Going into the Season 29 finale of “The Voice,” coach Kelly Clarkson had a greater advantage over fellow coaches John Legend and Adam Levine, with two of her singers making it into the top four.
But in the end it was Levine who concluded the season as the victorious coach, thanks to the powerhouse vocals of the last singer standing on his team.
Who won Season 29 of ‘The Voice’?
On Tuesday night, “The Voice” declared that Alexia Jayy received the most votes, officially making her the Season 29 champion who will claim the $100,000 prize and a record deal.
The 31-year-old singer from Mobile, Alabama, has delivered strong performances all season, covering hits from legendary artists including Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin and Patti LaBelle. Early on in the competition, Legend — one of the more selective coaches on the show — even compared Jayy to Gladys Knight.
Jayy’s win marks Levine’s fourth overall victory as a coach — and his first in over a decade. The longtime “Voice” coach last won with contemporary Christian singer Jordan Smith in 2015. He also previously won the show’s inaugural season with Javier Colon back in 2011 and in Season 5 with Tessanne Chin.
Sixteen-year-old Liv Ciara, who was rejected last season on the show, made a stunning comeback and concluded the season as the runner-up behind Jayy.
Who is ‘Voice’ winner Alexia Jayy?
After Jayy took on Houston’s “You Give Good Love” during the Knockout round, Clarkson turned and looked at Levine and made a bold declaration: “She’s gonna win.”
Clarkson’s prediction has now come to fruition.
During the finale Tuesday night, Jayy had the coaches in awe, and then in tears, with her performances.
“I just see a star up there. You carry yourself like you are supposed to be on the Grammys,” Legend said following the singer’s take on LaBelle’s “Lady Marmalade.”
After Jayy’s second performance during the finale, an emotional rendition of Adele’s “One and Only,” Legend had tears streaming down his face. Clarkson could barely talk other than to simply say, “You’re so good.”
Levine, meanwhile, had to take a long pause before he could speak.
“You are important, man. You make people reflect on their own life. When you tap into that, you make the world feel a little bit more together and communal. That’s really, really special,” he told Jayy. “I’ve never experienced the feeling that we all just had together. Thank you for being a messenger, man. You’re unbelievable.”
While a major step forward career-wise, Jayy’s “Voice” win is also significant on a personal level as she’s had her son along for the ride.
“It means a lot, because we’ve been through so much together,” she previously told “Voice” producers ahead of her audition. “He has seen me stop and start, stop and start. But he’s never seen me give up, and he’s so proud of me right now.”
The singer’s time on “The Voice” began with a performance of Carole King’s “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman.” She channeled Aretha Franklin’s soulful take on the song and earned a chair turn from all three coaches.
“You have it all,” Legend told Jayy during the audition. “You’re my type of singer.”
Both Clarkson and Levine seemed to assume Jayy would select Legend to be her coach. They were visibly shocked when Jayy, whose son is a Maroon 5 fan, went with Levine.
“You have one of the best voices I’ve ever heard on this show — ever,” Levine told her.
Jayy consistently drew high praise from the coaches throughout her time in the competition.
During the Battle round, which featured a performance of Commodores’ “Nightshift,” Legend compared her to Gladys Knight.
“There are just moments where I’m listening to you sing that just make me want to cry,” Levine said following the performance. “It’s beautiful what you do. ... You are just a gift.”
Jayy earned a spot in the Season 29 finale with her rendition of Aretha Franklin’s “I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You).”
Alexia Jayy performances on ‘The Voice’
Below are all of Jayy’s performances during her run on “The Voice”:
Blind audition — Carole King’s ‘(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman’
Battle round — Commodores’ ‘Nightshift’
Knockouts — Whitney Houston’s ‘You Give Good Love’
Semifinals — Aretha Franklin’s ‘I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)’
Season finale — Patti LaBelle’s ‘Lady Marmalade’
Season finale — Adele’s ‘One and Only’
Season finale — Duet of Maroon 5’s ‘Sunday Morning’ with coach Adam Levine