The Voice Season 22: Contestant Preview and Guide
I’ve missed talking about The Voice. It’s been nearly a year since Season 21, but Season 22 is back with the return of Gwen Stefani and the addition of X Factor USA alum Camila Cabello. They join returning coaches John Legend and mainstay Blake Shelton. Carson Daly returns as host.
There are changes to the format that you can read about here. And with that, let’s take a look at Season 22’s contestants. I’ve categorized them and each is getting a little spotlight in this piece.
The Voice season 22 premieres on NBC Tuesday, September 19 and Wednesday, September 20.
Reminder: This is a SPOILER FREE post. DO NOT reveal ANY results in comments. A Spoiler post will be available shortly, with a link added to this post.
INDUSTRY TIES
Let’s start with a group that is either established, has connections to the industry, or has opened for a wide array of artists. This group includes the most established artists this season. They all are pros that just haven’t quite had their BIG break yet.
Jay Allen
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His fiancée is somewhat famous country singer Kylie Morgan who is signed to UMG Nashville, and are set to get married in October. Jay, originally from Iowa, also has built a solid career for himself in Nashville. His songs often are about life experiences; for instance, he sings about his mom’s early onset Alzheimer’s, his several tattoos, his Christian faith, and more. Jay has a very commercial pop country sound.
Jay’s website states that “after seeing his mother suffer from Alzheimer’s, Allen wrote “Blank Stares.” A video of him performing the song with his mother on stage in Iowa went viral with over 500 million views on Facebook. His mother has since passed, but Jay continues to be an advocate for the Alzheimer’s Association, and the song has gone on to raise over $50 million dollars to help fight the disease.” People TV, ABC News, and more featured the singer and his story.
Lana Love
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Lana describes herself as an alt-pop singer. Her style is reminiscent of an early Halsey and MARINA. Lana takes on various styles of music; she is a true chameleon. She has opened for Snoop Dogg and The Wu-Tang Clan as well as others. She performed to a 6000 seat crowd for an hour long solo special on PBS, she won the John Lennon songwriting competition with “American Love,” and her music has been used in various TV shows. According to Broadway World, she is now 100% independent, and she is “a lyricist for the upcoming Netflix documentary Malinche, written by Nacho Cano and orchestrated by Hans Zimmer”. She also appeared on FOX’s musical game show I Can See Your Voice.
Watch “American Love” at the Redlands Bowl HERE
Watch Lana on I Can See Your Voice HERE
Sadie Bass
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Sadie is a Nashville country singer-songwriter, originally from Michigan with a powerful voice. Based on her track record, she may be on the verge of becoming big. Sadie posts a mixture of hunting videos and singing videos. At 19, she left college to pursue a full-time music career. She has opened for various national acts including Billie Ray Cyrus, American Idol’s Jimmie Allen and Gabby Barrett, The Voice’s Danielle Bradbery, Walker Hayes, and more. She also is one of the more followed contestants on Instagram with 59.6K followers.
Check out Sadie’s original song “Imaginary Man” HERE.
Steven McMorran
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Steven McMorran is an experienced folksy Nashville singer-songwriter with a knack for storytelling. According to his bio on Nashville-based music publishing company Major Bob where he is a songwriter, “he has landed cuts with Parmalee, Eli Young Band, Jimmie Allen, Joe Nichols, Nate Smith, and Avery Anna.” He was also the lead singer of an alternative rock band called Satellite. Their song “Say The Words” from 10 years ago has over 1.5 million views to date.
Steven’s original song “Highway Man” HERE
Satellite’s “Say The Words” HERE
AS SEEN ON TIK TOK
Eric Who
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Eric is an extremely entertaining Tik Tok personality with 2.6 million followers on the platform. He does Starbucks reaction videos, food reaction videos, and most notably sing along videos with vocal exercises or runs for other singers to attempt. He is talented, but in a lot of his videos he is kind of messing around, so I’m excited to see stage performances from him. Eric is a mixture of soul, R&B, and pop. For the most part his original music is very laid back, featuring smooth runs.
He also was a part of the Applause House Season 1, where singers lived in a house and posted videos together on Tik Tok. He appeared on Season 1 with American Idol’s Graham DeFranco, Mary Jo Young, and Wyatt Pike.
