People
Levine picks Soho
singer on ‘The Voice’
BY ALEJANDRA
O’CONNELL-DOMENECH
A Soho native has
made it onto
“The Voice,” a
singing competition
series on NBC now
in its 16th season.
On Mon.,
March 18,
17-year-old Celia
Babini sang
“idontwannabeyouanymore,”
by
Billie Ellish, and
earned a spot
on Team Adam,
meaning that judge
Adam Levine has
committed to mentoring
her as the competition
continues.
“It did not feel real,” Babini
said in a phone interview.
“It’s an incredibly surreal experience
because you go from
being this rather undiscovered
young artist — my biggest show
I had ever played was like 1,500
people — to singing in front of
four incredibly well-respected,
amazing artists. It feels fake but
it felt amazing.”
Each season begins with “blind
auditions” in front of the show’s
four judges: singers Levine, Kelly
Clarkson, John Legend and Blake
Shelton. As the contestants perform
onstage in front of a massive
audience, the judges listen with
their backs to the contestant, so
as to only judge them on their
voice. If a singer’s sound strikes a
chord with a judge, he or she hits
a button that turns the judge’s
chair and fl ashes on a light that
says, “I want you.” At the end of
the audition, contestants can then
choose which team they want to
join for the remainder of their
time on the show.
“The Voice” is a possibly lifechanging
opportunity for contestants
since winners of the competition
are offered a record deal
and $100,000. Either way, Babini
said she’s committed to her dream
of being a singer/songwriter.
“Honestly, regardless of the
outcome, I want to release music,”
said Babini.
Despite her young age, Babini
has always demonstrated an incredible
amount of artistic direction.
It’s something that she
perhaps inherited from her parents.
PHOTO BY CHRIS HASTON/NBC
Celia Babini is a contestant
on Season 16 of “The Voice”
and has been tapped to be a
member of Team Adam.
Her father, Luca Babini, is
a top international photographer,
and her mother, Bonnie Young,
is a clothing designer. Babini is
currently a senior at LaGuardia
High School for Music and Art
and Performing Arts, on the Upper
West Side.
At the age of 3, Babini started
singing and by age 6, began writing
her own songs. Eventually,
she taught herself how to play
the guitar and piano and pushed
to perform at what she considers
small venues, like The Bitter End
and The Delancey, in New York,
and The Commodore, in Nashville.
Shortly before auditioning for
“The Voice,” Babini had been
performing in Los Angeles, and
had performed in front of 1,500
people at an anniversary party in
Chicago, her largest audience up
until her time on “The Voice.”
Despite her achievements, Babini
acknowledges she still has a
lot to learn about singing, songwriting
and performing.
So far, she said, she has learned
one important lesson: “Don’t be
afraid to go out there and take
risks.”
Schneps Media TVG March 28, 2019 29