The four-time Emmy Award-winning "The Voice" returns with the strongest vocalists from across the country invited to compete in the blockbuster vocal competition show's new season.
Superstar singer-songwriter Kelly Clarkson makes her debut as a coach this season, with Season 12-winning coach and musical icon Alicia Keys taking a red chair alongside the show's returning coaches, Adam Levine and Blake Shelton, and host Carson Daly.
The show's innovative format features five stages of competition: the first begins with the blind auditions, then the battle rounds, knockouts, playoffs and, finally, the live performance shows.
During the blind auditions, the decisions from the musician coaches are based solely on voice and not on looks. The coaches hear the artists perform, but they don't get to see them - thanks to rotating chairs. If a coach is impressed by the artist's voice, he or she pushes a button to select the artist for his or her team. At this point, the coach's chair will swivel so that he or she can face the artist he or she has selected. If more than one coach pushes his or her button, the power then shifts to the artists to choose which coach they want to work with. If no coach pushes a button, the artist is eliminated from the competition.
Once the teams are set, the battle is on.
The coaches dedicate themselves to developing their teams of artists, giving them advice and sharing the secrets of their success, along with help from their celebrity advisers. During the battle rounds, the coaches pit two of their own team members against each other to sing the same song together in front of a studio audience. After the vocal battle, the coach must choose which of his or her singers will advance to the next round of competition, while the losing artist is available to be stolen by another coach. Each coach has two steals available during the battle rounds.
At the end of the battle rounds, only the strongest members of each coach's roster remain and proceed to the knockout rounds. Here, the artists will be paired against a teammate once more, but this time they will select their own songs to perform individually while their direct competitor watches and waits. They are vying for their coach's confidence and decision to take them to the final and crucial round before the live shows, the playoffs.
One superstar universal adviser will be on hand to work with all of the coaches and their teams as they prepare the artists for this challenge. But the coaches alone will choose the winner and the artist not selected will be available to be stolen by another coach.
Each coach has one steal available during the knockout rounds.
In the playoff rounds, the Top 20 artists will compete to secure a spot in the live shows. Artists will perform and the coaches will then select three of their five artists to complete their roster and move on to the final phase of the competition - the live shows.
In the final live performance phase of the competition, the Top 12 artists will compete each week against each other during a live broadcast. The television audience will vote to save their favorite artists. Three artists with the lowest number of votes will be eligible for the instant save. These artists will each perform a new song that represents why they should earn the save. America will then have the opportunity to save their favorite performer by tweeting out #VoiceSave along with the artist's name. The singers with the lowest number of votes will be sent home each week. In the end, one will be named "The Voice" and will receive the grand prize of a recording contract.
"The Voice" is a presentation of MGM Television, Talpa Media USA Inc. and Warner Horizon Unscripted & Alternative Television. The series was created by John de Mol, who serves as executive producer along with Mark Burnett, Audrey Morrissey, Lee Metzger, Chad Hines, Amanda Zucker, Kyra Thompson and Stijn Bakkers.
CREDITS
Day and Time
Mondays and Tuesdays 8/7c
Host
Carson Daly
Coaches
Kelly Clarkson, Alicia Keys, Adam Levine, Blake Shelton
Executive Producers
John de Mol, Mark Burnett, Audrey Morrissey, Lee Metzger, Chad Hines, Amanda Zucker, Kyra Thompson, Stijn Bakkers
Developed By
John de Mol
Director
Alan Carter
Segment Director
Alex Van Wagner
Co-Executive Producer
Teddy Valenti
Supervising Producers
Anthea Bhargava, Keith Dinielli, May Johnson, Clyde Lieberman, Kyley Tucker
Senior Producers
Ashley Baumann, Brittany Martin Porter, Bart Kimball
Producers
Carson Daly, Amanda Borden, Dan Paschen, Tod Schellinger, Jared Wyso
Supervising Casting Producer
Michelle McNulty
Supervising Digital Producer
Amanda Horning
Consulting Producer
Melissa Wong
Production Designer
Anton Goss
Off-Stage Production Designer
James Connelly
Lighting Designer
Oscar Dominguez
Origination
Los Angeles, California
Produced By
MGM Television, Talpa Media USA Inc., Warner Horizon Unscripted & Alternative Television
Format By
Talpa Content, B.V.
Brynn Cartelli, winner of “The Voice,” with her coach, pop star Kelly Clarkson. (Trae Patton/NBC)
Kelly Clarkson was a brand-new coach on “The Voice” this year — but that didn’t stop her from making a bold proclamation in the very first episode of the season in February, when she made a bid for contestant Brynn Cartelli.
“I can win with you,” Clarkson said to Cartelli, the teenage pop-soul phenom who stunned everyone in the blind audition by belting out Labrinth and Emeli Sandé’s “Beneath Your Beautiful.”
Blake Shelton also wanted Cartelli on his team, and the two coaches started bickering. (Shelton: “Kelly has absolutely no experience on this show whatsoever.” Clarkson: “I had enough experience that he had me mentor his team on the second season!”) Eventually, Cartelli chose Clarkson, one of her idols growing up.