Watch Eric sing “Happier than Ever” with Mary Jo HERE
Eva Ullmann
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Eva, a 21-year-old singer from Ponte Verde, Florida, and a student at Northeastern University is always attempting riff challenges on Tik Tok. She’s very transparent when doing so, showing multiple takes and mess-ups. A few of these videos have blown up. She has 478.4K likes on the platform with 45.3K followers. Her voice is very pop forward, and she has a big range, so her songs often have a lot of runs and riffs. Her original music has alternative elements to it as well.
Watch Eva’s “Halo” riff HERE
Zach Newbould
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Zach Newbould is a 17-year-old Massachusetts pop singer who also likes to cover country songs on his Tik Tok. Two years ago, his cover of Sam Fischer’s “This City” made him blow up. The cover has 101.2K likes and had 282K views. He now has over 71K followers. Zach has a pleasing pop tone with a nice rasp and good control over his voice. His voice is very commercial sounding,. He is very talented for his age.
Watch Sam’s “This City” cover HERE
AS SEEN ON TV
This category is made up of people who have competed or been showcased to a large viewing audience. I included one YouTube competition in this bunch as well.
Ansley Burns (AGT Season 14 Semifinalist)
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Country-tinged soulful singer Ansley Burns, from Easley, South Carolina, is probably the most familiar face this season out of those who have competed before. She will be especially familiar to America’s Got Talent fans, as she made the semifinals of Season 14. Her audition is memorable as Simon hated the track, but then she wowed when going acapella with Aretha’s “Think.” The same thing occurred during Judges Cuts; she was then brought back as a Wildcard where she made the semifinals. Now 16, Ansley’s control has improved some, so it’ll be interesting to see what she can do on The Voice. The 16-year-old has an impressive range with the ability to hit some really nice belting notes, taking on old school soul and pop numbers and giving them a little country twist with her southern sound.
Watch Ansley cover “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” HERE
Watch Ansley’s AGT audition HERE
Jillian Jordyn (SVU Actress)
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Will Olivia Benson make an appearance on this season of The Voice? Probably not, but 17-year-old singer and actress Jillian Jordyn who played Attica Staines in 2 episodes of Law & Order: SVU will. She has also played at several pro sports games. She started the sports gigs at the age of 12 when she performed at the Madison Square Garden at halftime. Jillian has a pure pop sound, taking on singers like SYTYCD’s Tate McRae and American Idol’s Lauren Spencer-Smith and The Voice’s Brynn Cartelli.
Watch Jillian cover “Flowers” HERE
Kim Cruse (Winner – Season 2 Race To The Blue (Terrell Show))
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Houston based Kim Cruse wasn’t literally gracing TV screens, but she was a part of the widely watched Race To The Blue, Terrell competition on YouTube where she won it all. She beat fellow finalist, American Idol’s Xavier Washington. Basically, 10 singers were selected and played song association each week where they were given a word and had to sing a song that had the word in it, and then voters, voted, and in the end, Kim won. The prize for winning was a trip to LA to sing on The Terrell Show where he often has famous guests to play song association including The Voice alums Ali Caldwell and MaKenzie Thomas. Kim’s video in LA with the famous blue wall has over 600K views on YouTube. Kim sings with a deep, rich tone, and is one of the season’s best vocalists.
Watch Kim after winning the Terrell Show Song Assocition HERE.
Nia Skyfer
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Nia’s real name is Stephanie Concepcion, but she goes by the stage name of Nia Skyfer. The Cuban born and Miami based singer competed on Reina De La Cancion (Univision’s Queen of Song competition) in 2019 where she auditioned with “Para darte mi vida.” The judges didn’t think she was ready, and she didn’t advance.
With Camila Cabello now a coach, some singers will likely sing Spanish or Latin songs to try to impress her and get her turn. Nia may be one of those singers as she has a lot of Spanish material. She has a breathy voice, and can take on slow pop ballads or Latin dance pop numbers. She has a fair amount of original music as well, most of which is Spanish.
Watch Nia cover “Bam Bam” HERE
Peyton Aldridge (American Idol Season 18 – Top 70)
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Peyton’s television time on American Idol wasn’t a lot, but it sure was memorable as a part of the “The Chicken Wings” duet drama in Season 18. He wasn’t practicing or cooperating with his duet partner Madison Paige and was instead eating chicken wings. The judges ended up advancing both singers after a messy yet serviceable performance of “Don’t You Wanna Stay” due to Peyton’s honesty when he apologized for bringing Madison down. He ended up making it to the top 70 where he was cut.
