Today, we’re looking at Katie Kadan, who has been singing since before she could talk. Her classical piano and voice training means that her music comes with more skill and power than you’d expect from an aspiring pop singer. The powerhouse singer was once called “The Best Kept Secret in Chicago,” but the rest of the world has tumbled to her amazing voice. Best known for her tour de force performances on Season 17 of NBC’s The Voice, it’s no surprise that her audition got all four judges to turn around.

Kadan describes herself as a born entertainer. She was the youngest of four kids in a deeply musical family, so with all that competition, it took some time for her to find her own voice. She spent her childhood making music with the family, and says she learned to harmonize as soon as she could talk. Her first performance was at the age of 3 in front of her church congregation. Her mother was a songwriter and loved 1960s folk music. Her dad’s taste ran more to 1970s soul greats, so she grew up with some very strong musical influences. The soul certainly comes through in her singing, and I can hear touches of her mom’s beloved folk in her music as well.

You can follow Katie Kadan on her website and on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.