Julie Henne NBC’s The Voice began its seventeenth season in October with forty-eight of America’s best singers, the show is narrowed down to the top four finalists.
Next week will be the finale, and for the first time in seven seasons, all four coaches-Blake Shelton, Gwen Stefani, John Legend, and Kelly Clarkson-will have a team member competing. It will certainly be a close finale, but only one of the remaining four can win the competition. Each of the singers has a different style of singing and something unique to bring to the table, and this article will examine the likes of each of them to win the show.
Rose Short-Team Gwen
Rose Short beat out Kelly Clarkson’s young duo of Hello Sunday and Team Blake’s Kat Hammock in the Instant Save Monday night to claim the last spot in the finale with her performance of Aretha Franklin’s “(You Make Me Feel Like) a Natural Woman”. Rose is originally from Killeen, Texas, and was working as a corrections officer before auditioning for The Voice. Rose’s blind audition performance of “Preach” immediately showcased her powerful voice, her style that is a mix between soul and Gospel, and her brave, courageous spirit.
Rose eventually chose Gwen Stefani as her coach and has gained hundreds of fans and supporters through performances that included a fantastic rendition of “God’s Country” and her amazing cover of “I Want to Know What Love Is” in the semifinals. In the end, however, Rose’s style of singing may be too close to that of fellow finalist Katie Kadan and may be overshadowed by her and the other two finalists.
Predicted Placement-Fourth
Ricky Duran-Team Blake
Ricky Duran was turned four chairs with his blind audition of “River”, by Leon Bridges. The coaches recognized how special Ricky’s voice was, with his vocal control, the passion and emotion he is able to transfer into his singing, and his ability to use more or less power in certain areas of the song, to wail, or to use his head or chest voice. In more recent performances, Ricky has also shown off his guitar skills.
Ricky has performed songs that fit into many genres, including pop, rock, and country, which makes him a perfect fit for Coach Blake Shelton, who has won the show six times with singers from a variety of genres. Ricky’s semi-final performance of “Let it Be”, a song that was close to his heart and those of his family members, rocketed him into one of the four spots in the finale, as did his heartfelt rendition of “You Are the Best Thing”, which was dedicated to his girlfriend. Ricky’s diversity and unique voice will likely put him into the top two of the season.
Predicted Placement-Second
Jake Hoot-Team Kelly
Perhaps the biggest surprise of the Season 17 finale, Jake Hoot gained a following around the Top 11 and Top 10 stages of the competition. The supporters of the country singer call themselves the “Hooters”, a reference to his last name, forming as the “dark horse” competitor slowly gained his place under the spotlight. Jake was a one-chair turn in the Blind Auditions after singing a Luke Combs song and was picked up by an enthusiastic Kelly Clarkson.
He gave an amazing performance of Trace Adkins’ “Every Light in the House” to gain a place in the Top 10, but what has largely been considered his best cover happened just last week, when Jake sang TheEagles’ “Desperado” in the semi-finals. Jake’s family has played a crucial role in his journey on the show, as he dedicated the song to his mother, and has spoken about how he chose to audition for the show as a way to show his young daughter that her dreams can come true. In the last few weeks, Jake has truly shown the kind of artist that he is, and will likely place behind Ricky Duran and Team Legend’s Katie Kadan.
Predicted Placement-Third
Katie Kadan-Team Legend
In the history of “The Voice”, there has never been a singer like Katie Kadan. Hailing from Chicago, the finalist’s voice is a combination of pure power, control, and just the right amount of wailing. Her style of singing is a mix between pop, blues, and soul, and she is often at her best when performing songs like “Rolling in the Deep” by Adele, and “Lady Marmalade” by LaBelle. Katie’s blind audition was the first four-chair turn of the season, and was a result of Katie’s powerful, amazing rendition of Aretha Franklin’s “Baby I Love You.” She eventually chose to be on the team of the reigning champion, John Legend. Katie has spoken openly about how when she was young she sung in church and choir, but then stayed out of music for years because she was ashamed of how she looked. However, her confidence and phenomenal voice have taken her this far in the competition, and it is unlikely that her journey will be over without a first-place win.
Predicted Placement-First
On Monday and Tuesday, these four finalists will perform several times each to prove why they should be crowned champion of The Voice. And with their different styles, personalities, and skills, it will certainly be difficult to choose who it will be.
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