The country singer from Cleveland, Mississippi has a raspy tone that is sure to wow. He has a nice crossover appeal, and his tone could take on anything from country to southern rock to rock.
Watch Peyton sing “Too Good For Me” HERE
American Idol “Chicken Wings” drama HERE
“Chicken Wings” performance HERE
ANGELIC VOICES
These singers have soft, breathy tones that are chill-inducing, and I describe them as angelic voices.
Alyssa Witrado
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Cali-based Alyssa Witrado doesn’t have many clips on the internet, but the clips she does have are special. Videos of her singing at 7 and 8 years old, indicate how long she’s been performing. She has an angelic voice with a raw grit to it that suits modern pop and indie pop music. She may shock this season as she’s very raw, but there’s something appealing about her diamond in the rough approach, and she may have more power than these covers display.
Alyssa’s cover of Billie Eilish’s “Watch” HERE
Grace Bello
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Grace is another singer with a super soft, angelic voice, perfect for taking on pop ballads. She would’ve been perfect for Ariana if the singer returned to coach this season. Like Alyssa, she has surprising range and can sustain belts even though her tone remains pretty soft. She also has some angsty, pop rock covers on her pages. Additionally, was featured in Sabrina Carpenter Part 2 episode of the Glamour series “You Sang My Song.” Based on the video, Grace’s reaction was mature and contained a lot of wisdom.
Sabrina Carpenter Glamour (She’s the first singer): WATCH
“Honeymoon Fades” Cover: WATCH
I LOVE THEIR TONE!
These singers will make you crave more of their voices with tones that stand out, are interesting, and are artistic. Singing is more than just vocal ability. Some of these singers have great technique, but it is their tones that make them stand out.
Andrew Igbokidi
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Nigerian medical student Andrew, from Hot Springs, Arkansas, is sure to impress this season as one of the best male vocalists with a tone that stands out. The Voice should help determine his career path as he plans to attend medical school in the fall at the UAMS College of Medicine. His runs are so delicate and smooth that you will have chills down your spine while listening to him. His tone is perfectly suited for pop music with a dash of soul in it. It is sure to wow the coaches.
Andrew’s cover of Adele’s “Easy on Me” HERE
Ava Lynn
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Eighteen year old Ava Lynn Thuresson is a talented singer-songwriter, competitive dancer, and model from San Diego suburb Coronado, California. She has a beautiful rich tone with hints of soul and jazz mixed with current pop sounds. The Grammys selected her as one of the eight young singers to attend the 17th annual Grammy Camp in 2021. They also selected her in 2020. Her style is like a more pop version of singers like Amy Winehouse and Corinne Bailey Rae. It is refreshing to see a young singer sing with hints of soul and jazz.
Grammy Camp Original Songs Performed on “California Life”: HERE
Kayla Von Der Heide
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Kayla is a photographer and musician based in Bisbee, Arizona. She is a mix of western country, folk, and Americana. Her tone really pops and reminds me of singers like ZZ Ward and Elle King with vibrato like Brandi Carlisle. Her style is one of the most polarizing this season with a tone that is unlike what we usually hear on The Voice, so I can’t wait to see what she brings to the stage. She recently released an album called Marigold.
“The Highway Song” Cover HERE
Madison Hughes
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Madison’s style is a mix of Americana, country, and folk. She describes her style as “rootsy rock.” Interestingly, some articles say she has put out pop and R&B music. Madison does it all genre wise. She has tone for days, and her cover of “The Night We Met” is a preseason favorite. Madison is a Florida State graduate who is now a video journalist, spending her time in Florida and Nashville. Her tone won’t be for everyone, as it is a bit nasally like last season’s Lana Scott. The rasp in her voice reminds me a little bit of Miley Cyrus.
“The Night We Met” Cover HERE
Sasha Hurtado (American Idol S18 – Top 70)
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Sasha Hurtado, a singer-songwriter, from Dallas, Georgia, made the top 70 of Season 18 of American Idol when she was just 16. She was never aired. Sasha has one of my favorite tones of the entire season. Her voice has a cool breathiness to it, with control over her runs, and cool little breaks in her voice that are suited well to pop music. Sasha is a versatile singer and could take on pop music, R&B, and indie material. She’s got a great maturity to her sound. She has auditioned for The Voice before, but never got to the Blinds.
