Sorellé advances to next round of competition on 'The Voice'

LEXINGTON — The singing Heichel sisters are moving on.

Better known as Sorellé, Madi, Ana and Bella Heichel advanced Monday during the battles competition on "The Voice," NBC's popular singing reality show. Sorellé is the Italian word for sisters.

Their coach, Chance the Rapper, had them sing a duet with Mannaseh Samone, a 23-year-old from Dallas, Texas. Chance chose Sorellé as the winner of the battle, sending the Lexington sisters to the knockout stage, which begins April 17.

"Sorellé had to move on," he said. "Their confidence on stage, their dynamics as sisters and the fact that they can do so many harmonies is something the show needs."

In a first on "The Voice," Chance the Rapper gave Samone a playoff pass, allowing her to skip the knockout rounds and go straight to the playoffs, which start on May 1.

Prior to the performance, the show aired footage of the rehearsal. Sorellé was looking forward to working with Chance the Rapper.

"I feel like because he's such a great musician, he'll have some really cool ideas," Ana said.

Sorellé sang an Adele song for the battle

Producers showed previous footage of Sorellé at the Carrousel in Downtown Mansfield before going back to the rehearsal session. Chance the Rapper chose the song "Someone Like You" by vocal powerhouse Adele for the duet.

"This is a really good opportunity to show how well you guys mesh naturally as a trio. You guys are creating harmonies," the coach told Sorellé. "Switching back and forth between unison and harmonies elevates the song. Sorellé's harmonies lead them almost to a gospel arena."

Madi is 21, Ana 20 and Bella 15. Madi and Ana are Lexington graduates, while Bella is a freshman who attends school online.

"Singing Adele is a really tall task," Bella said. "It requires a lot. You have to feel it."

Ana added, "I feel like I can really relate to the heartbreak that she writes. I'm so lucky that I get to have these two amazing girls to support me. Whether I'm sad, angry, happy ... they are in my room, at the bottom of my bed, holding my hand."

Madi became a bit emotional upon hearing her sister's words.

"Family is truly everything to us," she said.

As performers, Chance the Rapper referred to Sorellé as a "trained wall of sound."

The first-time judge on "The Voice" was looking forward to the battle.

"I think they're two of the strongest acts in the competition," Chance the Rapper said. "This one's going to be crazy."

And it was.

All four judges gave Sorellé and Samone standing ovations

After Sorellé and Samone performed, all four judges, including Blake Shelton, Kelly Clarkson and Niall Horan, gave them a standing ovation.

"That's some intricate harmonies, and y'all never strayed," Clarkson told Sorellé. "That was really well done."

Shelton raved about both acts.

"I never want you guys not to sing together," he said, adding he initially wondered how the two acts would blend.

Shelton, who is in his 23rd and final season on "The Voice," singled out Sorellé for praise.

"I don't know that I've heard a group on this show that sings with such attack, that were so tight with each other," he said. "It's almost hard to believe that was live. For that reason, I would go with Sorellé (to win the battle) because I've never heard anything like that."

Horan agreed with Shelton.

"The block harmony sounds like a record. You would struggle to get a record to even mix that well," the former One Direction member said. "When you come in, it's like a wall of harmonies. I would lean toward Sorellé for that reason."

Chance the Rapper said Sorellé has a chance at a long career.

"They're some stars that will do wondrous things beyond this competition," he said.

mcaudill@gannett.com

419-521-7219

Twitter: @MNJCaudill

This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Singing Lexington sisters Sorellé move to next round on 'The Voice'