“I still say he’s my stepfather, because that’s how it feels to me.”
Despite her mother and stepfather no longer being in a romantic relationship, he remains an important part of the family. “I still say he’s my stepfather, because that’s how it feels to me. He’s been in my life for so long… and that will always be the case,” Piene shared with presenter Chantal Janzen prior to her audition.
Three years ago, he suffered a stroke. While he is now recovering, the event left a lasting impression on Piene. “He has always been a very important figure in my life, and he still is. Where he used to accept care of me, that sometimes has shifted.” Piene explained that the sentiment is beautifully captured in the song Monsters. “It encompasses both the sadness and the beauty of the situation.”
Piene initially believed her stepfather wouldn’t be able to attend her audition due to his health. To her surprise, he was waiting on the other side of the stage when she took to the microphone, a revelation she didn’t discover until after her performance.
Piene delivered the song with deep emotion, profoundly moving the coaches. Both Ilse DeLange and Willie Wartaal turned their chairs for her. During the audition, Piene became visibly emotional, and Willie Wartaal struggled to contain his tears. “Piene, you sang this with incredible sensitivity…. There’s a lot of emotional weight to the lyrics too,” DeLange complimented her.
Piene explained her choice of song, saying, “Every time I listen to this song, it reminds me so much of that time.” Coach Suzan Rikkerink was deeply touched by her story and rose from her chair to embrace her.
Ilse acknowledged Piene’s emotion while hoping she could discover balance: “The difficult thing is sometimes that the emotion isn’t so high that it gets in your way. So it needs to find its place.”
Willie Wartaal was also clearly affected: “I’m still completely in my feelings. (…) You stopped just in time, because I thought: I’m going to cry. You really touched me. (…) You can convey what you feel, and I feel that’s the most important thing.” Piene chose to join Team Willie Wartaal.
Her biggest surprise came after her performance. As she left the stage and walked back to her family, she saw her stepfather waiting for her. Overwhelmed with emotion, she burst into tears and ran into his arms.
The dynamic between Suzan & Freek was highlighted in previous episodes of The Voice of Holland, as shown in a video where they debate whether or not to press their buttons for a contestant.
The Voice of Holland airs every Friday at 8:00 PM on RTL 4.
