With thousands of viewers tuned in and her family watching backstage, Abbeville, Louisiana, native Koryn Hawthorne, 17, took the stage during a blind audition on the eighth season of NBC’s reality TV singing competition, “The Voice.” Her powerful, soul-driven performance of “My Kind of Love” caught the attention of celebrity musician coaches Christina Aguilera and Pharrell Williams. It was then that the young singer began her transformation into a mature artist.
Hawthorne described her time on the show as a life-changing experience that helped her grow as both a person and an artist. Singer and actress Aguilera briefly coached Hawthorne on the performance side of things — from working the stage to being ‘into it’.
Though Aguilera’s coaching was taken with gratitude, it was Williams that really struck a chord. The artist reminded Hawthorne to look within herself and always sing what meant something to her.
“He would say to me ‘Koryn, do you connect to this? Do you feel it,’” Hawthorne said. “Cause if I feel it, then America feels it.’”
This confidence and sense of self came out during Hawthorne’s cover of Ed Sheeran’s “Make it Rain.” Though it was her favorite performance on the show, Hawthorne said she never expected it to be as much of a success as it was. Social media reacted with positive testaments and the studio version of the performance soared to the Top 10 on iTunes.
Despite the instant success Hawthorne has had during the months spent on the show, she, as Williams pointed out during her audition, carried herself with humility.
She began singing and performing at the early age of 6. And, like millions of other Americans, she grew up watching popular talent competitions such as “American Idol” and “X Factor” with hopes of one-day competing.
“I’ve always dreamed of being on a platform like that,” Hawthorne said. “So just from watching those shows and performing and my parents being real supportive of my talent and gifts — I would say that all helped me prepare ‘The Voice’.”
The support of her parents was no surprise. Hawthorne’s mother, Summers, stood alongside her daughter throughout the entire process — including the early mornings and late nights of practice. Her mom was her source of strength, according to Hawthorne.
However, what the singer was not prepared for was the fan-base she had rallied from her hometown. When she returned to visit weeks after beginning her journey on the show, a crowd of enthusiastic fans greeted her. Hawthorne was presented with a key to the city by Abbeville Mayor Mark Piazza on May 6, as the day was declared “Koryn Hawthorne Day” by the state of Louisiana.
“It was crazy because I really didn’t expect it,” Hawthorne said. “There was so much love and so much support.”
That love felt from home is something that is reciprocated. With an appreciation for her home state, Hawthorne credits the range of genres she performs to the many musical backgrounds of Louisiana. She describes the music scene in her home state as a “big gumbo” made of jazz, R&B, soul, blues and pop.
Hawthorne finished on “The Voice” as the season’s fourth place finalist. With the experience she gained from the show and a growing fan base, Hawthorne said she is looking to continue a career in music, no matter where it takes her.
“I will definitely always come back home and visit because I cannot stay away,” she said. “But hopefully music keeps me traveling.”