Idol Chatter & Voice Views

New post-Voice music out includes a classic country EP from Kristi Hoopes and new singles from Gracee Shriver and Brooke Stephenson.

Here’s a brief look at each of those releases.

The links take you to those releases on Apple Music. Or you can check out the Spotify snippets below.

* Kristi Hoopes from Season 13 released an excellent debut called “Life of the Party” on Friday. Kristi had a hand in writing all six tracks. “Like nostalgia, the songs on this record are bittersweet,” she says. “My hope is that listeners can find whoever they are at this moment in them. Maybe you’re the one leaving your hometown behind, falling in love — or lamenting it — for the first time. All those life moments we experience, the ups and downs, are here.” Standout tracks include “What Comes Next” about a blossoming love and a pair of ballads, the glorious “Ghosts of the Greats” and title track “Life of the Party,” which puts a neat spin on what the title would imply.

* Gracee Shriver from Season 17 recently released a single called “Rain.” It’s about a girl having trouble shaking memories of a former love and wondering if he thinks about her too. It’s probably Gracee’s best release yet and features a surprise assist from The Swon Brothers, Season 4 finalists on The Voice. If you missed it, they just released a fine new album called “Nashlahoma.” As for Gracee, “Rain” marks her fourth single of 2020; she was just 16 when she auditioned for the show.

* Brooke Stephenson from Season 17 released the “State That I’m In” on Friday. She wrote the song, which has a country-rock vibe and which she says was inspired by her all-time favorite band, Led Zeppelin. It’s the fifth song Brooke has released from her upcoming seven-song EP.