Wilmington’s Olivia Rubini has been creating and recording music since she was a young teen. Her father, a music producer, has been producing the vocalist’s blend of original music and covers since she was 13 years old. With years of experience at such a young age, Rubini is able deliver masterful performances—which she proved with her polished yet passionate audition performance.
“It sounded like someone who understands how to be a vocal artist and not just a singer,” said John Legend of Rubini’s blind audition, which aired on NBC on March 12, 2024 during the sixth episode of The Voice’s 25th season.
When Legend turned around during Rubini’s blind audition, signaling that he wanted her on her team for the duration of the competition, she expressed that was the highest compliment.
“The contestants were talking before the blind auditions about each coach’s vibe,” explains Rubini. “It was the consensus that John can be picky with who he chooses. He’s such an upper echelon vocalist and he’s really listening vocally.”
Not only did Legend select Rubini, but he also chose her as the final member of his team. With Rubini’s distinctive style and vocal identity, Legend has high hopes for her.
If the taste you got of Rubini during The Voice is leaves you wanting more, you can find her anywhere you stream music. Her first album was released last year and a new single, titled “Heartless Woman,” hits streaming services this Friday. If you want to get a taste of Rubini as an artist, she recommends streaming “Little Tiny Stars,” and her cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Oh Daddy.”
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“I will say I feel like I’ve evolved in my style quite a lot,” Rubini adds. “The most reflective music is the stuff that’s coming out right now.”
This musical evolution is a product of her upbringing. Rubini was brought up listening to classic rock and pulls music from modern pop artists like Miley Cyrus and Harry Styles.
“I think as far as self-discovery, there’s a lot of that especially when you start from a really young age,” says Rubini. “I had no idea who I was or what I was going for as a 13- or 15-year-old kid. I feel like I’ve really found myself and what my sound really is. [My music] has become an amalgamation of all my influences throughout my life, which is really exciting.”
Rubini also expresses love for her Delaware upbringing, citing the local music scene as being impactful to her journey as an artist.
“The Delaware music scene is building and making a name for itself on the East Coast,” Rubini says. “I love places like The Queen. They have a lot of events that bolster local music. Delaware is starting to pop off in our own little way.”
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The support Rubini has received from her hometown community has been “overwhelming in the best way,” according to the artist.
“It’s been really insane and I feel like such a small community has been so loud in their support for me,” she adds.
As for what comes next, Rubini is keeping her options open.
“I’m looking forward to the future and a lot of new music,” she says. “I’m open to the limitlessness of all of it.”
Catch Olivia Rubini as she battles it out with the other contestants on this season of The Voice, Mondays at 8 p.m. and Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on NBC.
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