Idol Chatter & Voice Views

The Voice Top 4 of Kirk Jay, Kennedy Holmes, Chris Kroeze and Chevel Shepherd will square off Monday night. (NBC Photo)

Fans of The Voice who love suspense should be looking forward to the Season 15 finale.

Because this promises to be one of the most wide open Voice finales we’ve had the pleasure of watching.

This is far from a Season 13, when Chloe Kohanski entered the final performance show of the season as the clear front-runner.

This isn’t even a Season 12 or a Season 11, when it appeared pretty certain Chris Blue or Lauren Duski, or Sundance Head or Billy Gilman would take the title.

In Season 15, it’s not difficult to envision any member of the final four with confetti falling around them at the end of Tuesday’s show.

With that said, here are the final Voice Views rankings of Season 15. Last week’s ranking appears in parenthesis.

1. Kennedy Holmes (Team Jennifer) (2): Yep, she needed the instant save to make it this far. Was that indicative of waning support or fans that took a Top 4 berth for granted? It’s tough to tell. But this is certain: Kennedy’s the only non-country singer in the Top 4 and that could work to her advantage when country fans decide who to support in this week’s voting window. But the real reason she lands here is her performances on Top 11 night (“Greatest Love of All”) and Top 10 night (“Me Too”). They showed how versatile this young lady is and were perhaps the best back-to-back performances we’ve seen from a singer this season.

2. Kirk Jay (Team Blake) (4): He’s got the distinctive tone. He’s the undisputed king of the country tearjerker. He’s got three Top 10 showings on iTunes to his credit, which is two more than any other finalist. But that means nothing under the new voting rules. And on Top 8 night, given the pimp spot, a dedication to a cancer patient and a chance to solidify his standing as the show’s clear front-runner … he spouted nonsensical lyrics the first time he sang the chorus to “I Swear” and turned in his weakest vocal since the live shows began. Of course, since he’s a show favorite, no one even mentioned the lyric flub and he still got a standing ovation from the coaches.

See also …
Who holds social media edge among Top 4
Simple rule change could make big difference
Voting already underway for Voice finale
A look back at Chevel Shepherd’s performances
A look back at Chris Kroeze’s performances
A look back at Kennedy Holmes’ performances
A look back at Kirk Jay’s performances

3. Chris Kroeze (Team Blake) (5): You might say Chris is getting a bit of support from back home. NBC 15 of Madison, Wisc. (Chris calls Barron, Wisc., home) reports that Monday has been declared Chris Kroeze day “across the entire Midwest with several businesses, schools and even media planning to dress up like Chris.” Why not? Fans have already made him the most-streamed singer on The Voice two weeks running. On stage, he’s been more consistently solid than sensational. But his duet with Sarah Grace was special, and his take on Cam’s “Burning House” remains one of my favorite Season 15 performances.

4. Chevel Shepherd (Team Kelly) (6): She’s coming off her best showing yet on iTunes. She’s gained more followers on social media since the live shows started than any other member of the Top 4. But could the secret to Chevel’s success really be those mismatched lucky music note socks she wears under her cowgirl boots every performance night? The ones she refuses to wash lest the good luck disappear? The ones that still don’t stink? She promises they don’t. That’s indicative of the country charm that’s made her a show favorite. Of course, solid classic country vocals and a yodel or two have helped too. Yep, she’s fourth here, but I won’t be completely shocked if she’s first at the end of Tuesday’s show.