Local vocal trio Sorellé advances to playoffs on NBC reality show 'The Voice'

LEXINGTON — Sorellé is getting serious.

The singing sisters from Lexington once again blew away the judges on "The Voice," advancing to the playoffs on NBC's popular singing reality show.

Sorellé, consisting of Madi, Ana and Bella Heichel, showed some new wrinkles, including adding a bit of choreography to their performance.

But it's their vocals that keep the judges coming back for more.

"They sound like they've been Autotuned as they're singing live," said Blake Shelton, one of the judges. "It's almost impossible to sound that perfect."

Sorellé is the Italian word for sisters. Madi is 21, Ana 20 and Bella 15. Madi and Ana are Lexington graduates, while Bella is a freshman who attends school online.

The knockout rounds began April 17. In this round, two artists from each team perform solo acts. Their coach then chooses one to move forward. Again, the coaches have one steal.

Sorellé went up against singer from Los Angeles

In Monday's show, Sorellé went up against Tiana Goss, from Los Angeles. Prior to the performance part, the Heichel sisters and Goss met with their coach, Chance the Rapper, and guest mentor Reba McIntire.

Chance the Rapper told McIntire about the group.

"Are they related?" McIntire asked.

When told they were sisters, she said, "Oh, cool, nothing like blood harmonies."

Sorellé seemed thrilled to meet the country superstar.

"She is a legend," Ana said. "To see her literally made my heart stop."

At the same time, Ana said the sisters meant business.

"This is a competition," she said. "We are here to fight. We are here to earn our spot in the playoffs."

They rehearsed their song choice, a bit of a surprise. Sorellé chose "Blame It on the Boogie" by the Jackson 5.

Madi said the family had a karaoke machine at home, and the hit by the Jacksons was their go-to song.

McIntire called the sisters "cute as a button" and said she "fell in love with them" during the rehearsal.

Chance the Rapper already felt that way about his charges.

"Every time you guys step on stage, you smash it. It's so dope," he said.

Heichel sisters led off knockout round

When the knockout round started, Sorellé went first.

"I'm so looking forward to this," said Kelly Clarkson, another judge.

"It's going to be sick," Chance the Rapper told her.

Clarkson and fellow judge Niall Horan were taken aback by the song choice.

"Sorellé, it's a shock factor every time," Horan said.

Chance the Rapper explained why he chose the Heichel sisters to advance.

"Your skill with harmonies and the way you gel so well is something that this show doesn't really have," he said. "It just shows that you are willing to go the extra mile and try to make new stuff work, which is awesome to me."

Chance the Rapper greeted Sorellé as they left the stage.

"Great stuff, yet again," he told them.

The coach said the young ladies have a stage presence that "sucks the audience in every time they get up there."

Chance the Rapper's colleagues agreed.

"She (Goss) came up against the beast that is Sorellé," Horan said. "They're unlike anything we've got in the competition."

The playoffs on "The Voice" start on May 1.

On May 15, the live performance shows get underway.

Each week, the remaining artists will perform live for audience votes. The artists with the fewest votes will be eliminated.

"The Voice" will conclude May 23 with the winner being revealed.

"Chance has got Sorellé in his back pocket, and that could be dangerous," Horan said.

mcaudill@gannett.com

419-521-7219

This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Lexington sisters move onto playoff round on reality show