Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Darby (Anne Walker) from The Voice Season 11 with her co-star in the Play Pretend music video.

But there was nothing pretend about the story the song told.

Darby, the shortened stage name she used for the release, said it was based on her real-life experience with love and heartbreak.

And everything in the sensual and intriguing video version of the song carries a meaning.

Blue represents the boyfriend; it was his favorite cover. The sunflower represents Darby, who says they keep showing up at key moments of her life.

And, yep, Darby says she was the one left to carry out the dirty laundry when the relationship ended.

“The blue paint dripping down is the mess we made,” Darby, a Season 11 contestant on The Voice, said in a video for fans. “We were so caught up in the love and so infatuated with what was going on, we didn’t realize we were completely making a mess out of everything we wanted and dreamed of having together.”

Here’s “Play Pretend” from Darby’s impressive debut EP, “OK Baby Until Tomorrow.”

Editor’s Note: By my count, former contestants from The Voice released more than 70 albums or EPs, more than 90 music videos and more than 800 original songs in 2018.

This week, I’m featuring my favorites, spotlighting what I’m calling the Top 5 music videos, Top 20 songs and Top 5 albums/EPs.

I hesitate to call them the best because that’s very subjective. Besides, I easily could have made each of these lists five times as long and still omitted lots and lots of great music.

That’s why I grit my teeth when Marshmellow or Ann-Marie or even a coach or advisor winds up with a guest performance spot on The Voice. I’ll never understand why the show doesn’t do more to promote its alumni.

Ah, but this isn’t a time for griping. It’s time to celebrate the accomplishments of talented artists.

I’ve also posted a complete list of post-Voice singles, albums and EPs, with links for your listening pleasure. And a blog with all 90-plus music videos. Please, check them out. Find your own favorites.

And if I’ve missed anyone, let me know. Stage names change. Side projects are created. Tracking the output of 600 post-Voice artists … well, I’ll be shocked if I didn’t miss someone. Just let me know by commenting below or emailing [email protected]. In terms of singles, my goal is to list any where the former contestant is the primary vocalist.

Coming tomorrow: The Top 20 post-Voice singles of 2018.

Happy listening.

Top Videos

1. Faultlines (Ashley Morgan), “Rain”
2. Sawyer Fredericks, “Hide Your Ghost”
3. Darby, “Play Pretend”
4. Brian Nhira, “Is This Love?”
5. Dawson Coyle, “Saturn”

All 2018 music videos
All 2018 albums and EPs
All 2018 singles