Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Mendeleyev, from The Voice Season 17, has released his first EP since the show. (NBC Photo)

It’s a tribute to his mother Ali, who died last July following a long battle with cancer.

The opening track, “Until Forever I Go” was inspired by the fact that his mom wrote him a letter the night before she passed, “and I still haven’t found myself able to open it…” he shares on Instagram.

“Everyone finds their own ways of grieving,” he adds. “Today (June 4, the day of the release) is my 29th birthday and I feel like I’ve only just begun a lifelong process of healing.”

Mendeleyev says he considered delaying the release of the EP to support the Black Lives Matter movement.

Instead, he says he’s decided that until the end of 2020, all streaming revenue made from the songs will go to charities directly supporting BLM.

“If these songs have any chance of helping somebody out there get through this tragic, chaotic, scary, exhausting, monumental transformation that we are all going through… then sharing this is worth it. Recently I’ve been wondering what my mom would have to say about 2020.”

Mendeleyev has also released a music video for “Until Forever I Go,” plus an animated video for “Show Me the Way Home” with the help of @copper.raven. Videos for the other two songs on the EP are planned as well.