Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Nina Daig has released a debut single since her American Idol audition aired. (ABC Photo)

Here’s a rundown.

* Freddie McClendon impressed the Idol judges during the auditions by singing an emotional song called “You Never Loved Him.” Now he appears ready to release a new version of that song April 18. It first appeared on his 2024 album, “Present Memories,” a tribute to his father, a homicide victim. You can pre-save the new single here. Freddie was eliminated during the first round in Hollywood.

* Nina Daig’s Hollywood Arena performance wasn’t aired. She performed an original called “Milk Carton Girl,” a song she dropped March 30 as her debut single, just days after performing her first real show at Whiskey Jam Nashville. The song is about the loss of confidence one has as a youth. And that makes it an appropriate first single for Nina, who told the Idol judges she spent years being afraid to share her music.

* Slater Nalley has performed two impressive originals on the show, beginning with “Traces of You.” It’s a song he wrote about the slain son of one of his school teachers. Now he’s encouraging fans to pre-save the song, meaning it will be released sometime soon. Just 17, Slater advanced to the Showstopper around on the strength of another original, a song called “Foolish Pride.”

* JMarie’s Idol arena performance didn’t air either, but she made the Showstopper round and on Friday dropped a silky smooth R&B track called “East Coast Love.” It’s not her first release. In fact, last year, she released an impressive eight-song album called “Love Ptsd.” JMarie’s the gal who told Idol she waited until her last year of eligibility to audition because she was told her look wasn’t right. Then she dazzled them with a “hood anthem” version of “Before He Cheats.”

* Thunderstorm Artis, a former finalist on The Voice, is another singer who’s been dazzling Idol judges with his original music. He released his audition song, “Don’t Let Me Let You Go,” in February 2024. He doesn’t appear to have released Idol arena song, “My Last Dying Breath.” But he has a new song out called “Strangers on a Train.” It dropped March 21. Wondering if we’ll hear it on the show? Thunderstorm talks about the new single here.