Lights Out For ‘The Voice’ Contestant Pia Renee After Stellar Bob Marley Performance
It was lights out for The Voice hopeful Pia Renee last week, but not before a stellar performance of Bob Marley’s Turn Your Lights Down Low (Remix) with American R&B sensation Lauryn Hill. Among Team John Legend’s most polished performers, Renee effortlessly cracked the Top 9, but was eliminated during Season 20’s semifinals results episode.
The 37-year-old single mom, bass player and all-out Reggae fan suffered an allergic reaction that left her on vocal rest on the day of the semifinal shoot, unable to even record her fiery rendition of the lover’s rock hit for iTunes upload.
Checking in on IG Live after the results were broadcast, Pia explained the unfortunate situation, thanked her new fans and followers, and promised ‘more Bob Marley covers soon’.
“My experience was amazing, John was the consummate elite level professional. I’m not at all upset about not going to Top 5. That was my goal – Top 5, not to win Season 20,” the former American Idol contestant shared.
She continued, “I wanted the exposure, I wanted to perform well, and I wanted to grow, and I did all those things. I do have new music for you all, I wanna keep maximising the momentum of the exposure so I definitely will not be waiting too long before I release music to y’all.”
Among Team John Legend’s most polished performers, Renee was a standout since she wowed both John and Blake in the blind auditions with Stevie Wonder’s tribute to Bob Marley, Master Blaster (Jammin’). Ironically, her final showcase would return to the source of inspo, however, she failed to secure enough overnight votes to advance to the next gruelling round, the two-part season finale which airs tonight, May 24.
Her final set featured sparse instrumentals that complemented her crisp vocals on the verses, before the beat-drop swept her into Hill’s soulful pre-hook bars. Giving her best impression of the Natural Mystic crooner’s infamous stage antics, she seemed fulfilled by the end of what would ultimately be her last night, and she’s kept on singing his praises since her shocking elimination.
The singer said on Live that it was a “divine honor” to be a musician, adding that she’d be doubling her efforts to build a legacy her children, also singers, could benefit from the same way Marley did for his offspring. “Lalah Hathaway had Donny Hathaway. Ziggy Marley had Bob Marley. All the Marley brothers and sisters, they had Bob who made the way for them. I wanna create something huge and massive for my children and grandchildren to benefit from,” Renee said.