Katie Kadan: 5 Things To Know About The Powerhouse Vocalist On Season 17 Of ‘The Voice’

Week after week, Katie Kadan has blown viewers away with her powerful performances on ‘The Voice.’ She’s become a fan-favorite and shows no signs of slowing down.

Katie Kadan slayed her performance of “I’m Going Down” by Mary J. Blige on the Nov. 18 episode of The Voice, and she’s emerged as a buzzed-about competitor on the show. Katie was a four-chair turn during the blind auditions, and she picked John Legend as her coach. He helped her swiftly move through the battle and knockout rounds, and America voted her through to the top 13 during the live playoffs. As she vies for a spot in the top 11, get to know more about Katie right here:

1. She got her start by singing in church. Katie found her love of music when she was very young. At just 10 years old, she joined the All God’s Children’s Choir in Chicago, which is what jumpstarted years of singing in church and other choirs. Unfortunately, a lack of confidence kept Katie from ever branching out and performing on her own. Luckily, on The Voice, she’s finding more confidence than ever before at the age of 38!

2. How did she finally embark on a solo music career? Katie was 30 years old when she performed at her first open mic and received an overwhelmingly positive response. This led her to start booking other local gigs. Since then, she’s been performing throughout Chicago and has made a name for herself as a local, soulful blues singer.

3. She’s super vocal about body positivity. After years of struggling with being self-conscious about her size, Katie has embraced her curvy body and is vocal about spreading messages of body positivity. “I’ve doubted myself, thinking if this is the right path for me, I’ve held myself back from opportunities, I’m simply my own worst enemy,” she wrote on Instagram. “Now I look at myself in the mirror and say I’m STRONG, I’m SMART, I’m TALENTED and I’m as SEXY as I’ve ever been.”

4. She’s already released an album of her own. Katie has an album on streaming sites like Spotify and Apple Music. She released the self-titled record on May 31, 2019, and it features 11 tracks in total.

5. She comes from a musical family. Katie’s interest in music comes from being part of a musical family. Her mom and sisters performed with her in church, and “family jams were a regular part of life” when she was growing up, according to her Facebook page.