Television
Jul 5, 2011

THE INDUSTRY HAS A NEW VOICE

The results were in and Javier Colon received more votes than the three other finalists (Dia Frampton,Vicci Martinez and Beverly McClellan) to be named the first winner of NBC’s hit singing competition, The Voice. I would be remiss if I didn’t give props to the incredible success of its predecessor American Idol which paved the way for a show like this to even be conceived let alone produced. One thing is for certain, The Voice has arrived and to an enormous fan base. It’s one reality show won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.

Through the course of the season 32 contestants (divided into 4 teams) were whittled down to 4 finalists. One finalist from each of the show’s teams coached by music greats Christina Aguilera, Cee Lo Green, Adam Levine and Blake Shelton. The season champion received $100,000 and a recording contract from Universal Republic Music Group.

After shedding tears of joy, that winner, Javier Colon, hugged show host Carson Daly, coach Adam Levine, fellow finalists and finally his wife and two daughters. “My oldest, who’s 3 1/2, said, Daddy! Daddy! We saw you win on TV,” Colon proudly told reporters. Colon was the only finalist that had his pick of all four coaches from the very beginning and after displaying his enormous vocal talent he chose Adam Levine (Maroon 5) to lead him through to the win. The undeniable strength of his voice and power to choose his coach made for ultimately an unbeatable pairing. Still, Colon himself humbly said that he expected Dia Frampton’s team to win.

So, what is so special about The Voice?  There are no shortage of talent-based competition shows on TV at the moment, so why this show, why now? For the first time, unknown artists are chosen by their eventual coaches solely based on the quality of their voice- literally. The contestants hear their prospective students without physically seeing them and it truly is a  “No peeking allowed” selection. The show provides a window into the hearts and souls of the artists and their celebrity coaches.  Yes, throughout the season America does vote and ultimately decides the champion (per the usual popularity contest) however this show allows us to see what matters to each contestant and learn what it takes to develop the next music superstar or number one single. I think America’s votes  are intrinsically related to the way this show allows us to experience the artist-coach relationship, choosing for the audience the voice.

If you didn’t get enough of your favorite artists or just want the chance to see them up close and personal, The Voice tour, sponsored by Sprint and Live Nation, kicks off July 27th in Los Angeles at the Gibson Amphitheater. The nation wide tour includes six locations with arenas in major cities like Boston, Vegas, NYC, and Chicago. If you can’t make the tour, have no fear. The Voice has already been renewed for a second season and all four of your favorite judges are currently scheduled to return in February to NBC.