Idol Chatter & Voice Views

This week’s new post-Voice music includes an EP from Season 9 standout Sydney Rhame and the first post-Voice releases from Season 17 contestants Matt New and Steve Knill.

Also back with new singles are Adana Duru, Anthony Paul and Alara, who Voice fans will better remember as Moushumi from Season 10.

Here’s a rundown on that new music. The links take you to the releases on Apple Music. Or you can check out the Spotify snippets below.

* Sydney Rhame of Season 6, has released a six-song EP called “Off-Brand Love Songs.” Or, as she describes it on Instagram, six songs “written by a broke hopeless romantic with a wild imagination.” Sydney had already released lead track “Look Good Together” as a single. Among the new songs, the catchy “Your Girl” and ballad “Past the Rain” are especially impressive. Now 21, Sydney was just 16 when she auditioned for the show and had already released a pair of EPs. This is her first since.

* Matt New of Season 17 just released an original called “La,” — as in L.A., which reflects on his time on The Voice. “I always say yes when L.A. calls,” Matt explains on Twitter. “Like an ex-lover, or a bad habit, it promises what it doesn’t really intend to deliver. There’s a hope inside that maybe it will. But it doesn’t … I’m always going back for just one more taste.” Check out the rest of the story behind the song here.

* Alara, aka Moushumi from Season 10, released a brilliant debut single called “A Blackened Rose” earlier this. Now she’s back with its followup, “Bringing You Down.” On Instagram, she explains that “I spent so long just trying to prove to the world that I was happy. Even when I wasn’t … Depression and anxiety aren’t easy things to deal with, but this song is my way of trying to.”

* Adanna Duru, from Season 3, dropped “Toss N Turn,” her fifth single of 2019. She wrote the song; it was produced by wiidope, a production group that has worked with Brandy, Todrick Hall and on the Grammy winning Album “The Mosaic Project” with Terri Lyne Carrington. “Get ready for the fall rhythms and autumn blues,” they say in promoting the new tune.

* Anthony Paul, From Season 5, has had a busy second half of 2019, releasing his third single since September. It’s the dreamy sounding “Head in the Clouds,” which Anthony wrote. He’s also back to showing off his dance moves in the accompanying video with fellow dancers Bri Nixon and Yana Berry. Manny Liotta directed the video.

* Steve Knill, from Season 17, is back with his first post-show release. It’s a cover of “It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday” by Boyz II Men and a song originally released in 1975. Steve’s posted a bunch of covers to Instagram since his Voice battle round episode airs. Among those, an impressive cover of Maroon 5’s “Memories” accompanied by a vow to learn more current music.