"The Voice" Top 9 artists took to the stage Monday night (Dec. 11) for the Semi-Finals, giving their best performances before the Top 5 are selected. The songs for the night were selected by fans, and Mara Justine — who has impressed with pop and rock songs thus far — took on Chris Stapleton's "Parachute."
During rehearsals, Justine said the song makes her think of her mom — her "safety net" — who is undergoing breast cancer treatment and recently had a double mastectomy.
"She has been recovering, but it has not been easy," Justine said. "I have seen her fight. It makes me want to fight even harder knowing that she believes in me and she's so proud of me."
Justine added that she also thinks of her coach, Niall Horan, as her parachute. Horan responded, "You're going to make me cry."
On show night, Justine heeded Horan's advice to connect with the story of the song while singing, and she had fun while doing so. She took the stage with confidence, showcasing a voice with a rock edge, while commanding the stage and connecting with the audience. The perofrmance showcased her high-flying vocals many times over, and she ended with explosive high notes that brought energy to the arena.
Justine's former coach, John Legend, was especially impressed by the high notes she hit in the song. He called it her "best vocal performance" of the competition.
"I have some regrets that you're not on my team anymore," he admitted. "But I'm seeing you expose more and more of your gift, and it's amazing."
Horan called Justine's performance "unbelievable," and said he's enjoyed seeing her confidence rise.
"If you had any doubts, does that answer your question people?" he said to the crowd.
Justine performed alongside the other Top 9 contestants, and voting opened at the end of the show. Tuesday night's show revealed the fate of the singers as the Top 5 is selected on NBC.
