Louisianans, there's one more chance to vote for Karen Waldrup to win it all on "The Voice."
The Mandeville native, 37, advanced to the NBC singing competition series' finale last week, joining Bryan Olesen, Josh Sanders, Asher HaVon and Nathan Chester in the top five. They'll sing for the last time on the show at 7 p.m. Monday during the two-hour episode, the first part of the two-night finale. On Tuesday at 7 p.m., the winner will be announced during the one-hour results show.
"I encourage you guys to throw parties, get together, get the kids involved, and I'm just asking you to vote for me in the finale," Waldrup said in a Facebook video posted Saturday as she looked out her hotel room window in Los Angeles. "I've been touring, playing country music for a long time and I'm just so excited I have this chance to win 'The Voice.' … Team Dan and Shay for the win. Let's do this."
Waldrup moved to Nashville to chase her entertainment career dreams after graduating with a degree in marketing from the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg.
She punched her ticket to the finale with a show-stopping performance of the Sugarland song "Stay." The ballad describes the heartbreak of a woman sharing her lover with another, and gaining the strength to say "no more."
Mandeville native Karen Waldrup listens to the judges' comments after her semi-final performance on NBC's 'The Voice' on May 13.
In a black, sparkly floor-length gown, with the backdrop depicting a darkly-lit living room, Waldrup's "Stay" was spot-on.
"Karen, that was unbelievable. I'm so proud of you," Waldrup's co-coach Dan Smyers began. "I know that was kind of a scary song to sing because that was a vulnerable moment, but I felt it. You wore your heart on your sleeve in that moment, and I'm just so proud of you. Thank you for trusting us. I think it paid off. America, you know what I'm sayin,'" he added, pointing to the studio audience.
"You showed America; that was the final piece of the puzzle to show everyone that you can do absolutely everything," co-coach Shay Mooney said. "People should vote for you. You were incredible, Karen, absolutely brilliant."
Country pop music duo Dan+Shay are the first co-judge/coach team in the series' 25 seasons.
After the final performances on Monday, America will have from 8:55 p.m. to 6 a.m. Tuesday to cast their votes at https://voice.vote.nbc.com/ or on "The Voice" app.
