Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Cherie Oakley, from The Voice Season 1, released a new single Friday.

Cherie Oakley released the lead single from her upcoming debut EP Friday, eight years after she appeared on Season 1 of The Voice.

The song is called “Work It,” an addictive, upbeat pop-country single. It was produced by Dan Huff, who calls Cherie a great singer “who should be heard.”

Fact is, she has been heard, on stages across the country, just not as the featured artist.

Pre-Voice, Cherie toured as a background singer with Carrie Underwood and Gretchen Wilson. Post-Voice, she toured with Trace Adkins, Amy Grant and Kelly Clarkson.

Along the way, she co-wrote “Turn On the Radio,” originally for her own project. When that fell through, Reba McEntire recorded the song and it became a number one country hit.

Now Cherie, 29 when she auditioned for The Voice, is ready to take center stage with her new music, described as pop-country infused with soul.

“I’ve worked so hard to find out who I am as an artist,” she says on Facebook. “To be able to convey what I’m passionate about through music is to be able to show you a window into my heart, and I can’t wait to share it.”

Here’s “Work It.”