Most Music Man readers will probably know that legendary soul singer Aretha Franklin died in 2018 – but back in 2023, one twelve-year-old girl showed that the spirit of her music was still alive and well. Taking part in season 12 of The Voice Australia, Gezel Bardossi proved that her incredible, soulful voice transcended her years, performing a version of Aretha’s 1967 single ‘Chain of Fools’ that left the audience screaming for more and the programme’s four judges with their jaws on the floor.
Making an impression from the very beginning of her audition, Gezel started the song as she meant to go on, giving some real grit to her vocals and prompting judges Guy Sebastian and Jessica Mauboy to shout out in approval. Not wanting to miss out on such blatant vocal talent, Jason Derulo turned his chair around first, slamming down his hand on his red button a mere 18 seconds into Gezel’s rendition. The other judges soon followed, watching in awe as the young singer finished her performance.
Even once Gezel had finished, it was clear that the judges were still bowled over by the fact that such a powerful and mature voice could come from someone who was just 12 years old. “I turned around and I couldn’t believe how young you were,” said a gobsmacked Jason Derulo. “That voice and maturity behind it is well beyond your years.” Lots of the video’s viewers seemed to agree with the judge too, with one commenter calling her “a little stick of dynamite” who would go far in the future.
Further performances from Gezel on The Voice Australia continued to prove that she was a force to be reckoned with when it came to singing big songs by iconic female singers. For her Ultimate Callback performance, she sang ‘Toxic’ by Britney Spears, showing the serious control she had over her vocals and how she was more than capable of adapting to different musical styles. Again, Gezel’s performance seemed to leave the judges in shock, and of course, she made it through to the next round.
Sadly – and rather surprisingly – however, Gezel did not go on to win the competition, later being eliminated in the Battles round having sung ‘Somebody That I Used to Know’ by Gotye featuring Kimbra. She does, however, still hold the crown for the youngest contestant ever to feature on the show, and Music Man readers will surely agree that she held her own admirably throughout the competition against adult singers who had many more years of experience than her within the world of music.
If you would like to hear more from this talented singer you can follow her on Instagram for more incredible music.