FloorWax reviews every TVUS Winner's Journey (Season 22 Posted!)

[FloorWax]

Just now, Misirlou said:

Out of the first four winners, Danielle is my favorite. I actually thought the second half of her KO was shaky, but she had overall a decent pre-lives run. Lives is where she truly shone though.

 

Yeah her blind and KO were arguably some of her weaker performances imo. I wonder if this trend of growth arcs will continue for these early seasons.

[Misirlou]

1 hour ago, FloorWax said:

 

Yeah her blind and KO were arguably some of her weaker performances imo. I wonder if this trend of growth arcs will continue for these early seasons.

Not with Tesannee coming in next. First winner IMO who came strong out of the gate and remained that way through the competition. Same for Josh after her.

Edited March 30, 2023 by Misirlou

[VintageVoice]

8 minutes ago, FloorWax said:

 

THANK YOU. I already love a couple of those performances like Cough Syrup and You Oughta Know but I can’t wait to watch the rest.  

I decided to keep Tessanne off the list since you’re watching her performances anyway, but I’d 100% put her KO + semifinals on here if it were an “essential performances from every season” thread (tbh, all of her stuff on show is excellent and could qualify, those are just the two I’d bold as required viewing).

[Cookie73]

My thoughts

 

Danielle was a great vocalist, better than a lot of teens that have been on the show since. I also don’t remember her having any bad performances, which is impressive given how many performances she got. I can definitely name several finalists from Team Blake who were less deserving of the finale than her, including a few of his winners. There were two reasons why she is not one of my favorite winners though. First, the talent pool was stacked that season. With Michelle Chamuel, Amber Carrington, Sasha Allen and Judith Hill also in that season, it was harder for her to stand out to more people, especially those that don’t like country music. I also recommend you watch their runs on the show. I think she would be more positively received if she was in a more recent season, especially since most of them aren’t female dominant like Season 4. Second, as you noted, she didn’t take many risks that season. She never went outside of her comfort zone, but that is common with Blake artists. That gets worse if you take into account how many performances she got. She also repeated a song from three different artists, which is a bit too lazy. I definitely prefer the contestants that are willing to step out of their comfort zone sometimes. I would put her in the bottom third on my list, but definitely not Bottom 3, though that’s also more of a testament to my opinion on the winners pool being generally more positive. Danielle had a good run on the show, but she just wasn’t my preference, especially since I am not a huge fan of country music. If you like country music, she will be for you. I also haven’t watched most of her performances in years, though it has been ten years now since her audition aired.

Edited March 30, 2023 by Cookie73

[Cookie73]

53 minutes ago, FloorWax said:

 

Oh I am excited to watch her run as well

 

Sidenote: can someone make a shortlist of essential Season 5 performances? There seems to be A LOT of talent that season.

Season 5 is my favorite season in the show’s history. I’m excited to see your thoughts on it. I definitely recommend that you watch at least ten performances from other contestants that season. At least check out Jacquie Lee, Will Champlin and Matthew Schuler by the way

[FloorWax]

12 minutes ago, Cookie73 said:

My thoughts

 

Danielle was a great vocalist, better than a lot of teens that have been on the show since. I also don’t remember her having any bad performances, which is impressive given how many performances she got. I can definitely name several finalists from Team Blake who were less deserving of the finale than her, including a few of his winners. There were two reasons why she is not one of my favorite winners though. First, the talent pool was stacked that season. With Michelle Chamuel, Amber Carrington, Sasha Allen and Judith Hill also in that season, it was harder for her to stand out to more people, especially those that don’t like country music. I also recommend you watch their runs on the show. I think she would be more positively received if she was in a more recent season, especially since most of them aren’t female dominant like Season 4. Second, as you noted, she didn’t take many risks that season. She never went outside of her comfort zone, but that is common with Blake artists. That gets worse if you take into account how many performances she got. She also repeated a song from three different artists, which is a bit too lazy. I definitely prefer the contestants that are willing to step out of their comfort zone sometimes. I would put her in the bottom third on my list, but definitely not Bottom 3, though that’s also more of a testament to my opinion on the winners pool being generally more positive. Danielle had a good run on the show, but she just wasn’t my preference, especially since I am not a huge fan of country music. If you like country music, she will be for you. I also haven’t watched most of her performances in years, though it has been ten years now since her audition aired.

