The Voice star Sydney Sterlace with Gwen Stefani (Image via Instagram/@sydneysterlacemusic)
During The Voice season 26 Live Semi-Final Performances, Team Gwen Stefani members Sydney Sterlace and Jan Dan took the stage, competing for a coveted spot in the Top 5.
In an interview with Give Me My Remote, released on December 3, the two contestants reflected on their preparation for the live show round. Sterlace shared that live shows were a “lot more fast-paced,” requiring daily practice to memorize lyrics and perfect their performances.
“So there was a lot more pressure for this round because you have limited time to memorize everything and get it the best way that you want it to be. But we also get. A lot of love and help here and everyone in the voice. All the producers and everyone and all the vocal coaches are really encouraging,” Sterlace added.
Sydney Sterlace was announced as one of the Top 5 contestants during the Live Semi-Final Eliminations. She is set to perform in the finale, premiering on December 9. Coaches Gwen Stefani, Snoop Dogg, Reba McEntire, and Michael Bublé will return to the panel for the finale, with Carson Daly as the host.
The Voice star Jan Dan describes the live show round as feeling “crunched”
The singers were first asked to share their thoughts about stepping onto the stage, knowing they were performing live for the first time this season.
“It felt nerve wrecking, but it also felt like amazing and it just solidifies that this is what I want to do. Like it was the moment like ‘I want to do this’, ‘I want to grow on this’, and ‘I want to get better at this’. But it was like a full circle moment,” Jan Dan responded.
Sterlace added that she was a little more nervous while performing live in comparison to the past rounds. However, she tried to stay in the moment and did her best.
Talking about their rehearsals for the live performance, Jan Dan shared that they didn’t have much time to prepare their songs. He described the experience as “crunched” and noted that the contestants were “locked in making sure that they had their songs.”
“And that’s just how it was for me. I was locked in. I had to make sure that I got it. This is the worst season for singers. So I was going through coming up out of a cold. So I was stressing out a little bit, but we came through that,” he added.
With The Voice season 26 finale just a week away, the contestants were asked whether it weighed on their minds and how it might have influenced their performances.
Sterlace responded that her focus was solely on the present, stating that the finale wasn’t on her mind. She shared that she was taking things “day by day” to see how they unfolded. Even if things didn’t go as planned, she expressed gratitude for the opportunity to be on the show at that moment.
Jan Dan also shared his perspective on the finale, stating:
“It wasn’t in my mind at all. Like I think that’s what provokes like anxiety and stress. What’s been in my mind is that I’m proud of myself. I’ve made it to the top eight, I’m singing on stage with Sting and I’m just really focusing on the moment.”
The Voice season 26 finale is set to premiere on December 9 on NBC.
