Past Contestants, Future Stars

[ToxicUnicorn]

(Come to think of it, I wish he'd choose better songs for himself.)

 

I like Blake a lot and think he does a good song now and then.  However, that Honey Bee crap was one of the worst songs I've heard in any genre and, hell, I remember Terry Jacks.  (Warning: look this up only if you want to be scarred forever.)

[viajero]

Here's an article on Prince's role in producing Judith Hill's new album:

 

https://celebrity.yahoo.com/news/prince-launches-campaign-protegee-104335847.html

[Padma]

I like Blake a lot and think he does a good song now and then.  However, that Honey Bee crap was one of the worst songs I've heard in any genre and, hell, I remember Terry Jacks.  (Warning: look this up only if you want to be scarred forever.)

I've never heard of Terry Jacks and will heed your warning not to look it up. I like Blake a lot too--enjoyed Lionel Ritchie's comment about what a hard act he was to follow on stage because of his powerful singing and presence. I agree, some of his songs are good now and again but then there are all the others. And ITA Honey Bee was absolutely one of the worst. So insipid (and the video was awful, too), I just...well, I know he's a 4 (?) time CMA artist of the year winner, but hopefully its not for songs like that. I do think he's a good singer, it's just disappoihting his taste in music--for himself and often in his choices for his team.  

[viajero]

So now Prince is being sued for producing Judith Hill's new album.  What a mess.  But I guess it's better to have producers fighting over you than ignoring you.

 

http://www.ew.com/article/2015/03/27/prince-lawsuit-judith-hill

[basiltherat]

Is Judith jinxed or is she the jinxer?  First, Jacko dies on her, and now this contact kerfuffle with Sony and Prince!

[mercfan3]

Michelle Chamuel did an encore of "Baby One More Time"..I can't tell you how much I love this.

 

[PhD-Purgatory15]

http://www.mtv.com/news/2141298/jacquie-lee-artist-to-watch/

 

Jacquie does seem to be gaining some traction, much like X Factor alumni 5th Harmony. It doesn't hurt that this "Tears Fall" song is pretty catchy, and kind of evokes early career Kelly Clarkson.

[tmelange]

How much do I love Michelle? Sooo much! Jacquie is great too.

Edited April 27, 2015 by tmelange

[rollerblade]

Why does Jacquie sound so much like Avril in that song? It's especially obvious on all the "life" in the lyrics.

 

Michelle reminds me of Ingrid Michaelson's. Both their live shows always seem so fun and engaging.

[mercfan3]

Michelle is awesome live. Her voice is unbelievable and she's adorable in her audience interaction. 

 

I think it's just the style of the song that makes Jacquie sound a little different. It's a pop rock song, and that's a little different than what Jacquie normally does. 

[Kcat1971]

So what does everyone think of Matt McAndrew's new single?  They got that out pretty fast and debuted it on the Voice.  Will that help or hurt him?  My 8 year old immediately said "Let's buy it!"  I think the kids got a chance and it seems like they are finally using some of the momentum from appearing on the Voice to their benefit.

[mercfan3]

I thought it was a pretty good song to be honest. Kind of a combination of pop/alt/rock. Republic seems to like him and Chris, so it'll be interesting to see how well they do. 

[viajero]

Jacquie Lee is certainly busy, with two new music videos out over the past week.  The one for Tears Fall is kind of funny:

 

 

She also sings the song that runs over the credits of the movie Monkey Kingdom

 

[Vermicious Knid]

Is this Blake's RaeLynn?

http://mountainsedge.com/events/country-park/

 

Free concert at a homebuyer's fair pretending to be a community event. Not exactly setting the world on fire.

[PhD-Purgatory15]

Not a RaeLynn apologist at all (although I do understand Nashville trying to address the testosterone imbalance that's plagued country music the last couple of years by trying to break young female talent like Maddie & Tae, Jana Kramer and Kelsea Ballerini)...but I can remember seeing Little Big Town headline at the Richwood (OH) Independent Fair around the time that Boondocks launched their careers. She can either drum up new fans via social media platforms...or by touring wherever she can find gigs. Craig Campbell is on that bill too and he's reached a reasonable level of success in the recent past.

Actually I'm more interested in whether Cassadee Pope's success is sustainable when she puts out new material given questions about her authenticity. Frame by Frame did pretty well but I wonder if that was just perfect storm of the Voice and Blake's influence, her previous fans from Hey Monday...not too mention a weekly CMT show about the record making process...