 

Interesting that she's in your bottom third given how consistent she was but all the points you mentioned are valid. If we count the winners whose runs I've reviewed + every winner from S13 onwards, I already like Danielle better than at least seven of them.

[Cookie73]

6 minutes ago, FloorWax said:

 

Interesting that she's in your bottom third given how consistent she was but all the points you mentioned are valid. If we count the winners whose runs I've reviewed + every winner from S13 onwards, I already like Danielle better than at least seven of them.

I definitely prefer Maelyn, Cam and GNT. However, I did like her more than Brynn, Bryce and probably Chevel as well (I much prefer the runner up in Danielle’s season to the runner up in Chevel’s season though).

 

And yeah, maybe my ranking would change slightly if I rewatched her run now, since I haven’t seen a lot of her Live performances in many years.

Edited March 30, 2023 by Cookie73

[Cookie73]

1 hour ago, VintageVoice said:

Going with the non-Tessanne picks (and bolding the ones I’d consider must-see viewing for anyone who says The Voice has always been trash):

 

Matthew Schuler - Cough Syrup

Holly Henry - The Scientist

Preston Pohl - Electric Feel

Amber Nicole vs. Timyra-Joi - Listen

James Wolpert vs. Will Champlin - Radioactive

Kat Robichaud - You Oughta Know

Cole Vosbury - Let Her Go

Jacquie Lee - Stompa

Caroline Pennell - The Way I Am

Matthew Schuler - Cosmic Love

Will Champlin - When I Was Your Man

James Wolpert - A Case of You

Jacquie Lee - I Put a Spell On You

Matthew Schuler - Hallelujah

Jacquie Lee - Angel

Legendary list right here. The typical season could never

[Hamza Tufail]

I really like Danielle off the show, Break My Heart Again is a bop. But on the show, I'm not that big of a fan as I am of few others like Omar, Rachel, Morgan, etc..  even tho I still like her more than many other winners. I agree she didn't take any risks, but imo if she had, her run might've not been as consistent, and it would've hurt her chances of winning. But yeah, her run would've been a bit more interesting that way.

[FloorWax]

2 minutes ago, Hamza Tufail said:

and it would've hurt her chances of winning.

 

I disagree with this because I feel like if she had stepped even twice outside her comfort zone towards the later portion of the lives, her win would still be locked in anyway

Edited March 30, 2023 by FloorWax

[allistr]

Just now, FloorWax said:

 

I disagree with this because I feel like if she had stepped even twice outside her comfort zone towards the later portion of the lives, her win would still be locked in anyway

Her non-country covers after the show are amazing, I wish she would have done that during her run. 

[Hamza Tufail]

Just now, FloorWax said:

 

I disagree with this because I feel like if she had stepped even twice outside her comfort zone towards the later portion of the lives, her win would still be locked in anyway

I'm not saying she would've lost, just saying that maybe Blake thought her chances would've been a bit less that way bc there's always a risk.

[Cookie73]

1 minute ago, FloorWax said:

 

I disagree with this because I feel like if she had stepped even twice outside her comfort zone towards the later portion of the lives, her win would still be locked in anyway

At least by the middle of lives, she was the frontrunner. It was clear that she was the most popular contestant that season, so especially with multiple performances per week, she could afford to take risks. But yeah, she was Team Blake, and he often plays it safe with his artists. I typically find contestants more interesting when they take risks

[Dai]

Great write-up. I only have 2 complaints about her run.

 

- Nowadays I don’t think a contestant has to “change it up” or switch genres during their run, but in a longer season like S4 it definitely felt necessary. Team Blake didn’t get the memo that year

 

- Emotional delivery. I think this is where she struggled the most, the constant smiling during some of her performances was a bit distracting.

[Misirlou]

1 hour ago, Daillon said:

- Emotional delivery. I think this is where she struggled the most, the constant smiling during some of her performances was a bit distracting.

I agree with this. 

 

As a whole though, regarding maturity, she did seem to have a clear sense of identity throughout the show, she knew she was country and that was her lane, a lot of teens don`t have that figured out during the competition at that point.

[Hsamid]

I've only watched her audition and she didnt leave much of an impression to be honest. 

 

But for you to say she was one of the more consistent winners in all of the seasons is pretty impressive, I'll probably listen to her performances later.

 

How would you guys say she compares to Chevel? (the only other country female teen winner) Not a big fan of country myself but Chevel's one of my favourite country contestants on the show and of that season.

