Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Todd Tilghman performs during his battle round match on The Voice Season 18. (NBC Photo)

And he advanced to the knockouts following a battle round duet with Jon Mullins that aired Monday night and was so impressive, both singers advanced.

Todd and Jon performed “Ghost in This House” by Shenandoah. Coach Blake Shelton awarded the victory to Todd. Nick Jonas, praising a “fantastic performance” by the two singers, immediately stole Jon.

Here’s what Todd, 41, a pastor from Meridian, Mississippi, told Voice Views about the experience.

Voice Views: What do you think was the key to your success in the battle round?

Todd: Wow. That’s hard to say. We both worked really hard on the performance. I’m just kind of hoping Blake saw something in me he didn’t want to let go of on his team.

Voice Views: How did the song choice work for you? Did it pose any special challenges?

Todd: I’ve actually loved the song since my teens. I’d say one challenge was just trying to make it our own and do it justice at the same time. Another would just be the challenge of singing it with someone I’ve never performed with, and with a relatively short amount of time to arrange and practice.

Voice Views: Did you have much experience singing duets or performing with others prior to the battle round? And, if so, do you think that worked to your advantage in preparing for the battle and how so?

Todd: I don’t know that I would say I’ve had a lot of experience in duets. I’ve done some, in weddings, etc. But I do think all the years singing with a team of singers in church probably gave me a level of comfort singing with someone else, and I’d say that also taught me a little about performing as a team. I do feel like experience singing as part of a team probably helped me feel more comfortable, and maybe that did work to my advantage.

Todd Tilghman and Jon Mullins rehearse for their battle round match on The Voice Season 18. (NBC Photo)

Voice Views: Anything else you’d like to add about the battle round experience?

Todd: I can’t give enough credit to Jon Mullins. We both worked so very hard, and he headed into the battles never having heard the song before. That’s a pretty big accomplishment: to perform a song you’ve never heard with a person you just met, and do it in a way that connects with the coaches and the audience.

Voice Views: And, obviously, you can’t talk about song choice, but is there a side of your artistry you haven’t gotten to display yet that you hope to in coming rounds?

Todd: If I were given the chance to perform in further rounds, I would love to, hopefully, perform an upbeat (even maybe Southern Rock) song. And I would love to reach back to my roots and do a gospel song. I think either of those would be a side to me the audience either didn’t expect, or maybe they did expect it (Gospel) and they’d been hoping to hear something in that vein.

See also …
Meet Todd Tilghman
Todd Tilghman talks about his blind audition