Idol Chatter & Voice Views

New post-singing show music released recently includes a quartet of country singles from artists fans are likely to remember.

Kree Harrison and Janelle Arthur, both standouts on Season 12 of American Idol, have new songs out.

So do two of the earliest country standouts we met on The Voice — RaeLynn and Jared Blake.

Here’s a look at those releases. The links take you to the songs on Apple Music. Or you can check out the Spotify snippets below.

* RaeLynn from Season 2 of The Voice released a fun new country dance single last week called “Keep Up.” The equally fun music video features a horse with a pink mane and a cameo by her husband, Josh Davis. But this is a song for the ladies, RaeLynn stresses. “I want women to take away from ‘Keep Up’ that they can be just as rowdy as the guys can,” she told Entertainment Tonight. “This is the country girl anthem we need.”

* Kree Harrison, runner-up on Season 12 of American Idol, released “Make It Easy” earlier this month. It’s a breakup song off her upcoming sophomore album, “Chosen Family Tree,” set for release this summer. That album’s also likely to include her 2019 singles, “Get Away with Anything” and “I Love the Lie.” Kree released her post-show debut album, “This Old Thing,” in 2016.

* Janelle Arthur, who finished fifth on the same season of Idol, released “White Horse” last week. It’s a song she co-wrote with Jen Stegall and Brian Maher. Janelle says the message is one of self-empowerment. “Life isn’t always a fairytale as we have been conditioned to believe. No matter who you are or what you are going through, happiness has to come from within. Knowing that, we have the power to take charge of our lives and make it happen.”

* Jared Blake from Season 1 of The Voice released “Truly” on Friday. It’s his first single of 2020, but he hints on social media that more might be coming. Since The Voice, Jared, who once struggled with addiction, has also launched a Live to Be program that encourages school-age children to discover their own path, free of drugs and alcohol.