Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Stephan Marcellus is one of the contestants we’ll meet on Season 13 of The Voice.

They are from Guam, but he was raised in Englewood, N.J.

And he grew up in a household where the music of Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, Bill Withers, and Odis Redding was constantly played, according to his Facebook bio.

Stephan says that’s how he developed a passion for music.

While his parents always stressed the importance of education, they also encouraged him to explore his creativity, Stephan said in an interview with DopeCauseWeSaid.com.

Stephan wound up attending Bowie State University in Maryland and graduating with a degree in child and adolescence studies.

But while there, he also performed for visiting speakers, like Louis Farrakhan, studied under Grammy-nominated artist Ledisi and entertained at a number of other college events.

Post-graduation, he decided to pursue his passion of music. Since then, he’s performed at New York Oktober Fest and was the winner of the 2015 Gifted and Talented showcase in New York City.

He’s also released two singles to date, “Puppeteer” and “Papa,” both of which you can check out below.

Stephan says on Facebook that he doesn’t consider his music as strictly soul, but rather a mix of soul and alternative rock with a touch of funk and blues.

“Anything that makes me feel is also soul,” he said in the interview with DopeBecauseWeSaid.

“The common theme in my work is hope. (My songs) start form a place of the realization of brokenness but each have a tint of hope, which I believe inspires the choice to believe that things can and will be better.”

Here are Stephan’s social media links.

Instagram
Twitter: @Steph_Marcellus
YouTube
Facebook

The Voice has done it again, rounding up an impressive array of talent for Season 13. Keep checking back for more profiles of the contestants we’ll meet when the blind auditions begin Sept. 25 on NBC. And for complete coverage of The Voice once Season 13 begins.