It took just five words. That’s all Charly Luske needed to shock the judges on The Voice of Holland. He stepped on stage, started singing “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World” by James Brown, and within just a few seconds—every single judge had turned their chair. It was fast. It was powerful. And it felt like something big had just happened.
The way Charly sang was different. He didn’t just hit the notes. He meant every word. You could hear it in his voice—the pain, the strength, the soul. People watching at home felt it too. Even if you didn’t know the song, you felt something inside when he sang it.
Charly wasn’t a beginner. He had already worked as an actor and singer in the Netherlands. He had done musicals and appeared on TV. But The Voice gave him a stage where the whole world could see what he was truly made of. And he made the most of it.
What made this audition special wasn’t just how fast the judges turned. It was the feeling in the room. You could see the coaches’ faces—they were surprised, amazed, even emotional. One judge looked like he got goosebumps right there in the chair. Backstage, Charly’s family was crying. They were proud, and you could tell they knew this moment would change everything.
After the show, the video of his audition spread fast. Millions of people watched it online. Even outside the Netherlands, people were saying, “Who is this guy?” He didn’t win the season, but honestly—it didn’t matter. That audition was already a victory. It proved what kind of artist he is.
Since then, Charly kept performing, singing, and doing what he loves. He stayed grounded. No ego. Just passion and talent. And that’s what people love about him.
Sometimes it only takes a few seconds to change everything. For Charly Luske, it took just five words to leave a mark on the world.
The performance happened many years ago, and you can probably tell by the video quality—it’s not HD. But still, the power of that voice cuts through. Even today, clips of it keep popping up on social media, and people are still just as impressed.
You can watch her performance below.