Local artist Aubrey Nicole’s journey on the NBC singing competition show “The Voice” has gone from being a one-chair turn and almost being eliminated to now being a show finalist.

Nicole, 20, was chosen by celebrity coach Reba McEntire as her representative in the show’s finale during Monday’s playoff round. She now moves on to the two-night live finale that airs Dec. 15 and 16 on NBC.

“I am so grateful for Reba,” Nicole said following her selection to the finale. “I can’t believe I am going to the live finale. “

A clip of her performance can be found here.

As the lone female artist left on Team Reba, Nicole went up against three male teammates — Ryan Mitchell, Aaron Nichols and Peyton Kyle — in the playoff round in a bid to get to the finale.

“I chose Aubrey because she has a way of portraying a lot of emotion. And that’s what music is supposed to be about,” McEntire said after making her selection.

Nicole, who grew up splitting time living in Hanover in York County and Littlestown in Adams County, sang the Alannah Myles hit “Black Velvet” in her bid to make the finale.

“I really want to bring something big to the playoffs without being overly emotional,” Nicole said on the show. “I just want to tell the story with my voice.”

She told McEntire during the show that the greatest part about being on the show was being on Team Reba.

“I really believe Reba believes in me,” Nicole had said on the show. “I would love to be her finalist.”

McEntire has had a special connection with Nicole throughout the competition.

“Aubrey is so sweet,” McEntire said during the show. “With the emotion in her voice, she always touches my heart. Aubrey was another one-chair turn. There is an aura around her. I would call her my ‘heart of gold.’”

Fellow celebrity coach Niall Horan said that Nicole has always been on his mind as a dark horse in the competition.

“During the course of the competition, she has always stood out in front,” Horan said.

Ahead of her playoff performance, Nicole said getting this far in the competition is far beyond her expectations.

“I did not imagine that I was going to make it this far in the competition,” she said. “I was a one-chair turn. I needed a save in the Battle Round. And now I am going to the playoffs. That’s just mind-blowing. It’s so exciting. This is the round where they decide who is going into the finale — basically the semifinals. I am definitely nervous, but I am super excited.”

Nicole was saved by McEntire during the Battle Round on Oct. 14, when she went up against and lost to Minnesota singer Cori Kennedy. She went on to beat out fellow Team Reba singer Leyton Robinson during the Knockout Round to make it to the playoffs.

“Black Velvet,” the song that Nicole sang to get to the finale, was picked for her to perform by McEntire.

“This is one of the rounds where the coaches pick the song, which was really cool,” Nicole said, “but I would have picked this song. I love this song.”

She said the day she made her bid to be on the show by submitting a video of her performing, Nicole warmed up prior to singing for the video with “Black Velvet.”

Nicole said the classic sound of the song is one of the things she likes most about it.

“It’s a great song. It’s an incredible tribute to Elvis,” Nicole said. “Alannah Myles has a beautiful voice, and it’s a song I’ve always gravitated to. It’s a storytelling song and it’s a big ballad. It’s right up my alley. It’s something I would choose. I love those songs that tell a story.”

The song has a bluesy tone to it, but Nicole said she added her own twist on it when she performed it.

“Even though it’s bluesy, there are some country aspects to it,” she said. “Reba kept calling it swampy, which makes sense to me.”

She said McEntire said she loved the song in rehearsals but told Nicole to go home and look in the mirror when she sang it.

“You need to put on your best George Strait attitude. You need to sing this song and not smile once,” Nicole said. “She said ‘You need to get serious.’”

Nicole said it was the perfect advice because she has a tendency to smile when she performs.

She said she did a lot of mental preparation as well to get ready for her playoff performance.

“The song has been done a million times over,” Nicole said. “It’s a classic and it’s a great song. That’s why people sing it so much. I wanted to make sure I made it my own. I didn’t overdo it with my changes, but I wanted to put a little Aubrey Nicole in there.”

Up to this point in the competition, Nicole said it has been about proving to herself that she can perform on a national stage.

“If I get to the finale, I hope that I can make everyone back home proud,” she said before the playoff round. “I would love to be able to make to the finale for my friends and my family at home. That would be incredible.”