Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Loren Allred of The Voice Season 3 and Never Enough fame has a new duet out with Michael Buble.

But when it came time to record the soundtrack for the film, Rebecca decided she wasn’t quite up to delivering an operatic quality performance.

So that task fell to Loren Allred, who had been doing studio work since finishing Top 20 on The Voice Season 3 and had been invited to record demos for “The Greatest Showman” back in 2014.

That’s her voice singing “Never Enough” in the film. And her voice on two versions of the song on the film’s soundtrack.

And “Never Enough” became one of the biggest hits a former Voice contestant has enjoyed in the show’s 15 seasons.

It was certified gold, then platinum. It charted in the U.S. and at least five other countries. It’s been streamed on Spotify … are you ready for this number? … 206 million times.

And it’s clearly led to other opportunities for Loren, who’s featured on a dance track called “This is Love” that was released over summer and was recently a star attraction at “A Soulful Christmas” benefit concert in her home state of Utah.

Oh, and did I mention that she performed at the Academy Awards. Or the new duet of “Help Me Make It Through the Night” that she recorded with Michael Buble and David Foster. It’s on Michael’s new album “love,” released in November.

Loren’s reaction to the newfound acclaim?

“Never stop doing what you love,” she wrote on Facebook when “Never Enough” went gold. “Amazing things happen when you least expect them, and in ways you couldn’t imagine.”

Here’s Loren’s now oft-covered “Never Enough.”

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 5 post-Voice albums of 2018.

Happy listening.

Top songs (not ranked)

Adanna Duru, “Doll”
Amanda Brown, “Take a Pill”
Amy Vachal, “Wait”
Austin Jenckes, “In My Head”
Brian Nhira, “‘Til Death Do Us Part”

Cartelli, “Last Night’s Mascara”
Chloe Kohanski, “Come This Far”
Christiana Danielle, “Resignation”
Darby, “Save a Thought for Me”
Domo, “Currency”

D.R. King & Jackie Foster, “Love is a Drug”
Jamie Lono, “New Orleans”
Johnny Gates, “Brooklyn Nights”
Koryn Hawthorne, “Down Goes Rome”
Loren Allred, “Never Enough”

Matt McAndrew, “Game Over”
Natalie Stovall, “Making Out in Cars”
RaeLynn, “Queens Don’t”
Riley Biederer, “Heartbreak Back”
We McDonald, “Head Up High”

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