John Legend and Maelyn Jarmon at a press conference to talk about her Voice triumph. (NBC Photo)
Maelyn Jarmon said she auditioned for The Voice hoping to get to perform on television, hoping to make it through the first round.
That, she thought, would be a nice little jump start for her musical aspirations.
“Then that happened,” Maelyn told Chanel 13 in L.A. “I thought, ‘That worked out well.”
“That” was winning The Voice Season 16.
Competing against three Team Blake Shelton male country artists — Andrew Sevener, Dexter Roberts and Gyth Rigdon — in this week’s finals, Maelyn prevailed in results announced Tuesday night.
“I was at peace with anything that happened,” Maelyn said. “But this is amazing.”
What was also amazing was Maelyn’s show-closing performance of “Hallelujah” Monday night.
That song landed at number one on the iTunes singles chart when voting ended Tuesday morning. That performance might have sealed Maelyn’s victory.
“I know a lot of people have done ‘Hallelujah,” John Legend said during a post-victory press conference. “But I felt Maelyn was qualified to join the pantheon of singers who have covered the song.
“Now her version is one of my favorites.”
John also said he told Maelyn the song would be an iTunes success.
“I was right about that,” he said, smiling after coaching a singer to victory in his first season with The Voice.
It wasn’t the only time her coach helped point her in the right direction, Maelyn said.
She pointed to his suggestion that she sing Rihanna’s “Stay” on Top 8 night. She admitted to being skeptical at first.
It wound up being a Voice moment for the 25-year-old New Yorker. And also the iTunes favorite from Top 8 night.
Maelyn and John agreed that going up against three Team Blake artists in the finale might have worked to the eventual champ’s advantage.
While the show’s country fan base split votes between Andrew, Dexter and runner-up Gyth, that gave Maelyn the “opportunity to stand out as the only woman and the only non-country artist” left on the show, John said.
“But when you have Maelyn on your team, her voice is supposed to win The Voice.That why it’s called The Voice.
“I can’t beleive she was singing in small bars not that long ago,” he added. “She has a voice that needs to be heard.”
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