Idol Chatter & Voice Views

I get a bit irritated when artists like Justin Bieber, Meghan Trainor, Coldplay or Luke Bryan show up on The Voice stage to hawk their latest singles.

The reason is simple: Former contestants from the show — the singers who helped make The Voice so popular — are releasing fantastic music.

And they need a whole lot more help spreading the word than superstars who are already moving downloads by the millions.

In my opinion, every single non-competitive performance spot on The Voice should go to a former contestant who has released new music.

I guarantee fans would not be disappointed. Not if former singers from the show continue releasing music the way they did in 2015.

Over the next three days, I’ll showcase my favorite videos, albums/EPs, and songs from former Voice contestants as part of a look back at 2015.

Disagree or have another favorite? Let me know by commenting below.

We’ll start off with my favorite five Voice videos from 2015. These five were selected from nearly 60 officials Voice videos released over the the past year. Would you like to see them all? If so, just head here.

5. Jacquie Lee, “It’s Our World”

OK, Jacquie has an almost unfair advantage, a huge assist from Disneynature filmmakers and their behind-the-scenes footage from the theatrical release of “Monkey Kingdom.” But this video is guaranteed to make you smile. And the Season 5 runner-up delivers a great vocal on a catchy, upbeat tune.

4. Chris Mann, “L.O.V.E.”

The Season 2 finalist is best known for his operatic voice. But he hit the mark with this much more pop-sounding single and didn’t hesitate to promote the video as a celebration of the Supreme Court’s summer decision to “extend marriage equality to all Americans!” Chris is starring on the national tour of Phantom of the Opera and will have a new album out soon, the product of a highly successful Pledge Music campaign.

3. Kat Robichaud, “Apple Pie and the Knife”

A Top 10 finisher on Season 5, Kat said this song was partly a response to social media feedback she received during her stint on the show and partly inspired by the thought that perhaps she was a bit too edgy for some fans of The Voice. Bottom line: A fabulous song and an equally inspired video. Oh, that sash Kat’s wearing reads “suffer-agette,” a reference to the fact that women once stood together instead of tearing one another down.

2. Melanie Martinez, “Soap” / “Training Wheels” (lyric warning)

No way this Top 5 would be complete without Melanie Martinez, who creates the concepts for all her music videos and directed the double feature below as her “Cry Baby” character explores feelings of love for the first time. The Season 3 standout has promised music videos for each and every song from her “Cry Baby” album. This one had attracted more than 2.5 million views the last time I checked. Please note the explicit lyric warning.

1. Bria Kelly, “Why Me?”

When it comes to videos with a message, they don’t get much stronger than this anti-dog fighting anthem, in which children play the roles of the abused. Bria, Top 10 in Season 6, provides the vocals on a song written by Amy Hines and Donna Hughes. The video was filmed on the Virginia site of the dog-fighting operation that landed NFL star Michael Vick in prison. Part of the proceeds from downloads go to Dogs Deserve Better, an animal rescue group that now operates there. Bria said she hopes the video serves as “an eye-opening reality check” to anyone who watches.

See also …
All 2015 music videos by singers from The Voice
2015 albums and EPs released by singers from The Voice
Top 5 Voice videos from 2014
Top 5 Voice albums from 2014
Top 15 Voice songs from 2014