“Hold On” cover HERE
CLASSIC COUNTRY
These classic country sounding singers are destined to be popular with the core The Voice audience, who tend to love country music.
Austin Montgomery
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There are only a few videos of Austin out there, but he’s got a deep rich country crooner tone. The Hemet, California based singer is classic country through and through. The Voice audience usually digs this classic country sound, so if he makes it far, I could see him going deep into the competition. Austin also enjoys worship music, so we might get a taste of that.
“Tennessee Waltz” Cover HERE
Bryce Leatherwood – American Idol Season 18
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Bryce is another singer with a competition past. He made the celebrity judge auditions on American Idol Season 18, like Sasha and Peyton. It’s not known how far he made it as he was never aired. At the time, he studied at Georgia Southern. He has since graduated. Bryce also has a deep, rich tone, but with more range than Austin. Out of all the male country singers this season, Bryce has the most power, with the ability to hit high notes and held out notes. Bryce is definitely one to watch.
“Goodbye Time” cover HERE
SINGER-SONGWRITER
Although, several singers could fall under this label, these are singers that stand out as talented songwriters. Although, The Voice doesn’t allow originals throughout the competition, a songwriter often is also a great arranger, so that could help these singers create their performances.
Benny Weag
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Benny is a singer-songwriter originally from Garfield, Washington and is a quite versatile singer with a nice clarity to his tone. He sings anything from country and pop to soul, and writes his own songs. Benny has auditioned for the show many times (at least 4 times according to his website). He is now based in Western Montana where he often gigs. In 2017 he was diagnosed with Myotonia which he describes on his website as, “a genetic neuromuscular disorder in which the skeletal muscles are unable to terminate contraction after being used.”
“You Are The One” Original HERE
Cara Brindisi
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Cara is an easy-breezy singer-songwriter with a refreshing style from Worcester, Massachusetts. She is a blend of folk, country, and easy listening music. Think if Sarah McLachlan or Norah Jones sang country or folk music. She has a wealth of experience, including a degree in Music Therapy from Berklee (2011). She gigs locally and all across the New England area and has even opened for Chris Isaak and American Idol’s Adam Lambert.
Original song “Nashville” HERE
Devix
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Eric Torres who goes by Devix has auditioned for The Voice before. He made it all the way to the coaches in Season 19, but he received no chair turns and his audition wasn’t aired. He is based in Central Pennsylvania where he gigs, and writes beautiful indie pop songs with a touch of folk. We haven’t a lot of indie singers make it super far on The Voice, but Devix’s storytelling is very impressive.
Original song “Won’t Settle” HERE
THE DUOS
There are no groups like Girl Named Tom this year, but we do have two duos. These two duos have something in common. They are family. One’s a married couple and the other are sisters.
The Dryes
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Katelyn and Derek Drye are a married couple based in the Nashville area. They have been featured in Rolling Stone, CMT, and People Magazine. Derek’s mom died by suicide when he was a baby. His tragic experience inspired several of their songs. The couple has been married 11+ years and their song “War” has over 6 million streams on Spotify. The couple has beautiful sound with Katelyn bringing a lot of the power and Derek accompanying her and singing well-executed harmonies.
Original song War HERE
The Marilynds
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Their name is a play on words as this duo is made up of sisters Lindsay and Kacy Staniszewski who both won the title of Miss Maryland in 2010 and 2013 respectively, so the duo is used to being on a stage. The pair have stunning harmonies and play a variety of styles from country to folk to pop music and gigs around the Nashville area. Both singers also have great ranges and can hit some really nice belts.
“Humble and Kind” cover HERE
POP VIBES
When I think of pop artists who could sell music and are marketable, these singers give off that vibe. Each of them has something that sticks out as a pop singer or could sell a lot of records.
Bodie
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Bodie Wade who goes by the single name of Bodie is one of the most artistic singers this year. The now Orange County based singer started his career in Arizona. He raps and has a pure pop sound that is meant for today’s industry. His voice has so many layers to it. Think singers like Blackbear meets Bryce Vine meets Amine when it comes to Bodie’s sound.
