Haley's Season 9 Audition Song was...

[Miguel]

Per her Mom and family friend on Twitter today.

[cherelann]

After listening to this, I think Free definitely has strong CRB influences. Haley's enunciation when she sings is from CRB's wheelhouse, for sure.

[Merlin]

This was the same song Haley sang for the first round of Hollywood Week in Season 10

[Miguel]

After listening to this, I think Free definitely has strong CRB influences.

I can see the similarities. I can also see why Haley is drawn to her music. It's modern but something she can infuse with jazz elements. I can also see that it appears to be a bad song choice for an audition.

So who were Corrine's early influences?

In her mid-teens, she was highly influenced by Lenny Kravitz, and through him she discovered rock legends Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin. "I loved that band during my teens; I wanted, somehow, to follow in their footsteps, and to create music of my own."

...(Her) group played many gigs around Leeds and whilst unable to attract offers from any UK labels eventually were approached by US based heavy metal record label Roadrunner Records, home to acts such as Slipknot, in 1998. This deal disappeared before it was even signed however after the bassist became pregnant and the group disbanded. "[Was I] Disappointed? I was gutted! I had no idea what to do next".

Bailey Rae studied English Literature at the University of Leeds where she graduated in 2000. While at University, she began work as a hat check girl on an evening in her local jazz club. Permitted to sing on stage with the jazz band when business was slow, it was there that she discovered a different type of music that sent her on a different musical path: "I kept hearing this jazz and soul stuff and I realised I loved (this) music too"

Corinne Bailey met Scottish-born Jason Rae in a jazz club in Leeds where she had a part-time job as a cloakroom attendant. She married him in 2001 at the age of twenty-two and changed her name to Bailey Rae. Jason Rae (born in 1976), a musician, played saxophone for the eight-piece group called Haggis Horns. On 22 March 2008, Jason Rae was found dead in a flat in the Hyde Park area of Leeds. In December 2008, Leeds Coroner's Court gave a verdict of death by misadventure, and stated that Rae died of an accidental overdose of methadone and alcohol.

(wikipedia)

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This was the same song Haley sang for the first round of Hollywood Week in Season 10

I knew I heard Haley sing that "breathless" line somewhere.

[midnightblues]

After listening to this, I think Free definitely has strong CRB influences. Haley's enunciation when she sings is from CRB's wheelhouse, for sure.

I noticed that too, Annunciation and pronunciation of some of her words all feedback toCBR she's got that certain dialect which I also strongly picked up in free

[john]

Sitting back and listening to the song I can see Haley singing many of those lines. Like how she would hold her mouth and face.

[John Brown]

The first time I heard “Free,” Corinne Bailey Rae was the first thing that instantly popped up in mind. As knowing of Haley's great admiration for Corinne Bailey Rae, after watching her sing “Like a Star” on Youtube countless times, also watching her sing “Breathless” in Hollywood round one, and then seeing that she finally had the opportunity to meet her for the first time the other day during the Grammy week, I had previously investigated everything there was to know about Corinne Bailey Rae that same Grammy weekend, and that investigation was still very fresh in my mind when I first listened to “Free” for the first time the other day. Hence, you guys are definitely on the right track. I'm glad you guys figured it out independently. Way to go.

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Indeed, one of you guys on twitter ought to send a twitter to Corinne Bailey Rae with links to Haley singing “Like a Star,” “God Bless the Child,” where Haley can also be heard singing”Breathless,” and also with a link to “Free.” So she can see the monster that her inspiration helped to spawn.