Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Teana Boston of The Voice Season 14 graduated from high school and released her debut EP last month.

And the talented 18-year-old celebrated by releasing her debut EP — “Young World” — on graduation day.

Teana told Voice Views she thought that was fitting since the songs, all six of which she wrote, were produced during her senior year of high school.

As for the EP’s title, Teana says she’s an “artist from the young world just giving my accounts from my day-to-day life experiences” with issues like “social awareness, drama, relationships and politics.”

Plus high school life, of course, which is front and center on the EP’s closing track, “Miss Popular.”

“Miss Popular is a song that can be interpreted in a number of ways by the fans and I think that’s the beauty of putting out art,” Teana says.

“Being popular can come with the cost of distractions. Young people have goals and sometimes the distractions can take the focus away from those goals. On the other end of the spectrum, being unpopular can bring about insecurities and struggles with being accepted.

“The second part of the song captures the process I believe every new artist goes through and that’s simply wrestling with the process of becoming an established artist,” she adds. “Like Nipsey Hussle said, ‘It’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon.'”

Teana says she feels better prepared for that marathon because of The Voice. She was just 16 when she auditioned and landed a spot on Team Kelly Clarkson.

“I think my music has definitely matured since my time on The Voice,” the teen said. “Kelly Clarkson became a huge inspiration to me. She taught me techniques providing a range of color in my song delivery.”

Teana said she hopes to devote more time to her music now that she has graduated high school. But she’ll also be attending Dillard University in New Orleans this fall, as a business major and music minor.

Here’s a snippet of “Miss Popular” from “Young World.” Also be sure to check out top tracks “Pageant Queen” and “Conclusions” and follow Teana on Instagram.