Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Season 6 voice standout Audra McLaughlin has released her first single in nearly a year.

The Top 8 finisher from Season 6 had been sidelined for several months following vocal surgery.

But in a Facebook chat with fans this week, she said she’s doing well and back to singing full-time.

The new song, released Friday, is “Leaving the Lights On.” You can check it out below.

Co-writers on it include Audra’s manager Jim Femino and Vanessa Olivarez, who longtime singing show fans might remember from Season 2 of American Idol.

Also on slate for Audra, now 26 …

* She’s launched an Unc & Aud Youtube comedy series with Femino that you can catch on her YouTube channel.

* Wednesday, she’ll be performing as part of a female country showcase at John Rich’s Redneck Riviera in Nashville. The event is being hosted by 2Steel Girls from The Voice and performers include Adley Stump, another former contestant from The Voice.

* And on Oct. 21, Audra will be returning to the Philly area to sing the national anthem for the Philadelphia Eagles game against the Carolina Panthers.

Here’s the new song.

A look at 2018 releases from former The Voice contestants