“The Voice” has officially revealed the top nine singers for the season. Here’s a rundown of all the performers, who will compete Dec. 7 for a spot in the show’s finale.
Team John Legend
Most audience votes: John Holiday
John Holiday, a 35-year-old opera singer from Rosenberg, Texas, has shocked the coaches on the “Voice” from day 1.
“Your range is so incredible I didn’t know you were a dude,” Kelly Clarkson said after Holiday’s blind audition. “My face, that will be a GIF. I was so shocked when I turned around.”
For Holiday, who is a voice professor at Lawrence University, being on “The Voice” during the pandemic has been about a lot more than winning.
“When I sing, my prayer is that it will help to elevate someone out of a position where they feel like there is no more hope,” Holiday told the Deseret News. “It doesn’t go unnoticed in my mind that there are people out there who are struggling, who are grieving loss of loved ones, loss of work, don’t know where their next check is coming from, where their next meal is coming from.
“Maybe it’s selfish of me, but I hope that in the 10 minutes that people get to see me on TV that I can remind them that it will get better,” he continued. “Even though it’s chaotic right now, it’s gonna get better. I don’t have to win the show if I’ve done that for somebody else. If I can do that, I’ve already won.”
John’s pick: Tamara Jade
Tamara Jade, a 30-year-old singer from Maryland, has been a “Voice” frontrunner from the start this season. Her audition — a four chair turn — was the first to air this season. After she performed Lizzo’s “Cuz I Love You” (Jade was one of Lizzo’s backup singers/dancers at the 2019 MTV Video Music Awards), Blake Shelton told her: “I in my heart think you can win this thing.”
Wild card instant save: The one and only save of this round went to country singer Bailey Rae. The 18-year-old from Roberta, Oklahoma, has been praised throughout the season for her traditional country roots. Her audition came near the end of the first round, when Shelton and Clarkson’s teams were already full. That left Legend in a good position to pick her up.
Although Shelton promised Rae he’d save her if she ever got eliminated during a future round on the show, Rae has remained on Legend’s team the entire time. She is the first country artist Legend has coached on “The Voice.”
Team Kelly Clarkson
Most audience votes: Desz
During Desz’s audition, all four “Voice” coaches turned for a chance to get the singer from Houston on their team. Clarkson was the first to turn, and, ultimately, that’s who Desz ended up picking. She’s remained on Clarkson’s team the entire time this season. On YouTube, the 30-year-old singer’s audition has been viewed nearly 2 million times.
Kelly’s pick: Cami Clune
Cami Clune, a 20-year-old singer from Buffalo, New York, was another four-chair turn of the season with her unique performance of Bon Iver’s “Skinny Love.” Although Clarkson was the first person to turn for Clune — and even used her one and only block of the round to prevent Shelton from snagging the singer — Clune ended up going with Legend, who called her performance “mesmerizing.”
“I would love to help you navigate all the way to finale,” Legend told her after the audition.
In the Knockout round, though, Legend ended up choosing Holiday over Clune. But before she was officially eliminated, Clarkson saved the singer and brought her to her team.
Team Gwen Stefani
Most audience votes: Carter Rubin
At 14, Carter Rubin is the youngest singer in the competition this year. After his audition — which has been viewed more than 2 million times on YouTube — the singer from Long Island, New York, had his pick between Legend and Gwen Stefani. Although Legend noted that Rubin is the youngest singer he’s ever turned for, Rubin ended up going with Stefani, and has remained on her team the entire time.
Gwen’s pick: Ben Allen
Ben Allen, a 42-year-old country singer from Florida, started out the show joining Shelton’s team. But Stefani stole Allen during the Knockout round and ended up saving him again during Tuesday night’s results episode.
After Allen’s audition, Clarkson predicted he would go far: “You’re going to kill it and probably go to the finale,” she said.
Team Blake Shelton
Most audience votes: Ian Flanigan
For getting just one chair turn that came near the end of his audition, country singer Ian Flanigan — who Shelton has compared to Joe Cocker — has gone surprisingly far in the competition. The singer, who was living in a motor home and touring full-time with his family at the time of his audition, has remained on Blake Shelton’s team throughout the season.
Blake’s pick: Although Legend put up a fight to get Jim Ranger on his team, the 38-year-old singer from Bakersfield, California, picked Shelton and has remained with the country singer for the entire season.