Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Season 5 of The Voice begins Monday night at 8 p.m. on NBC. Check back for live blogs during each show and for bios of contestants who land a spot in the competition.

Meanwhile, it’s time to catch up with some familiar faces from past seasons, with the focus on those who have released music recently. Cody Belew, currently of Nashville and from Beebe, Ark., was 27 when he auditioned for Season 3 of The Voice.

Cody Belew, a standout on The Voice Season 3, recently released a full-length album.

Prior to The Voice: Cody’s family was involved in rodeo, so he always had a foot in country music growing up. Then he discovered soul music. Bye-bye country. “I believe, in my past life, I was an elderly black woman,” Cody told The Voice. He’s a 2007 grad of Arkansas Tech University with a degree in music and, prior to his move to Nashville, sang lead for a cover band called Cody Belew and The Mercers that played in the Little Rock area.

On The Voice: Cody delivered one of Season 3’s most memorable auditions because he finished his song with his back to the judges, believing none had turned their chairs. Then he turned around and saw the “I Want You” light at the bottom of Cee Lo’s chair and went a little berserk. It was a sign of things to come from Cody, who said he and Cee Lo were a perfect match because they’re both showmen. He wound up finishing in the top 8, thanks in part to splendid covers of “Jolene” and Queen’s “Somebody to Love,” song choices that demonstrate his versatility.

Since The Voice: On Facebook, Cody describes himself as “a dreaming, coupon redeeming, world takeover scheming, destiny driven artist with a mad, mad mission to blow your mind.” He’s also been pretty busy, releasing three singles — “Baby Get Out” with Meghan Linsey in February, “Say Love” in April and “You Make Me Wanna” in mid-June before dropping a 14-track debut album called “What You’re Looking For” on Sept. 3. On his website, he says: “This album is my promise kept to my fans. I said I would write music that was danceable, timeless and full of energy and would fill a void in what’s out there right now. I feel I delivered that and I think the fans will agree.”

Keeping up with Cody: On Twitter, he’s simply @CodyBelew. Head here for the aforementioned website and here for his Facebook page.

Cody Belew, “You Make Me Wanna”