Kicking off at the beginning of September, the third season of The Voice came to the end of a truly dazzling season in a two-hour finale on December 18th. The show’s most memorable season wrapped up, naming Cassadee Pope as “The Voice.” During this season, the four judges, some of the biggest names in music—Adam Levine, Christina Aguilera, Blake Shelton, and Cee Lo Green—have introduced America to some of the best vocalists the show has ever seen. Here’s a look at the final top ten artists of this season (in order of their eliminations), and their journeys on The Voice.
10. Bryan Keith: Bryan Keith, a New Yorker who graced the stage on The Voice is a soulful, Frank Sinatra-esque singer. His rendition of “Iris” was mind-blowingly brilliant, and Keith kept that spark going when he performed a song close to his heart: Billy Joel’s “New York State of Mind.” Unfortunately, Keith was eliminated a tad too soon at the top ten eliminations.
9. Sylvia Yacoub: The nineteen year-old Egyptian was the clear cut pop star of the top ten, but was eliminated unexpectedly at the top ten eliminations. Yacoub was brave enough to take on Christina Aguilera’s “Fighter,” Alicia Keys’ “Girl on Fire,” and a song that must be performed at a level no less than perfect: Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On.”
8. Cody Belew: Belew, a witty Southern-boy from Arkansas, was eliminated from the show at the top eight eliminations. Known for being the risky one of the bunch, Belew often strutted his stuff on the stage performing classics like Beyoncé’s “Crazy In Love” and Queen’s “Somebody to Love.” Being a crowd favorite, it was pretty obvious that fans were heartbroken when Belew was sent home.
7. Dez Duron: The soulful, crooning, ex-quarterback from Yale had not only fans–but just girls in general–hooked on him from the moment he auditioned on The Voice for the second time; in search of fulfilling a musical career. His performance of “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” was dreamingly hypnotizing. Duron had the voice, the looks, and the personality for being the perfect contender. However, Dez was eliminated as Team Xtina’s last artist at the top eight eliminations.
6. Melanie Martinez: At just seventeen, Martinez shocked America with her unique, Indie voice on the show. With her two-toned hair, puffy doll-like dresses, and huge hair bows, Martinez totally fit with the soft, sweet tone her voice exerted. The young photographer took on recent hit “Too Close,” and completely made it her own–by playing a small foot tambourine as she sang. At the top six eliminations, though, Martinez was voted off.
5. Amanda Brown: Hailing from the Bronx, edgy, rock powerhouse Amanda Brown, who was saved in first week of battle rounds, was eliminated at the top six eliminations. While on the show, the New Yorker loved to embrace her inner rock star, never failing to leave viewers speechless. Brown’s best performances, “Dream On” and “Someone Like You” ensured fans that Brown definitely is in the sights for a record deal or two.
4. Trevin Hunte: Eighteen year-old Hunte from Queens probably had the strongest voice of all the artists on this season of The Voice. He blew away fans when he sang “When a Man Loves a Woman” and Whitney Houston’s “Greatest Love of All,” which boasted unbelievable amounts of power and soul. Hunte ended his journey on the show as the fourth place contestant.
3. Nicholas David: The bluesy-hippie from Team Cee Lo experimented with old, fun-loving classics his whole time on the show. From “The Power of Love” to “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” to “You Are So Beautiful,” David charmed the audience instantly–piano and all; securing himself a spot in the final three. David was eliminated during the season finale in third place.
2. Terry McDermott: Straight up, the Scottish rocker can basically sing any iconic rock song ever written in history. McDermott has the chops of a true rock god; every high note he sings is hit spot on. McDermott proved that success can come to anyone, especially since he consistently performs top notch, like he did while performing Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin'” and Boston’s “More Than a Feeling.” It is safe to say that these performances greatly contributed to granting McDermott a seat as the second place finisher.
1. Cassadee Pope: Hey Monday’s ex-frontwoman stunned viewers to no extent each week during her time on The Voice. Setting herself up as the favorite each night with her collection of pop-rock performances, Pope reached a spot on the iTunes top ten five weeks in a row with her renditions of “Over You,” “Are You Happy Now,” “I’m With You,” “Stupid Boy,” and “Cry” earning herself a well-deserved place in the final three, leading to her win. It was no surprise to fans that Cassadee was crowned as “The Voice.”
With another season of The Voice ended, comes another winner–Cassadee Pope–who has the potential to follow her dreams as a solo artist, and who also a chance to become a true musical legend. The third season of The Voice proved that the show has risen up and above other reality singing competitions on TV. Every one of the super-talented artists have made this season a memorable one.