It paid off in a big way, as Clarkson proved prophetic: On Tuesday night, Cartelli, a high school freshman from Massachusetts, was crowned champion of “The Voice” Season 14, winning $100,000 and a recording contract with Universal Music Group. As the show’s youngest winner ever, she triumphed over country singer Spensha Baker, soul powerhouse Kyla Jade and folk rocker Britton Buchanan, who was the runner-up.
From left: Kyla Jade, Spensha Baker, Brynn Cartelli and Britton Buchanan await the results from host Carson Daly. (Tyler Golden/NBC)
As the judges gushed repeatedly throughout the season, Cartelli’s voice is wildly impressive for a 15-year-old, not to mention her poise and confidence on stage. Clarkson dubbed her everything from “a unicorn” to “an anomaly,” while Alicia Keys said she has “a maturity that’s way beyond [her] years.” Yet during the two-night finale this week, it appears Cartelli could actually be a game-changer for the singing competition — because she has a real shot at becoming the show’s first mainstream star.
Before you roll your eyes, yes, we know — the same thing has been predicted about contestants in the past, and it hasn’t happened. For all the success of “The Voice,” still one of the country’s most-watched TV shows, the most common criticism is that it hasn’t produced an actual superstar. While some contestants have found music careers after the show, particularly in Nashville, plenty struggle. And no one has come near the level of … well, Clarkson, who rocketed to stardom after winning the first season of “American Idol” in 2002.
Anyway, here’s why we think Cartelli could be different than past “Voice” winners: Her coronation song, “Walk My Way” sounds like a track that could easily become a 2018 song of the summer contender, and it’s dropping at the perfect time.
Since the seventh season, nearly all the final four contestants are required to sing an original song in the finale, which will serve as their first single if they win. There have been several quality tunes, such as Season 7 winner Craig Wayne Boyd’s “My Baby’s Got a Smile on Her Face,” which briefly topped the country charts; Season 8 winner Sawyer Fredericks’s “Please,” written by Ray LaMontagne; and Chris Blue’s “Money On You,” produced by Tinashe Sibanda, who has written for Maroon 5 and Rita Ora.
However, none of these were breakout hits, and that leads us to Cartelli’s song. “Walk My Way” was written by Julia Michaels, Justin Tranter and Nick Monson. Michaels, who performed with Cartelli on the finale and was a “Voice” mentor this season, is one of pop music’s most prominent rising artists. Tranter is an extremely successful songwriter for acts from Britney Spears to Selena Gomez, and Monson is known for producing Lady Gaga. Those credentials alone give the song a boost, plus the fact it is unbelievably catchy. Sure, the track might not be your style, but the chorus will almost certainly get stuck in your head. (Particularly the studio version.)
“‘Walk My Way’ is something you would hear on the radio right now,” Cartelli explained Monday night after she sang it for the first time. “Just knowing that this is something current, this is something that people are going to be able to jam out to with their friends – it makes me pumped up to sing it.”
After the finale, “Walk My Way” was at No. 1 on iTunes, next to Buchanan’s “Where You Come From”; a very meaningful tune that the 19-year-old runner-up wrote himself, although not as likely to catch on at radio.
So it will be telling to see if Cartelli can break through. All the stars seemed to be aligned, and Clarkson said she’s already heard from people in the industry who want to work with Cartelli. In the past, Adam Levine has been critical of record labels who drop the ball with talented “Voice” winners — but as Cartelli leaves the show armed with Clarkson’s support and a potential hit song, she just may have the best chance of anyone so far.
Read more:
A former contestant from ‘The Voice’ spills how the NBC singing show really operates
‘The Voice’ is becoming a battle of Kelly Clarkson vs. Blake Shelton — for country singers
How Chloe Kohanski won ‘The Voice’ Season 13, despite a big mistake by Miley Cyrus
Congratulations are in order for Brynn Cartelli!
The fan-favorite contestant of season 14 — known for her mature sound and style — was crowned the winner of The Voice on Tuesday. The 15-year-old officially becomes the youngest finalist to win in series history as previous teen winners were Danielle Bradbery (season 4) and Sawyer Christopher Fredericks (season 8), both 16.
Cartelli’s win marks the very first victory for first-time coach Kelly Clarkson.
RELATED: Kelly Clarkson’s Style on The Voice Is All About ‘Showing Off Her Curves’
Brynn Cartelli Tyler Golden/NBC
“Kelly behind the scenes is the same way you see her on camera. She is hilarious. She’s really real and caring. I’ve always looked up to her and now that I can get advice from her, it’s incredible,” Cartelli said.
“I’m gonna be Brynn’s big sis for life. One just because I love her parents. We would totally barbeque. She’s kind of stuck with me regardless if she desires it or not,” Clarkson joked. “I love being her friend, I love being her mentor and being her cheerleader.”