Bodie isn’t the type of singer that usually goes on The Voice, so I’m looking forward to his journey. He has two songs with over a million streams and has a collab with established rapper Gnash (Garrett Nash). Bodie also suffers from Alopecia and has tried to raise awareness as well as use his music to express himself.
Watch a live set from Bodie HERE
Brayden Lape
Brayden recently turned 16. He is a country-pop singer from Grass Lake, Michigan and is the only one in this group who isn’t a pop singer. But his style of country music which is more on the country-pop side of things, is marketable. Brayden is trying out at the right time as he is a star 3-sport athlete, playing basketball, baseball, and football. In the future, he may need to decide between sports and music. He is a talented musician and his rawness might benefit him, as I expect him to grow a lot from the start to the end of the competition.
“Born for This” cover HERE
Jaeden Luke
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Jaeden is an indie pop singer from Washington who has released quite a bit of music, with an EP titled Anywhere out now. His song, “Beautiful” got the attention of the National Eating Disorder Association. He wrote the song for his sister who battled with an eating disorder but is now fully recovered. His sound is very commercial with a very clean tone and a hint of rasp. His pages feature a wide array of pop covers. Like Cara Brindisi, he has opened for Chris Isaak.
Beautiful cover HERE
Julia Aslansli
There isn’t much out there of this Deland, Florida based singer, but we were able to locate one video of her singing. She appears to be a pop singer with a nice tone. Check her cover of “Watermelon Sugar” out below.
“Watermelon Sugar” cover HERE
Her socials are private or have no content on them.
Kate Kalvach
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Kate is a worship singer from Oklahoma City who also sings a lot of pop music. She is the creative director of Hope Connection Church in OKC. She creates music with her Czech husband, Kalwich in her home studio. Her tone has a very rich sound with clarity to it. Kate’s original “Pieces of My Heart” is the best pre-season original I’ve heard. Her voice is incredible, with a really cool vibrato, and the control she has over it is impressive. Her voice would also suit EDM music very well.
“Pieces of my Heart” cover HERE
Sydney Paige
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Sydney Kronmiller, also known as Sydney Paige is a student at the Berklee College of Music. Her sound is a very marketable soulful pop. She’s great harmonizing as well as doing runs. I’m assuming singers like H.E.R. and Alessia Cara are influences to Sydney’s sound. She’s also a talented songwriter.
Listen to an original song HERE
Tanner Howe
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Tanner Howe is a singer-songwriter from Southern California and is about as pop sounding as it gets. He studied at the Musician’s Institute in Hollywood. On his pages, he takes on today’s biggest artists like Justin Bieber and Shawn Mendes, and his tone is crystal clear with a nice upper range. He often likes to slow songs down and make them bigger.
“In the Stars” cover HERE
YOU CAN SING THAT NOTE?
Constance Howard
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Constance Howard who also goes by Victoria Constance is a teacher from Katy, Texas. Her range is crazy impressive as nearly every one of her covers has an abundance of unexpected whistle notes built in them. She has even tackled Mariah’s crazy whistle notes a few times. Only time will tell if Constance is just full of vocal tricks, or if she has what it takes to go far.
High Note Compilation HERE
Emma Brooke
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Emma Brooke Alley, a student at Converse University in South Carolina, has an interesting background. She has performed at several major events across South Carolina including the governor’s town hall, and she opened for Hunter Hayes. She has years of vocal training in classical music, and she sings opera, pop, and worship music. The cover included here doesn’t show off her opera singing or much range, because I doubt she does opera on the show. Only a few classical singers have been on The Voice, and they tend to not sing opera. Fun fact: Emma was called out of the audience to join Lauren Daigle on stage at her concert.
“Your Song” cover HERE
Justin Aaron
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Justin Aaron Black is a gospel and R&B singer from Junction City, Kansas. He is what I call a run technician, meaning he is able to execute nearly perfect runs. The way he hits the runs wowed me several times, as they are unexpected showing off abundant talent. He used to play with a band called Royal Priesthood.
Watch Justin sing HERE.
Kevin Hawkins
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Kevin has a crazy good and high falsetto and overall he has loads of range. He is initially from Dallas, but now spends time in both Dallas and LA. He graduated from North Texas with degrees in Vocal Performance and Music Education. Kevin compares his sound to “Prince and John Legend”. His vocal chops and acrobatics should take him far. He also has quite a bit of his own music. He’s featured in The Voice 22 first promo featuring singers.
