Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Well, The Voice has done it again.

The show has pulled together some incredible talent for Season 3.

So much so, that my biggest fear is lots of singers who have advanced to the battle rounds won’t get the exposure they deserve.

Sixty-six singers — including two duos — have advanced. Nearly half already have music on iTunes.

To learn more about all the artists, head here for links to profile stories. You’ll find out more than you did watching the show, and you’ll find out about that pre-show music.

And keep your eyes peeled on the “featured video” spot to the right. Over the next couple of weeks, I’ll be featuring some of the best songs I’ve found from this talented cast.

If you like what you hear … well, you can find all those songs on iTunes.

Now, some general observations as The Voice gets down to the business of its battle rounds (check back here for live blogging on each episode).

The steal: The battle rounds have always been my least favorite episodes on The Voice. Maybe it’s because the whole idea of putting two singers in a boxing ring and letting them battle it out seems so hokey. Or maybe it’s because the best battle round match-ups end with one singer going home, despite having done a great job. The save might help. Opposing coaches can snatch up the loser of a battle round. But it leaves me wondering how The Voice is going to trim this year’s bloated field of 64 if half aren’t eliminated in this fashion.

Finally, a wardrobe change: Poor Christina Aguilera had to wear the same dress through eight days of blind auditions. Which is bull, of course. I’m pretty sure those blind auditions didn’t take eight days. And I’m pretty sure they were sliced, diced and edited for dramatic effect. Otherwise, what was Gracia Harrison, from episode one, doing sitting in the background as Carson Daly conducted interviews in episode eight? And I spied Agina Alvarez, who didn’t make a team, in the background at least three times in later episodes. Really, producers? Who do you think you’re fooling?

Youth movement: Of the 64 contestants advancing on The Voice, 19 are still teenagers. Four — Kelly Crapa, MarissaAnn, Adanna Duru and Nathalie Hernandez — are just 15. It almost makes me wish The Voice split the competition into two categories, one for the more novice and one for the more experienced singers. Let’s face it, a novice has yet to make the finals. Last year’s quartet of finalists — Jermaine Paul, Tony Lucca, Chris Mann and Juliet Simms — had already released music prior to The Voice.

A wasted episode: Last Tuesday’s episode of The Voice, recapping the best of the blind auditions, was a blown opportunity. The show should have used that hour to introduce us to the advancing contestants who got just a few seconds of airtime when their blind audition first aired. That was the case with three of the four 15s; only Natalie Hernandez got a featured segment.

By sex: Having watched American Idol for years, it always seems female singers outnumber the guys nearly two to one when the show heads to Hollywood. On Season 3 of The Voice, the teams include 34 gals, 28 guys and 2 duets. Christina has a female heavy team (12 gals out of 16). Cee Lo “The Lady Killer” Green, has just five ladies to coach.

The Cee Lo factor: Cee Lo won’t be part of Season 4 of The Voice, which makes me wonder if he’s already checked out. I mean, the other coaches were as exuberant as ever during the blind auditions, maybe even more so. At times, Cee Lo didn’t even put up a fight to win over a contestant. Here’s hoping he’s reinvigorated by the time the live shows come around. Because he’s got some contestants begging for an over-the-top show (Cody Belew) and others (like Domo) well suited to one.

A word of advice: And, finally, a word of advice to the contestants. Do what you do best every time you have the slightest say in what you sing. Last year, a reggae singer decided not to sing reggae and a country singer decided to rap, all to show off their versatility. Remember, your coach might know you well as an artist; the audience does not. This isn’t American Idol where you’ll be on national TV 14 straight weeks. You’ll likely sing five or six times, if you make the finals. If you want to surprise us, pick an unexpected song and twist it to the style of music you do best.