Olivia Eden started out as a culinary wunderkind in TV food competitions. Now she’s a promising contestant in a TV singing competition. The 15-year-old Jersey contestant on “The Voice” could make pancakes when she was 3. Eden, who lives in Long Valley, starred in the Food Network series “Chopped Junior” when she was 10. At 11, she was a finalist on Universal Kids’ “Top Chef Junior.” But Eden has also put her musical abilities on display from a young age. She performed “Part of Your World” from “The Little Mermaid '' with her father at a school talent show when she was 6. From there, they started playing open mics together. Eden went on to sing the national anthem at high school games. After teaching herself to play guitar, she started playing at local breweries and restaurants.
On Tuesday’s episode of “The Voice,” Eden charmed celebrity coaches with her rendition of Niall Horan’s 2016 song “This Town” Of course, it helped that Horan is one of the celebrity coaches. “Great song choice,” he said after her performance. “I know that one well.” Horan and fellow coach Reba McEntire turned their chairs for the Jersey singer during her “blind” audition (during which coaches start off listening to the performances with their backs to the singer). Gwen Stefani and John Legend did not. “There is so much maturity to that voice,” Horan said. “I really wanna hear you sing country music.” “You showed off so many different parts of your voice, like more than I do, and I wrote the thing,” he said. “It was a really captivating voice ... refreshing to hear. I’d love you to be on my team.” McEntire was also impressed. “I’m flabbergasted at your vocal ease,” she said. “You were just having such a good time, you made me have fun. So I’m so glad I turned around and I would love to be your coach.” Ultimately, Eden stuck with the theme of her song choice and joined Horan’s team. He hugged the Jersey singer, thanking her for picking his song. Horan told the other coaches he thought the way she interpreted the song, completely changing it, was “brilliant.”
Legend and Stefani may not have turned their chairs, but they praised Eden’s voice. “I think your tone is really beautiful, it has this charm to it that’s going to serve you really well in the show.” “I really love the kinda yodel that you do,” Stefani said. “I think that’s gonna be your signature thing. You’re gonna go far.”
Eden joins fellow Jersey contestant Mara Justine on “The Voice.” Justine, 21, who as a child was a contestant on “America’s Got Talent,” then “American Idol,” got all four coaches to turn their chairs with her performance of the Elton John song “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.” As coaches fought over Justine, making their cases that she should pick their teams, Horan and Legend resorted to grand stunts. Legend invited the Jersey standout to sing a duet with him on the spot. The move worked — Justine is Team Legend.