“All Night Long” cover HERE
Morgan Myles
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Morgan is a powerhouse adult contemporary soul singer with a dash of country in there. It appears back in 2016, she tried to impress as a country singer, but has gone more towards soul-tinged music lately. I almost didn’t include her in this category because she makes the notes she sings sound so effortless, but her website notes she has a “5-octave vocal range.” Her music has been featured in Billboard, CMT, and Rolling Stones.
She is originally from Pennsylvania, but currently based in Nashville and has opened for acts like Little Big Town and Hank Williams Jr. It’s shocking that she isn’t already famous as most singers only dream of having her talent.
“Sanctuary” Live HERE
Omar Cardona
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Omar, a singer from Orlando, is another vocal beast who can sing any genre from pop to R&B to rock. He often collaborates with Season 4 Finalists of The Sing-Off, Voiceplay. His runs and riffs are the cleanest of anyone this season. Omar is someone who is likely to have a showstopping performance as his vocals are a tour de force. He is a professional session singer who has done backing vocals for professional singers, sang for Walt Disney and Universal studios, and in numerous of other places.
“We Are Young” cover HERE
SOULFUL SOUNDS
David Andrew
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David Cistrunk who goes by stage name David Andrew is a graduate of Belmont University where he studied Commercial Music. He is a worship music singer-songwriter who is still based in Nashville where he has been performing the past few years. He’s got a smooth and soulful voice, and was a part of the group of Belmont students that backed Mickey Guyton during her ACM performance of “Hold On.”
“Letting it Go” cover HERE.
Destiny Lilia
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Destiny Parker who goes by the stage name, Destiny Lilia is a student at Berklee College of Music. Read how she’s overcome struggles including homelessness and how she got a full tuition scholarship HERE. Destiny is influenced by a lot of the greats and comes alive on stage as she’s a very passionate performer. She has a beautiful rich soulful tone, and based on some of her runs I’d assume Beyonce is a big influence of hers. She also lists past The Voice coach
Christina Aguilera as an influence.
“A Song For You” Cover HERE
Dia Malai
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Dia auditioned for this past season of American Idol, but she was never aired. Not taking no for answer, Dia must have immediately auditioned for The Voice. Based in Waltham, Massachusetts. Dia’s soulful style fits in well with modern-day R & B. Singers like LiBianca’s success may pave the way for singers like Dia, showcasing more urban R&B on the show. Dia’s runs are smooth and her tone reminds me of Alicia Keys at times.
“On It” cover HERE
Morgan Taylor
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Morgan Taylor has a cool husky voice with crazy good control over her runs. She is a student at Belmont University and is roommates with The Voice Season 15 contestant Abby Cates. They have a few duets together. She is the least pure soul singer out of this group, but often the pop songs she takes on have soulful undertones. She’s also an incredible songwriter. And, she has one of the largest Instagram followings this season with 82.9K followers.
“Hypotheticals” cover HERE.
Solsong
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There aren’t a ton of current high-quality videos featuring 28-year-old singer, Solsong singing, but there are a few nice covers including his soulful take on “Easy On Me” by Adele. It appears he is a bit theatrical and enjoys singing jazz songs. He also has some covers in Spanish.
“Easy On Me” cover HERE
Valarie Collins-Harding
Valarie, a singer from Owasso, Oklahoma, is one of this year’s most experienced singers when it comes to performing. There are clips of her from gigs 10 years ago, performing with her husband Parry Harding. She also performs under the name of Ms Val. Valarie has a gorgeous soulful voice, her low notes are a sweet spot of her voice and she shows restraint in her approach while still creating big vocal moments.
“Weak” cover HERE
OLD SCHOOL VIBES
These singers have classic sounds, and they love throwbacks. Each one of them has a bit of an old soul to them. If you like oldies, these singers could be for you.
Daysia Reneau
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Daysia is an old soul in a high schooler’s body. This Leavenworth, Kansas native often takes on jazz and soul classics as she sings around Leavenworth. Read this article about how her aunt and uncle became legal guardians of her and her sister due to a death in the family in 2017. Her uncle James operates a Jazz Club, called 424 Lounge where he is the chef. Daysia often plays there. Daysia has also prepared herself for “The Voice” by competing in several local competitions.