[nextian]

My opinion on Cassadee was that her label greatly mishandled her album. Her first single had some success, so what did they do? Release a second single that , in my opinion, was incredibly similar to her first. It wasn't successful so nothing else (as far as I know, and I listen to a lot of country radio) was ever released. She had some really great songs on that album that I think could have been big hits and it just seemed like they completely gave up on the album. It's a shame, because I think it was a solid album. Who knows if she'll stay country or not, seems like she's still in Nashville and still playing on country bills, but we'll see.

[PhD-Purgatory15]

It also didn't help that "I Wish I Could Break Your Heart" came out at the absolute apex of bro-country....and their were only two female solo artists immune in Carrie and Miranda.

Danielle's "Young in America" also went nowhere. Really from a new female artists in country music, only Kacey Musgraves gained some momentum during this time period but that was more critic driven than anything else. So timing matters. Maybe that will be a positive for both Cassadee and Danielle's second efforts...at least if their labels don't completely forget about them. RaeLynn could too, although if God Made Girls is any indication I'd be pretty doubtful.

Edited May 4, 2015 by PhD-Purgatory15

[nextian]

Absolutely agree, I really like both Cassadee and Danielle and hope they get second albums that are promoted by their labels, and played on country radio!

[DucksFlyTogether]

I saw Cassadee open up for Kellie Pickler on Valentine's Day.  She looked great, sounded good, and tried her darnedest to get the crowd going.  It was a 21 and over show at a casino, and nobody seemed to know who she was.  The crowd was so dead and silent and I just felt so awkward on her behalf.  I don't believe she sang any new music.  Just from her first album and two cover songs.  She seemed to be having a good time, but I was depressed on her behalf that that was what winning the Voice got her.  The crowd loved Kellie, though, lol.

[viajero]

Melanie Martinez has released her latest single/music video in anticipation of the release of her album.  The video is as kooky and off the wall as you might expect from her, but I kind of like the song. 

 

[car54]

Oh no, Anthony Riley has died.   Very sad.

 

http://www.avclub.com/article/voice-contestant-anthony-riley-has-been-found-dead-220495?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=feedshttp://www.avclub.com/article/voice-contestant-anthony-riley-has-been-found-dead-220495?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=feeds

[MarkHB]

At this moment, I'm watching Jacquie Lee sing in Portland, Maine.

[PhD-Purgatory15]

The Tears Fall song? It's interesting because that song feels current and at the same time feels like a song that would have come out in the heyday of Avril, Michelle Branch and Vanessa Carlton.

Just surveying the "pop" landscape at the moment and it definitely seems like 3 of the 4 female voices that the industry has their machine behind have reality singing competitions in their background. Jacquie from the Voice, Tori Kelly from AI and Bea Miller of the final season of X Factor USA. If we throw in Tinashe's Acne treatment ads for Clean N Clear on TV it would be a clean sweep.

Even RaeLynn from Blake's team is currently listed as one of CMT's "Next Women of Country"...and IMO her most recently released single (For a Boy) is miles better than her debut...

Edited June 14, 2015 by PhD-Purgatory15

[viajero]

Christina Grimmie is another female pop singer who's career seems to be taking off.  She won the 2015 Macy’s Rising Star iHeartRadio competition and has a new single out tomorrow, with an album to follow.

 

http://www.ibtimes.com/christina-grimmie-talks-voice-her-new-album-giving-back-her-fans-1992717

[Mattipoo]

Looks like the non-winners are more successful than the actual winners from each season, although I wouldn't go as far as to call any of them "stars". Yeah, "Honey Bee" has to be one of the worst and cheesiest country songs ever released. Blake Shelton's songs are all embarrassingly cheesy and trite.

[jjjmoss]

Well, only Blake country contestants (Swons, Cassadee, Danielle, RaeLynn) have charted on the Hot 100.

The same names are the ones who have cracked the top 40 of the albums chart, except switch RaeLynn for Melanie, who I don't believe was helped by Adam in any substantial way.

 

Songs from the show so far which cracked the T25 (i.e. the top half) on the weekly Billboard digital chart:

#3 S3 Cassadee/Over You (T10)
#5 S7 Matt/Wasted Love (Finals, original)
#6 S1 Javier/Stitch By Stitch (Finals, original)
#6 S3 Cassadee/Stupid Boy (Semis)
#6 S8 Sawyer/Please (Finals, original-ish)
#7 S1 Dia/Inventing Shadows (Finals, original)
#7 S7 Craig/My Baby’s Got a Smile On Her Face (Finals, original)
#8 S7 Matt/Blower’s Daughter (T8)
#9 S5 Matthew/Hallelujah (T12)
#12 S5 Tessanne/I Have Nothing (Finals)

 

