EMILY HSUEH
PONTIAC Oct. 4, 2020
Michaela Cahill, the Fort Coulonge singer currently performing on La Voix, has sung her way to the semifinals of the competition.
On Oct. 4, Cahill performed Lady Gaga’s You and I live against two of her teammates for the chance to represent Team Marc in the next round. The judges described the performance as . . .
“explosive” and called the song “perfect for Cahill.”
“I’m super excited to be back on stage,” she said. “That stage feels like home to me, like a second home. I just love being up there and I’m really glad to be singing up there again.”
The quarterfinals consisted of twelve contestants, three from each of the four teams, to perform solo against their teammates. Both the judges and viewers would vote after the performance, and the percentage of votes would be added together to determine who advanced.
Cahill beat her competition with 32 per cent of the judges’ votes, and a whopping 51 per cent of viewers’ votes, nearly 20 per cent more than the closest competitor.
“It was a phenomenal feeling, I was super excited, I was really surprised,” Cahill recalled of when she saw the results. It was a wave of emotions after some earlier news she had received.
“Someone had passed away in our family, and I got the news a couple of hours before I was supposed to perform. That’s why I was kind of a mess at the end of it,” Cahill explained. “I knew that it might not have been the best performance I could have done, but considering the circumstances I was just really blessed to still be in the competition after that.”
Though the theatre was sparsely filled, Cahill knew her family and the people of the Pontiac were watching and supporting her from home.
Local businesses and residents alike have been putting up signs encouraging others to vote. Social media has been going wild with support. A large sign with Cahill’s protrait was erected in Mansefield et Pontefract, much to the delight of the singer.
“Obviously I love to see people in the crowd, but we got to FaceTime with our families all big [on a screen] in the back,” she said. “You keep in mind that all the people that would have been there are still at home, they’re still watching, so you just take comfort in that.
“I’m super, super blessed, I’m so lucky…They’re like die-hard fans and it’s just great to know you come from a community who totally supports you and wants to see you do good.”
Cahill said that she is privileged to be able to follow her musical dreams and that she would not be able to do it without the support from the region.
“I love them and I love the support that I’m getting. It’s absolutely incredible to be able to be out there and to represent the place where I’m from. It’s because of them that I’m proud of where I come from, so thank you.”
Cahill will be performing live in the semifinals on Sunday, Oct. 11.
