Overrated | The Voice France / MIKA & OC

3.5 - Knockouts. Performance. Part 2

A bright ray of light shines on me, giving me a few more seconds. I remember my girls, who are watching me, and try to calm down. Come on, Alice, it's your favourite song. If you can't sing it for the audience, sing it for yourself.

I take a deep breath and straighten my back. Rearranged intro of Slow Show sounds soothing, it helps me catch the music stream again. I swing slightly with my eyes closed. I'm trying to forget myself in the song.

Standing at the punch table, swallowing punch

Can't pay attention to the sound of anyone

A little more stupid, a little more scared

Every minute more unprepared

I let the music just flow through me. If I catch the stream, it's gonna be fine.

Come on, Alice, concentrate, I tell myself. This song is so good I need to sing it right.

I made a mistake in my life today

Everything I love gets lost  in drawers

I wanna start over, I wanna be winning

Way out of sync from the beginning

Those feelings really come back, even though I haven't listened to the song for a long time. That constant tension, awkwardness, and then - overwhelming remorse that hurts you over and over for your every single mistake. Awful.

I wanna hurry home to you

Put on a slow, dumb show for you

And crack you up

Glad I had Mika to pull me out of that nightmare. Everything comes to an end, you know.

All it took was find solid ground, something to dedicate myself to. And he showed me that music is a path to escape.

So you can

Put a blue ribbon on my brain

God, I'm very, very frightened

I'll overdo it

Yes, not overdo it. I'm forgetting everything too easily. So I open my eyes and have a quick glance around before focusing on my coach. I still don't understand what he feels now, but I don't care. I need him to hear it. This part is for him.

You know I dreamed about you

For... 22 years

Before I saw you...

He didn't know it, but it was him who led me through my most anxious years. It was him who was always there, who made me feel better. I couldn't show it before, but...

You know I dreamed about you

I missed you for

22 years.

And I mean it, I really mean it. I'm here because of him and only him. There's nothing I can do to repay my debt to him.

On that emotional note, I fall silent.

And again, I feel rapture and somewhat exhaustion when the echo of the last chords is dying away. Then - roar of the audience. Their appreciation. Relief that it's over. Incomparable feeling.

No matter what it took, no matter what I felt before - it was worth this magical moment. I know it was my swan song, but I don't regret anything.

I take one more second to breathe it all in and sigh, before Janine and Gaspard join me, followed by Nikos. The latter calls out our names again.

- Let's get to the judgements, - he announces, - Mika, did it all go well?

- It did, - he agrees, - It was even better than I expected, at some point.

Quick glance at me.

- I haven't been impressed like this in a while, - he continues, - You all were incredible tonight. Thank you.

- Agree, they were amazing, - comments Florent, - I would especially note Janine's performance. Her song was extremely hard, and she's managed to make it all right.

True. She made the impossible. I'm not even jealous.

- Alice was, as my friend Mika says - "wearing her heart in her sleeve", - Pagny continues, - Emotions is definitely her strongest spot. As for Gas... This guy gave me chills!

- Oh, yes, - catches it Jenifer, - Oh, the goosebumps! You all really surprised me. Alice, for instance. You keep growing, and I'm so glad to see it. I'm not sure if the choice of the song was right, but you definitely nailed it.

- I think the song was fine, - Garou objects.

- Well, I haven't heard the original, so I can't tell, but I felt like she lost it sometimes. It's like... - she got interrupted by her colleagues again, - No, I just think she was focusing too much on the lyrics.

God dang it. I'm unfixable.

- But still, you all did a great job tonight, - Bartoli concludes, - Simply stunning. I don't even know who I would pick, honestly.

- Mika, it's time for decisions, - Nikos says. I feel Gas taking my hand and squeezing it hard. Seems like he's dead already, because his hand is stone cold, but for some reason I feel safer, so I squeeze it back.

- Ok, guys, - Mika sighs, - It's one of the toughest decisions I will have to make. You're all extremely talented, and I don't want to let go of any of you. But... The one who I'm definitely keeping for now, is...

One second. Two seconds. Three seconds of waiting. Gas holds on to me so tight it hurts.

- Gaspard.

I hear Gas heavily sigh and give him a slight hug. I guess that's the last time we see each other.

It's Janine and I on the stage. And I already know who's going to stay on the show. Well, at least I was on TV, right?

- You all know that I am always welcome to fresh and gifted voices in my team, as well as the experienced ones, - Mika continues, and I don't recognize the way he speaks, - You, girls, represent two things that I appreciate the most in my team, and choosing one of you means losing the other important side of my work.

That heavy "unwanted choice" look again.

- And tonight, - he says, - I choose Alice.

What?!

Janine bursts into tears. I give her a hug, but don't feel it. I just sense a weird numbness.

- I'm sorry, - I hear myself saying, - That was supposed to be me.

She hugs me back silently. Mika stands up and comes up on stage. I see that he's whispering something in her ear, I guess, soothing her.

I feel myself like a villain. Now I regret I'm here. She would have won if it hadn't been me.

Mika interrupts my thoughts, as he takes my shoulder and we walk away. I'm shaking, so he holds me closer.

- Why? - I ask him quietly.

- Because you're meant to be here, and I won't let you go, - he whispers back.

But still, he lets go - he returns to his chair and I walk backstage alone.

That's it for now. Live shows will begin in spring, so we will have a 3 month break.

The first chapter of my adventure is over.