your beautiful angel mouth, and I was like, (singing) “There she is!”
And mind you, it took me .2 seconds to turn, and it took him to the last .2 seconds because I know what I want, just like women do.
[Simone Marijic speaking]
Thank you.
[Cheers and applause]
[Kelsea Ballerini speaking]
And I really want you on my team really badly.
[Michael Bublé speaking]
The only reason that I took that long turning my chair
is 'cause I'm a drama queen.
[Laughter]
[Michael Bublé speaking]
And I wanted her to think that she would just have you, and it was like, “No, you’re not. She’s gonna join my team. Team Bublé.”
I did not want to have to do this, but here’s what I want to say. Kelsea is an incredible musician. Crazy rising career. Her first year, though. This is my second season on “The Voice.”
Maybe you would like to join the team of someone who won the first year of “The Voice” that he was on.
[John Legend speaking]
Is this from your high school baseball team?
[Michael Bublé speaking]
No, I found it.
[Adam Levine speaking]
He got that on Hollywood Boulevard.
[Michael Bublé speaking]
I found it at – I found it at Target, and it says – it says, “woman power,” and I just….
[Simone Marijic speaking]
Oh!
[Kelsea Ballerini speaking]
It is a good award.
[Michael Bublé speaking]
You know what? Just because you are so amazing and you have been unbelievable, you deserve this. Let’s just make that part of my pitch.
[John Legend speaking]
Oh, wow.
[Adam Levine speaking]
Wow.
[Michael Bublé speaking]
But I’m gonna be a great coach. You have this beautiful voice of an angel. I don't know. I'd love to take this journey with you. I'd love for you to be on my team. [Cheers and applause]
[Kelsea Ballerini speaking]
This is very nice.
[John Legend speaking]
I feel like “woman power” is an interesting pitch for a man pitching against a woman for a woman.
[Kelsea Ballerini speaking]
Yeah.
[Laughter]
[John Legend speaking]
It's almost like you're arguing for Kelsea.
[Michael Bublé speaking]
Yeah. -You know what? This may not have been my best pitch. Okay? [Laughter]
[Kelsea Ballerini speaking]
Michael does have a season on me, and I acknowledge that. I also acknowledge that this is Michael Bublé. I fully get that. But this is my first season. I have so much to prove. I really want to find artists that I believe in and that I believe we could have, like, a really beautiful journey on this show and then a beautiful journey after.
I really do. I really do. I rest my case.
[Adam Levine speaking]
May I pose the question?
[Simone Marijic speaking]
Yeah.
[Adam Levine speaking]
Simone, who do you pick as your coach? [Audience shouting]
[Tense music plays]
[Simone Marijic speaking]
Okay. Okay.
[Michael Bublé speaking]
Man...
[Simone Marijic speaking]
Okay. The coach that I choose...
[Kelsea Ballerini speaking]
I’m not pressuring you.
[Simone Marijic speaking]
is Miss Kelsea Ballerini.
[Cheers and applause]
“I go to school in Virginia. University of Virginia,” Marijic, the William G. Pannill Jefferson Scholar, said.
“I think that was a very ambitious song to pick,” Ballerini said as she began to make her pitch that the Virginia Belle join her team. “I think you nailed it.
“I am craving on my team a voice that is pure. But I don’t have that yet. And you opened your beautiful angel mouth and I was like, ‘There she is!’”
The sales pitch worked. Marijic joined the country singer’s team of 12.
The show now transitions to the “battle round.” The morning after her performance, she explained to UVA Today how that works.