#13 S7 Craig/The Old Rugged Cross (Semis)
#13 S7 Chris/Velvet (Finals, original)
#14 S5 Tessanne/Bridge Over Troubled Water (T5)
#14 S3 Cassadee/Cry (Finals)
#16 S2 Tony/99 Problems (Finals)
#17 S8 Sawyer/Old Man (Finals)
#17 S6 Christina/Hold On We’re Going Home (T10)
#18 S5 James/A Case of You (Playoffs)
#18 S3 Terry/Let It Be (Semis)
#18 S8 Sawyer/Simple Man (T8)

 

#19 S6 Josh/I Can’t Make You Love Me (T8)
#20 S2 Juliet/It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World (Semis)
#22 S8 Koryn/Make it Rain (T10)
#22 S7 Matt/Make it Rain (Semis)
#22 S6 Christina/Can’t Help Falling In Love (Finals)
#22 S6 Christina/How to Love (T8)
#22 S4 Swons/Danny’s Song (Semis)
#23 S8 Sawyer/A Thousand Years (Semis)
#24 S4 Danielle/Born to Fly (Finals)
#24 S7 Damien/Soldier (Finals, original)

 

#25 S5 Will/At Last (T8)
#25 S3 Terry/I Want To Know What Love Is (Quarterfinals)
#25 S8 Sawyer/Iris (T10)
#25 S8 Sawyer/Imagine (T12)

 

Make it Rain is there twice.
Contestants with multiple: 6 S8 Sawyer
3 S3 Cassadee, S6 Christina, S7 Matt
2 S3 Terry, S5 Tessanne, S7 Craig
Per season: 2, 2, 5, 2, 5, 4, 7, 7
S7 and S8 have more, but most of S7's are the finale originals, and most of S8's are just Sawyer.

Edited November 1, 2015 by jjjmoss

[viajero]

Interesting Sawyer's debut EP includes a duet with Mia Z.  She's not the singer I would have first thought of as a duet partner for him, but as he states in the following interview, Mia was his choice.

 

https://www.yahoo.com/music/sawyer-fredericks-takes-it-all-catching-uo-with-004304079.html

 

Unfortunately the EP seems to have gotten zero promotion outside of Sawyer appearing on The Voice.  Sawyer doesn't really provide much of an explanation for this, though he does mention having to battle the label to not include covers.  Also, these songs were recorded with producers back in NY and only now is Sawyer working in the studio with Pharrell on the songs for his full album (due next spring).  Hopefully the album will get more promotion.

Edited November 17, 2015 by viajero

[KFC]

Amanda Brown from S3 is singing backup for Adele in the live video for "When We Were Young":

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDWKuo3gXMQ

 

ETA: Corrected the link.

Edited November 18, 2015 by KFC

[ProudMary]

Amanda Brown from S3 is singing backup for Adele in the live video for "When We Were Young":

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDWKuo3gXMQ&

Honestly, this saddens me.  Amanda Brown is, without a doubt, my favorite contestant ever on The Voice and I have watched every season.  This girl should be a star; the one up front and yet, here she is right back where she was before The Voice, singing background for Adele.  I suppose she's still one of the lucky ones if she's able to make her living as a vocalist but she should be SO much more.  :(

 

BTW, the link didn't work for me.  I found the video by searching YouTube though.

[viajero]

Amanda was backing up Adele again on Saturday Night Live, which would seem to imply that this might be a regular gig.  I guess if you are going to be working as a back up singer, it doesn't get any better than Adele.

[Kcat1971]

So did Cassadee Pope perform on last nights show?  I didn't see any mention of it on the show thread yet.  (I didnt' get to watch last night).

 

I watched her video for her new single "I am Invincible."  It was pretty good.  I could stand to listen to it in the rotation on my pop/morning commute radio station.

[rollerblade]

I thought I spotted Amanda Brown on Adele's special, had to double check wiki. She was indeed doing backing vocals.

[PhD-Purgatory15]

Tonight, the musical guest on Last Call with Carson Daly is Melanie Martinez.

[Kcat1971]

I'll have to look for it on demand or a clip of it later.  I really do like Melanie!

[Padma]

So, Rae Lynn finished in the quarterfinals, but has had a country hit, co-written a song with Miranda Lambert--who's now a personal friend--and this weekend Blake Shelton flew across the country (with Gwen) to host an engagement party for her, attended by others in country music, toasting Rae Lynn, his "very good friend".

 

She's not a big star (yet), but to my way of thinking, that's a lot of success to come your way from just being on this show.

[Sharpie66]

When I saw Star Wars on Friday, the Regal theater was advertising Melanie Martinez's new album in its pre-trailers clips/ads.

[viajero]

For what its worth, Melanie Martinez has now surpassed 1 million subscribers on You Tube and 100 million views of her post The Voice music videos.  This far surpasses any other previous Voice contestants in terms of their post show career (Grimmie has more views and subscribers, but mainly for her covers done prior to going on The Voice).