“Misty” cover HERE
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Hillary Ward plays gigs with a variety band called Blues Berry Hill Band in West Chester, Pennsylvania. They play a variety of music, but mainly do classics. Based on a solo cover she posted, she may want to branch out and go with more current music and sing some pop or adult contemporary music. The Voice may be her shot to do so. Fun fact: Hillary recently got married. It was in the middle of taping, so expect the newly wed Hillary Torchiana to still go by Hillary Ward.
“Dreams” cover HERE
Kara McKee
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The Boston based singer plays for patients at hospitals. She also performs in a family band with her cousins who are sisters, called Rosemere Road. Kara is a folk singer with some rock and a hint of rasp to her sound. Rather than modern indie folk, Kara takes on classic singers like Bob Dylan and Paul Simon. Her laid-back sound is quite refreshing.
“It Takes A Lot To Laugh Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry” cover HERE
THE PRODIGY
La Reina Ley
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There’s always that one contestant who is super young; think winner Carter Rubin or last season finalist Hailey Mia. La Reina Ley is this year’s young prodigy at the young age of 13. Reina has uploaded pop covers as well as mariachi covers. Her voice is a bit raw, but her ability to hold out notes is quite impressive. It wouldn’t be shocking if she came out singing Spanish to impress new coach Camila Cabello. Reina’s youth and talent at a young age could carry her far this season. She really thrives on her mariachi type music. I wonder if a mainstream show like The Voice would let Reina showcase this niche genre.
“Jalisco no te Rajes” cover HERE
PURE ENTERTAINMENT
Chello
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There’s not a lot of information on Chello, but I would describe him as an alternative pop artist. Chello has a little rasp, and a pretty easygoing sound to him. He also has a few looping covers from a few years ago, in addition to a few comedy videos. I’m putting him in this entertainment category for that reason. Maybe, he’ll bring looping covers to the Blind Auditions. I’ve seen it on The Voice Australia, so that would be interesting.
“Stay” cover HERE
Kique Gomez
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Kique is the most entertaining vocalist this season. His vocal choices are unpredictable. He flips songs, sings with hints of reggae and jazz at times, has loads of rasp, and his low notes remind me a bit of Noah Mac. His live performances also show off stage presence. Kique is one of my top contestants to watch.
“Crazy” cover HERE
Orlando Mendez
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Orlando, who calls himself the Cuban cowboy, is a country/southern rock singer who is loads of fun. The Orlando based singer is not necessarily the most unique country singer, but he is entertaining on stage. Additionally, Orlando mentioned in an article, that he has also performed Latin Dance and R & B. He also might bring the drama as he holds a BFA in Acting from the University of Florida. He has released music under Dito (Latin Dance music), and he performs country music with the Orlando Mendez band.
“Can’t You See” cover HERE.
Parijita
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Parijita Bastola, known as just Parijita, could be in multiple categories as the Nepalese singer is a very strong vocalist, and an experienced performer for her age. She brings bluesy, soulful spins to every song she sings. She is a 17-year-old, senior in high school from Severna Park, Maryland, and is the lead singer of a band called The Soul as well as the band Bastola. Her takes on songs have depth and emotion. Some of her clips with a band are quite entertaining as well.
Rowan Grace
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I’m putting Rowan Grace in the entertainment group as she also fronts a band (Rowan Grace Band) at a young age. She sings mainly pop covers with her solo material, but can sure rock out with her band! She’s from Rapid City, South Dakota, and has even been called the future of rock in the state. The high school junior has a mature voice with great control. In the below piano solo, her voice really shines.
“Slipping Through My Fingers” cover HERE
SO RASPY!
These singers have a raw grit to their voices!
Ian Harrison
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Ian Harrison is from Delaware, Ohio. He is an alternative artist, singing anything from pop to rock to country to folk. He’s quite versatile from the little material he has out there. There’s a rawness about his voice that is very appealing as the breaks is his voice are stylistic and pure. He’s also a solid songwriter.
Original song HERE
Tanner Fussell
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Tanner is a Nashville based country rock singer with loads of rasp. He’s originally from Southern Georgia, lived in Nashville starting a band called “Half-Seas Over.” But then left for Colorado for a few years where he started singing solo. He has since returned with a solo career and the band “Steelin’ Hearts.”
“She Talks To Angels” cover HERE
