In 2019, The Voice Croatia introduced the world to Karla Ana Sabljak and Jakob Grubišak. Throughout their time in the competition, the two contestants consistently impressed the judges and audiences with their performances. However, things got serious for the pair when they reached the Knockout Round of the competition. This meant they would be going head-to-head with each other to compete for their spot on the show.
Despite the competitive nature of the round, the pair made waves with their cover of Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers’ classic duet, ‘Islands In The Stream’. With Jakob’s guttural vocals and Karla Ana’s fresh and powerful sound, the pair made the song their own. Singing the song to each other, they not only fought for their places in the competition but, with their perfectly pitched harmonies, they blended their voices together to give a sensational performance as a united pair.
Their performance was met with cheers from the audience, and the online video received over 1.8M views as they impressed viewers across the world. One viewer commented, “This combination has given me goosebumps,” noting how well the pair’s voices complemented each other. Despite how impressed everyone was with their united performance, the Knockout Round meant only one of them could stay in the competition. The judges decided it was Jakob who should remain, as Karla Ana was sent home.
Jakob made it all the way to the semi-finals of the show, where he performed ‘Castle on The Hill’ by Ed Sheeran. He once again gave an impressive performance, showcasing his unique, raw vocal sound, receiving cheers as the crowd danced along. By this time, he had already gained a small group of fans who danced at the front, holding signs reading Jakob’s name. Unfortunately, Jakob’s performance was not enough to save his spot in the competition, and he went home before the finals.
Since his time on The Voice Croatia, Jakob has continued to post videos of his music on his YouTube channel. Many of these have been covers, similar to the songs he performed on The Voice. However, in the last eight months, Jakob has been releasing music videos for original songs as he pursues his own solo music career. Karla Ana has also continued to pursue music, performing live in Croatia and collaborating with songwriter Marko Tomasovic to record original songs. Perhaps there’s hope for the pair to come together and perform as a duet, but in the meantime, fans are sure to lap up the solo music the two have released as individuals.
For more of Jakob Grubišak’s fantastic vocals and performances, you can subscribe to his YouTube Channel. You can also connect with him on his Facebook Page and Instagram Account.