[ProudMary]

Jordan Smith got engaged on New Year's Day.
http://www.etonline.com/news/179099_the_voice_winner_jordan_smith_is_engaged/
 

 

 

Jordan Smith has given new meaning to “ringing” in the New Year!

The Voice winner kicked off 2016 by proposing to his longtime girlfriend, Kristen Denny, on Friday.

The 22-year-old singer shared the big announcement on social media, writing, "RINGING in the new year with my future wife. She said YES! #Mr&MrsSmith."

 

[venturestar]

Dustin Christensen (Team Adam, season 9) has a kickstarter up for funding the production and release a double EP. He has 2 songs in his project video, I like the second one. I'd post a link, but I'm not sure if it's ok to post a link to a kickstarter. (soliciting maybe?)

Has anyone else used kickstarter to fund an album? I just started watching the show this past season.

[viajero]

Jordan Smith got to perform at the People's Choice Awards with David Foster and did a good job of it.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdzqHH6ibCs

[Kcat1971]

Chris Jamison has split from Republic Records but released a new single on youtube.

 

http://www.rickey.org/the-voice-star-chris-jamison-splits-with-republic-records-releases-new-song-video/290104/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rickeyorg+%28Rickey.org%29

[PhD-Purgatory15]

Mackenzie Bourg from Season 3 (Team Cee Lo), successfully auditioned for American Idol's farewell season tonight. He mashed up 2 of Keith Urban's songs, along with one song each from Harry Connick and J Lo to create a judges medley.

If he can manage to stand out in a sea of WGWGs, I think he has a strong chance to make the top 24.

Edited January 21, 2016 by PhD-Purgatory15

[PhD-Purgatory15]

Mackenzie Bourg isn't the only Voice alum battling it out in Hollywood for AI's farewell season.

 

Last night's group round reintroduced us to Jess Kellner who made Team Usher in S4. She either lost a KO round or was eliminated in the first week of the live shows:

 

 

She seemed about 40 percent less affected, in the 5 seconds we got to hear from her.

 

Also Shelbie Z, one of Team Blake's legion of female country singers from S5 is still around to trot out her 2nd rate Gretchen Wilson copycat act...

[Cramps]

The only thing I remembered about Jess was how much I hated her shirt. Shelbie Z I remembered. I can't believe idol is going to allow a voice reject to win...

[Padma]

Strange how Shelbie Z has changed her image for Idol--I guess she's trying for "hipper" but  to me only manages (with apologies for using the word) "sluttier" and completely unappealing.  I can't believe she's gotten through over some much better singers. I didn't mind her time on Team Blake, since she didn't last -that- long, but she really is much less appealing on AI and her singing seems very unremarkable.  I was very surprised that she made Top 24. 

 

I don't remember Mackenzie from TV at all, but I'm really enjoying his performances on Idol (Have no idea which one Jess is/was). Mackenzie seems to have a bit of following already. I wouldn't be surprised if he makes T6,.

Edited February 11, 2016 by Padma

[viajero]

I clearly remember Mackenzie because of this folksy rearrangement of Call Me Maybe, which got him through the knockout rounds.  But he had little chance of getting out of the live playoffs because he was up against Trevin Hunte, Nicholas David and Cody Belew on Team Ceelo.  Season 3 was really loaded with talent.

 

[viajero]

The music video is out for Sawyer's single.  While it´s not a bad song, there's nothing about it that makes me think its going to have much commercial success.  To be honest, I was hoping for something more.

 

[kj4ever]

I clearly remember Mackenzie because of this folksy rearrangement of Call Me Maybe, which got him through the knockout rounds.  But he had little chance of getting out of the live playoffs because he was up against Trevin Hunte, Nicholas David and Cody Belew on Team Ceelo.  Season 3 was really loaded with talent.

 

Season 3 and a few in Season 4 are the last seasons I have really kept up with people.  This two times a year crap makes it hard to get invested in peeps.  The talent seemed more diverse too.  I dunno.

[viajero]

Here's the first single from Jordan Smith's upcoming album (out March 18).  They sure didn't take much time in rushing this out.  But then its mostly just covers of old standards like Amazing Grace, Over the Rainbow, You are So Beautiful, etc.

 

[PhD-Purgatory15]

Cassaddee has a new duet out with Chris Young, who happens to be the headliner of the tour she's currently on now.

The song is called Think of You and they do sound great together. I hope this kind of reminds Nashville that she still exists, and is really good singer because it doesn't look like the first single off of her 2nd album did very much so far...

Edited February 25, 2016 by PhD-Purgatory15