By Sofie Kwiatkowski, News reporter
A Bristol second year student is set to perform in front of millions of people this weekend on the hit ITV show ‘The Voice’.
Kai Benjamin, 19, who studies psychology at Bristol, faced off two competitors to earn his semi-final spot on judge Anne-Marie's team, who described Kai's music as 'beautiful' and 'so exciting.'
Earlier on in the show he earned the prestigious 'four chair turn,' with all four judges commending his unique brand of English-Japanese singing and rapping, which Kai said left him 'speechless.'
Kai grew up in Cornwall, with his love for music starting an early age, when he was given a guitar aged 7. While his sound started out as acoustic it has since developed into rap, and he cites his move to Bristol as key in sparking his interest in music:
'I'm from a little Cornish village that's very sleepy. In Bristol there are so many inspirational people. I love it.'
Despite this, Kai still speaks fondly his hometown, stating that his 'family have been super supportive’ and ‘It's good to be around people who are real with you.'
Kai's songs span topics from relationships to mental health and are filled with catchy 'flows.' His blind audition of Ariana Grande's '7 Rings' certainly caught the interest of the internet, with over 200,000 views on YouTube and 600,000 views on social media platform TikTok.
The stakes are high for Kai, with the ultimate winner of The Voice being awarded a deal with Polydor Records alongside a chance to release their debut single, which could help launch a successful music career. Kai has echoed this sentiment, since appearing on The Voice has given him confidence that a career in music is, in his own words, 'not just some pipe dream.'
