Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Matt McAndrew of The Voice Season 7 released the single Game Over in 2018.

Plans for that show fell through. But judging from his social media accounts, Matt managed to pack plenty of live performances into the year just completed, including shows with former Voice colleagues Chris Jamison, Luke Wade and Matthew Schuler.

He also released one of the year’s most addictive singles, “Game Over,” in September and followed it up with a music video in mid-October.

Matt wrote the song with Joshua Bartholomew, Lisa Harrington and Brooke Cervenka, and it’s a bit more pop-sounding that his previous releases.

The title’s also a bit deceptive. This isn’t a love-gone-wrong pop song by any stretch of the imagination.

“When you tell someone it’s a song about your girlfriend called ‘Game Over’ they might think it’s a breakup song,” Matt told ThePopBreak.com. “I wanted to make sure it conveyed romance and celebration. It’s that feeling when you really connect with someone and that’s it — ‘Game Over.’”

Hmm, and is it “Game Over” for Matt?

There are no credits to confirm it, but I’m pretty sure that’s his real-life girlfriend Hope Murray playing his love interest in the music video.

Oh, and Matt capped 2018 by releasing a version of “Blue Christmas” as part of A Santa Claus fundraiser for hurricane victims.

Here’s “Game Over.”

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 VoiceViews@comcast.net. 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