Idol Chatter & Voice Views

New post-Voice music out includes the post-victory debut single from Todd Tilghman.

New country releases are also out from Kirk Jay, Hailey Steele and Cam Spinks.

Here’s a bit about each of those releases.

The links below, where available, take you to the releases on Apple Music. Or you can check out the Spotify snippets below.

* Todd Tilghman, the Season 18 champ, has released his first single since, a fine country song called “In a Heartache.” He wrote the song with Don Poythress and Tony Wood. Gordon Mote handled production. And it was released independently. The premise of the song, Todd told Country Now is that “relationships are hard. In the beginning, there’s so much excitement, but over time things can get pretty rough. But would I go through all the pain and hardship again to get to where we are now? Absolutely.” Since The Voice, Todd has also relocated from Meridian, Mississippi, to Hillsboro, a small town near Nashville. There’s an amusing video on Todd’s Instagramstole of the family’s pet dog in his first encounter with a skunk. As for music, there’s a music video to accompany “In a Heartache.” And more soul country coming soon, Todd says.

* Kirk Jay from Season 15 has released his first original music since finishing third on the show. It comes in the form of a three-song EP called “Temporary Pain” that you’ll find on Spotify, but that I haven’t been able to locate on Apple Music yet. It features the single “Why Didn’t You,” written and produced by Frank Joseph Myers and Lonestar’s Richie McDonald. But my favorite track is the EP-closing “This Side of Heaven.” Kirk also welcomed the birth of his first child, Harmoni Noel, earlier this month.

* Hailey Steele from Season 2 released “American Spirit,” her first single of 2021 on Friday. She wrote the catchy country tune with Caitlyn Smith and says it was inspired by millennial stressors, the year that was 2020 and need to bring “a little chill, a little fun” to the conversation. Hailey was a member of the now defunct duo The Line on Season 2.

* Cam Spinks from Season 18 also dropped his first single of 2021 — “Last Time I Was Here” — on Friday. Again, it doesn’t appear to have hit Apple Music yet. Cam’s been a busy guy since The Voice, also releasing an EP (2020’s “Leave Me Alone”) and a pair of singles (“Circles” and “Hot in the Sun”). And it appears he got married in December.