Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Amanda Brown released her debut ablum, Dirty Water, in 2018, including the magnificent Take Your Pill

And the woman who dazzled us with her Voice version of “Dream On” didn’t disappoint, delivering one of the year’s best rockers with the song “Take Your Pill.”

Ah, but the song wasn’t exactly a hit with Amanda’s grandmother, the singer confessed to the crowd at the Listening Room in Port Clinton, Ohio, back in late September.

“She’s super supportive. She listened to the record. I’m like, ‘Grandma, what did you think of the music?’ She’s like, “It’s so beautiful. But that one song, ‘Take Your Pill.’ I don’t like it so much … It sounds like it’s about drugs. I don’t want to know the story behind it.”

Amanda says she’s explained that the song isn’t about her taking drugs. “Take Your Pill” is meant as a metaphor for the peer pressure everyone, especially kids, face to fit in and the way some people give in to it.

But her grandmother is unrelenting. So Amanda now dedicates the song to her.

She tells the story, much better than I do, in the video link above.

By the way, the album is called “Dirty Water” and includes plenty of other standout tracks.

And Amanda hasn’t exactly been twiddling her thumbs since her Top 6 finish on The Voice. She’s been working as a background vocalist, including touring the world with Adele in 2017.

Here’s “Take Your Pill.”

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