Idol Chatter & Voice Views

So, have your thoughts turned to the best singing show on TV?

They should have, because The Voice returns for Season 6 Monday night.

And here’s a treat: One of Shakira’s first-ever team members has released a debut single.

Monique Abbadie released “Bajo el Sol” to iTunes this week, as simply Monique.

It’s a fun and catchy dance tune with an English translation of “Under the Sun.”

And that cover photo of Monique relaxing on a beach is just the image those of us in the snowbound Northeast need right about now.

On Facebook, Monique describes her new single as “a song full of passion, happiness, fun and love! It’s sure to get you up out of your seats!”

For those who don’t remember, that’s exactly what Monique did when she auditioned for Season 4 of The Voice at age 20.

The gal from Miami took a big risk, auditioning with Shakira’s own song: “Loca.”

But it paid off big.

By the time she finished singing, the former child star who had been working in her father’s exporting business — sometimes driving a forklift — had all four Voice coaches facing her way.

Monique Abbadie has released her first single, Bajo el Sol, as Monique.

Monique made it to the knockout round of The Voice before being eliminated. Then came a difficult transition.

“It’s really hard to come off a big show like that. Everybody’s expecting so much from you,” she told The Voice TV Critic in this video. “And everybody’s expecting for you to go out there and produce an album right off the bat. And get a record deal right off the bat. It’s not like that at all.”

But she said she now feels she’s on the right track.

“I was one of the lucky people who had such a supportive fan base,” she says. “I’m working on awesome music for everyone. I’m super excited.”

What’s next?

Monique says she’s focusing on songs rather than a project; that likely means more singles.

In fact, she says single No. 2 — “No Fear” — is tentatively scheduled for release later this spring.

In the meantime, I’ve embedded a snippet of “Bajo el Sol” below. Be sure to check it out.

The title is in Spanish, but most of the lyrics on the iTunes version are in English.

Editor’s note: Followers of The Voice will notice a couple of new features in this blog. Go to the blue bar at top, click on The Voice and you’ll find a list of all the singers who have landed on teams through Season 5. The links, in most cases, lead you to a bio of each singer. Click on “After The Voice,” and you’ll find a rundown of the music past contestants have released since they appeared on the show, through the end of 2013. If I missed anything, let me know. I’m also now tweeting Voice related items under a Voice specific Twitter account — aptly called VoiceViews — for those of you who don’t follow that other singing show. Live blogging for Season 6 starts Monday.

Bajo el Sol