RELATED: The Voice‘s Final Four Look Ahead to the Season 14 Finale – How They’re Gearing Up for the Big Night
Brynn Cartelli
The star-studded evening featured special performances by Jason Aldean, James Bay, Big Sean, Florence + The Machine, Halsey, Dua Lipa and season 13 winner Chloe Kohanski. Cartelli was paired up with one of her idols Julia Michaels for a medley of “Issues” and “Jump,” and it couldn’t have been a better match.
As the youngest contestant on this season at 15 years old, the Massachusetts native balances her love for music with her busy school schedule and love for sports like lacrosse.
Want to keep up on the latest from PEOPLE? Sign up for our daily newsletter to get our best stories of the day delivered straight to your inbox.
RELATED VIDEO: Kelly Clarkson Backstage
Establishing herself as a growing musician in her hometown through school talent shows, Cartelli enjoyed playing at local coffee shops and smaller venues before finding success on The Voice.
Cartelli auditioned not one, but two times — once in New York and then in L.A. — before taking the stage in front of the judges and getting a four-chair turn from during the blind auditions. She picked Clarkson because she said she has always been a fan of the “Piece By Piece” singer.
RELATED: Kelly Clarkson Made Her Fellow Voice Coaches Handmade Quilts — But Jokes ‘Don’t Look 2 Closely’
The Voice Trae Patton/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty
“[Kelly has been] setting me up for a future after the show so that everyone has an idea of who I am as an artist so that the fans who followed me on this journey get what they deserve from me, which is a pop/soul style of music,” Cartelli previously told reporters about what kind of coach Clarkson is, having been down this singing competition path, herself, when she won the first season of American Idol in 2002.
“She’s so encouraging and down to earth,” Cartelli said.
RELATED GALLERY: A Complete Guide to Every Winner of The Voice
CLOSE The Season 14 winner of ‘The Voice’ is the youngest in the shows history to take the title. USA TODAY
Brynn Cartelli, left, winner of Season 14 of "The Voice," shares her victory with her coach, Kelly Clarkson. (Photo: Trae Patton, NBC)
One night after American Idol crowned its first champion since its resurrection on ABC, it was NBC's turn, naming the winner of The Voice's 14th season.
Kelly Clarkson, the inaugural American Idol champ who officially joined the Voice coaching panel this season, claimed her first win with 15-year-old Brynn Cartelli, the youngest champion to date. (The Massachusetts high schooler, who was 14 when she was cast, celebrated her birthday in April.)
The show's winners are chosen by tallying viewer votes through the show's phone and tablet apps, the NBC website and text as well as iTunes purchases. Fans can vote up to 10 times per artist.
The two African-American finalists, both coached by six-time winner Blake Shelton, were cut first: Spensha Baker, a 24-year-old aspiring country singer from San Antonio and Kyla Jade, a Nashville-based gospel singer who was encouraged to audition by none other than past and future Voice coach and Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson.
"The Voice" winner Brynn Cartelli, left, hugs her coach, Kelly Clarkson, as runner-up Britton Buchanan and host Carson Daly stand nearby. (Photo: Trae Patton, NBC)
That left the two white teenagers — Cartelli, from Longmeadow, Mass., and Britton Buchanan, from Sanford, N.C. — coached by Alicia Keys to contend for the title.
Viewers have long raised questions about who is more likely to win a singing show, going back to a stretch on the original Idol when white men won eight out of nine competitions. On Idol this season, some fans took to social media to express displeasure with the earlier than expected departure of a couple of talented black singers.
Spensha Baker, 24, of San Antonio, Texas, performs during Night 1 of 'The Voice' season finale. (Photo: NBC)
Cartelli was crowned after two hours of non-competition performances featuring the finalists with former contestants and their favorite artists.
Cartelli performed a medley of Issues and Jump with Julia Michaels, who wrote Walk My Way, the original dance-pop song the high schooler performed Monday night.
Finalist Britton Buchanan, 17, of Sanford, N.C., performs during Night 1 of "The Voice" Season 14 finale. (Photo: Tyler Golden/NBC)
Runner-up Buchanan, an aspiring bluesy rock singer/songwriter, was joined by another North Carolinian, Ryan Adams, for To Be Without You.
Baker performed a duet with country star Kane Brown on What If and Jade teamed up with Hudson for Queen Latifah's I Know Where I've Been.
There were also guest performances from Season 13 winner Chloe Kohanski, Jason Aldean, Dua Lipa, Halsey and Big Sean and Florence and the Machine.
Finalist Kyla Jade, 33, of Nashville, performs "With a Little Help From My Friends" during Night 1 of 'The Voice' Season 14 finale. (Photo: Tyler Golden/NBC)
Clarkson, who said she had no idea she would be looking at a 14-year-old when she first turned her chair around during the blind auditions, vowed to keep checking on Cartelli until "she's at least 30, whether she wants me (to) or not."
Host Carson Daly also confirmed the return of Clarkson and Hudson as coaches for Season 15, joining Shelton and Adam Levine.
Read or Share this story: https://usat.ly/2x6zb78
