Sorellé advances to live semifinals on NBC's 'The Voice'

LEXINGTON — Madi, Ana and Bella Heichel have an appointment on May 15.

Better known as Sorellé, the singing sisters advanced to the live rounds of "The Voice," NBC's popular reality show. Their coach, Chance the Rapper, picked the Heichels to be one of only eight acts remaining in the competition.

In Monday's taped episode of the playoff round, two of the coaches narrowed their teams from five to two to advance to the live semifinals.

Once the live performance shows begin, the top artists will compete against each other weekly. This time the television audience will vote to save their favorites.

The artists with the lowest number of votes in the live shows will be eligible for the instant save and will each perform a new song to prove why they should continue in the competition. America will then have the opportunity to save their favorite performer by voting on "The Voice" official app or NBC.com.

Those with the lowest number of votes will be sent home. In the end, one artist will be named "The Voice" and will receive the grand prize of a recording contract.

The winner of 'The Voice' will be announced May 23

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

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 Heichels didn't back away on their latest song choice, opting for "Something's Got a Hold on Me" by Etta James.

Sorellé wanted to perform the Christina Aguilera version from the movie "Burlesque." Aguilera is a vocal powerhouse with few peers in today's music scene.

"We loved 'Burlesque' as kids. It was one of our favorite movies," Madi said. "This song was always going in the house."

The song, and Aguilera in particular, have a special connection for Ana.

"She holds a special place in my heart," the middle sister said. "When I was younger, I had this very low, raspy voice.

"No other girl sounded like me. My sisters didn't sound like me. No other girl in my classroom sounded like me."

Ana became emotional as she continued with the interview.

"I felt different," she said. "I always thought that maybe I would hold them (sisters) down. Seeing another woman that sounds like me really changed my life."

Madi supported her younger sister.

"I think that she brings something very important to the group," she said of Ana. "Her voice is one of my favorite voices I've ever heard."

Chance the Rapper approved of their practice version.

"That's fire. That 'never, never, never' sounds like the Supremes," the coach said. "Sorellé's advantage is that they know themselves so well that they really gel."

Sorellé draws rave reviews for their harmonies

Before the practice session, Chance talked more about one of the acts on his team.

"They are incredibly experienced to be so young," he said of the Heichel sisters. "They have the ability to make the most beautiful harmonies that you've ever heard."

Chance referred to Sorellé as his "mini choir."

Kelly Clarkson, another of the coaches, added, "Sorellé has this really incredible harmony thing going. Everybody can obviously tell that they're family."

When it came time to perform, the Heichels added some playful elements to the song, which also gave each of them the chance to shine individually.

Judges Blake Shelton and Niall Horan advised Chance to send Sorellé to the live semifinals.

"I mean, come on, this is cheating. It's so perfect," Shelton said of their harmonies. "The individual moments that you had, it's like 'OK, you think we can't do this separately, too?'''

Shelton then turned to Chance.

"You're going to put them through, aren't you?" he asked his fellow judge.

Horan added, "I think you'd be missing a beat if you didn't have these (girls) with you in the semifinals, for sure."

Kelly Clarkson pays Heichel sisters a compliment

Clarkson was also impressed.

"What you're doing is so fresh," she said. "It's unlike anyone else. I think that makes you stand out."

Viewers had to wait until the last three minutes of the two-hour broadcast to see if Sorellé would advance.

Chance ended the anxiety.

"I'm so proud," he told Madi, Ana and Bella. "Every time you get on stage, you just blow everybody away. Y'all killed it."

They'll get the chance to do it again in two weeks.

mcaudill@gannett.com

419-521-7219

This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Lexington's singing Heichel sisters move to live semis on 'The Voice'