Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Terrence Cunningham performs during the live playoffs on The Voice in Season 14. (NBC Photo)

His re-creation of “My Girl” turned four chairs during the blind auditions. It also wound up being the most popular of the 48 Season 14 audition songs on iTunes.

Terrence joined Team Alicia Keys and made it to the live playoffs before being eliminated earlier this week.

Along the way, he earned high praise from all four coaches for his artistry.

Here’s what Terrence told Voice Views about his time on the show and his future plans.

Voice Views: What’s next for you as an artist? And do you envision releasing new music soon? If so, can you tell me about that? Either what you have planned or what you’d like to do? And what sound fans can expect?

Terrence: What’s next for me is to work expediently toward getting in the studio and working on music. Further, I want to capitalize on the growing global community that’s been built since being on the show. Fans can expect to hear truly heartfelt lyrics, beautifully thought out melodies, and comforting tones. I plan to stay in the vein as my rendition of “My Girl.” My truest aim is to comfort, heal, and inspire.

Voice Views: How do you think your career — and any music you release in the future — will be affected by The Voice experience? If so, how?

Terrence: Since The Voice has been my largest platform, I’ve learned from the comments left by the viewers, what they enjoy most about my particular approach musically. I’ve learned not only what works, but also what I can tune up, in a sense. Also, since being afforded an opportunity to perform on such a massive stage, I’m sure my career, with diligence and dedication, can only go up from here.

Voice Views: During the playoffs, we didn’t get to hear about the thought process behind the song choices. Can you explain yours a bit? And how do you think those performances went for you?

Terrence: I chose “How Come You Don’t Call Me,” for a myriad of reasons. Firstly, I learned that song when I was about 12 years old. My father gave me the cassette tape (remember those?) saying, “you should take a listen to this.” I instantly set my cassette player on the piano and fell in love with that song and sound. Prince confirmed what I wanted to do in life, sit at the piano and sing for people. I’ve performed that song also while on tour living in South Africa. It’s my go-to good luck charm, and my absolute favorite song to sing. Fun fact: I sang that song as my audition for The Voice even before the blind auditions. “Ain’t Nobody” is always a crowd-pleaser, and I wanted to challenge myself by singing a song by a female artist.

Voice Views: What was your favorite performance from the show and why?

Terrence: “How Come You Don’t Call Me” was my favorite performance. I’d finally gotten the opportunity to stand and play rather than sit. The stage lights were mostly purple in honor of Prince. My family (my daughter especially) was also in the audience, and it meant so much to me to know she had the chance to see me perform on such a massive stage.

Voice Views: That was a new playoff format this season. What did you think of it and would you recommend any changes for future seasons?

Terrence: The voting was a bit difficult to understand. Also, the West Coast viewers had to vote only while the East Coast feed was airing, which is also confusing and a bit unfair to all the contestants, I would assume mostly to those that are based on the West Coast. I’d recommend a texting option in addition to only The Voice App and Twitter.

Voice Views: Is there anything else you’d like to add about The Voice experience?

Terrence: Everyone on staff is amazing, professional, and compassionate. You leave knowing they truly care about you as an artist, not a product. I have no regrets.

Editor’s Note: Terrence auditioned for The Voice at age 36 and is based in Los Angeles after spending much of his career performing in the D.C. area and backing other artists on piano. For more on his pre-Voice career, head here. His social media links follow.