Idol Chatter & Voice Views

His audition: Brandon Montel, 29, Memphis, Tenn., sang “Hard Place” by H.E.R.: As soon as the song swelled, Reba McEntire turned her chair. All three other coaches later followed. But John Legend won’t be an option because Reba blocked him. Niall Horan loved his tone. Reba called him “so special” and said everything about his performance screamed block. Gwen Stefani liked his unique soulful tone. And Brandon choose to join Team Gwen, meaning Reba’s block didn’t really work.

Here’s more about Brandon.

* He’s a 30-year-old singer-songwriter from Memphis, Tenn., who’s now based in Los Angeles.

* And he’s part of a long list of Season 24 Voice contestants who have already released music.

* However, not too many of those have been featured on a single that’s been streamed more than 1.8 million times on Spotify. That’s the case for Brandon, who collaborated on a 2021 single with Norda called “Tired of Tears.”

* Brandon also has two solo singles out, “Alive” from 2020 and “Love Lockdown” from 2021. Check out “Love Lockdown” below.

* In a profile with Voyage LA, Brandon says he grew up singing in church with his mother and two siblings.

* And he told Shoutout LA: “I believe growing up in church helps develop the best, most well rounded singers. You learn not only religion, but how to really get in touch with your emotions.”

* He says he developed his “unique, versatile style” from listening to his inspirations — artists including Brandy, Usher, Justin Timberlake, Beyonce and Lauren Hill.

* A turning point in his career came in 2017, when he moved to L.A. He called that move “intimidating to say the least” and says he almost gave up because of the initial challenge getting work as a singer.

* But in 2018, he says he landed a spot singing with Ama Lou on a Jorja Smith tour. A year later, he joined Kanye West’s Sunday Service Collective and began touring the world with other artists who are part of that collective.

* As for his goals, Brandon told Shoutout LA: “I want the world to see and understand my passion for music, why I have such a drive for this and how committed I am to my artistry.”

Brandon on social media:
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'Treasure' indeed

Laci Kaye Booth, Top 5 on American Idol Season 17, dropped her debut album Aug. 6. Her debut single, the ridiculously addictive "Treasure," heads to country radio in mid-September.