NBC Chello on 'The Voice' blind auditions.
Fans who think there is too much sameness on “The Voice” might change their minds after watching the blind audition from 22-year-old Pennsylvania native, Chello, which aired on Tuesday, September 20. “My real, legal name is Marcello” he told the cameras during his pre-audition interview, “but people call me Chello.”
It was apparent that Chello had a quirky side during that interview when he randomly confessed, “sometimes when I’m nervous, I take off my shoes and just hold them.”
In hipster garb, tousled hair and dark-rimmed glasses, Chello fit the part of an artist whose name is an instrument with an extra letter. In his filmed package, Chello said, “I started playing guitar when I was 15. My main focus is music production.”
Unlike many contestants, Chello did not have a sob story, just a dream. “This would change my whole world,” he expressed. “It would set me up to make a living and to create and to be an artist.”
Chello currently works as a remote Customer Service Representative who helps people with computer issues. He admitted that “The Voice” is his first big audition.
WATCH Chello’s Blind Audition
The singer, who brought his two best friends with him to the audition, sang “Just the Two of Us” by Grover Washington Jr. and Bill Withers.
Although the coaches could not see the quirky moves he was making as he sang, both Camila Cabello and John Legend turned their chairs for Chello based solely on his voice.
Soon after they turned, the fight to get Chello on their team commenced. Cabello joked, “first of all, I had like a year in the fourth grade where I played the cello, if that means anything to you.”
“It does,” Cello replied, smiling. Cabello went on to say, “you’re a cool, cool cat. The fact that you could make it so cool without any riffs or runs at first, it was just your tone, and then you did this one crazy run at the end and I was like, ‘he was just holding that in.’” The newbie coach added, “I could really picture listening to your records in the car.”
Chello seemed genuinely flattered by the compliments. Cabello then commented on his dance moves, struggling to find the right word to describe them. Coach, Gwen Stefani provided help by shouting out the word “quirky,” which Cabello repeated and approved. This sent Chello into a semi-moonwalk dance, which excited the crowd and the coaches. Then, he switched back into humble mode and uttered, “that’s all I have.”
When it was Legend’s turn to plead his case, he focused on the “joy” that Chello brings to the stage. “Your voice is so different and interesting,” the EGOT winner declared. Legend also tried to build a connection based on their mutual church backgrounds.
Ultimately, Chello was won over by Cabello when she claimed, “I am willing to just get on my knees and beg.” Chello picked Cabello, not even recognizing the cool rhyming bonus.
Backstage, Cabello told the cameras, “He is such a sneaky assassin. He already has a strong artistic soul. I think he’s my secret weapon.”
Chello Reached Out to Fans
Hundreds of fans posted on YouTube about how much they enjoyed Chello’s performance. In return, he posted, “Thank everyone so much!! You guys are so encouraging and it really means a lot to me :)”
One fan claimed to know the artist personally, posting, “I LOVE this dude. I know him! He sold me his car. True story. Seriously he’s insanely talented and such a nice guy and has positive vibes beaming out of him wherever he goes. Go get em, Chello!!!” Chello thanked the poster personally.
Another fan predicted, “This dude is gonna make some real history this season. I just feel it!” Someone else wrote, “I just like how he’s not trying to be perfect and to fit in, he’s just performing his vibe and his vision of music.”
Fans can tune in to see how Chello does on “The Voice” Mondays and Tuesdays on ABC. While “The Voice” is no longer on Hulu and has moved to Peacock, the full fall live schedule can be seen here.
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