[QueenCami]

12 minutes ago, Hsamid said:

I've only watched her audition and she didnt leave much of an impression to be honest. 

 

But for you to say she was one of the more consistent winners in all of the seasons is pretty impressive, I'll probably listen to her performances later.

 

How would you guys say she compares to Chevel? (the only other country female teen winner) Not a big fan of country myself but Chevel's one of my favourite country contestants on the show and of that season.

both very consistent, i think Danielle is more powerful than Chevel but her tone is less "interesting" in the sense that Chevel has that cool lilt (Kelly compared it to Dolly in the blinds) whereas Danielle's voice's main qualities are being piercing and powerful -- there doesn't seem to be a strong texture / tone that sticks out to me.

 

that's not to say one is better than the other, just that they have different assets imo.

[Wim]

8 hours ago, FloorWax said:

 

 

Season 4: Danielle Bradbery

Coach: Blake Shelton

 

 

Auditions: Mean by Taylor Swift
I remembering hearing once from an IDF user that prior to coming on the Voice, Danielle had only ever sang under the kitchen table and had no previous performing experience. After watching her audition, I feel like that makes sense, as she does feel like an amateur, BUT an amateur with a wealth of raw talent. She looked surprisingly comfortable and genuinely happy to be on that stage, and while she didn’t do perfect vocally, I’d argue this is a very good first impression and it made me interested to see how she grows throughout the rest of her run.

Battles: Put Your Records On by Corinne Bailey Rae (w/ Caroline Glaser)
Yes! This was so good. Even just one round later, Danielle already looks and sounds much more confident than she did in her blind. She sings with such a full tone, which contrasted nicely with her battle partner’s airier voice. I have to say, I’d easily pick Danielle to win this match-up just because Caroline came off a little cursive to me, but the latter provided some great harmonies. Very, very nice!

Knockouts: Jesus, Take The Wheel by Carrie Underwood
Damn, this girl has a bigger voice than I expected. I will say though that I didn’t love this performance as much as I was expecting to, but it was in no way underwhelming. It’s probably just a matter of song choice and preference. Nonetheless, she obviously killed it, and definitely deserved to win over her opponent who was…something to say the least .

Playoffs: Maybe It Was Memphis by Pam Tillis
Maybe it was Grace West auditioning with this song in the current season that turned me on to it, but I loved this song pick for Danielle. I loved how she got to showcase her effortless range without doing something power ballad-y like her KO. This is probably my favorite solo performance from her so far.

Top 12: Wasted by Carrie Underwood
I’m a little confused as to why they allowed her to sing a Carrie Underwood song again when she just performed one a couple rounds ago, but I’m willing to give her a pass because while several contestants come to this show and sing Carrie, most of the time, they can’t do her songs justice. Danielle is an exception to that. This was yet another good performance for her.

Top 10: Heads Carolina, Tails California by Jo Dee Messina
This was fun! What immediately stuck out to me about this performance is that Danielle was moving around much more than she did for her previous ones, but her vocals didn’t really suffer for it? In fact, she probably sounds the best she ever has here. I always appreciate a contestant who can impress even on upbeat songs and Danielle did just that. THIS is my favorite one so far.

Top 8: Grandpa (Tell Me 'Bout the Good Ol' Days) by The Judds
THAT WAS SO SWEET OMG. This felt like her most sincere performance thus far, and the gorgeous stage design only helped matters. The song choice was perfect for her and it really allowed her clear and smooth tone to shine. I would sound like a broken record if I kept mentioning how good her vocals are, but let’s just say that seven performances in, she has had no misses. And I know I just said that the previous performance was her best yet, but this was her best yet.

Top 6: Shake The Sugar Tree by Pam Tillis
This is Danielle’s second performance of a Pam Tillis song so far, and unfortunately I didn’t like it nearly as much as her first. As always, the vocals were great, but I don’t feel like she showed anything new that she hasn’t in previous rounds. At this point, I expect her to take a little more risks, but if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it I guess?

Top 6: A Little Bit Stronger by Sara Evans
Not much to say about this one, just that it’s another solid showing from Danielle, and that the glory note at the end was quite…. well, glorious.

Semifinals: Please Remember Me by Rodney Crowell
I’m kind of at the point in this review where I begin to get a little lost for words because these performances are starting to blend together. This was a fine performance, but I wasn’t really moved one way or the other. I feel like at this point Danielle has had enough standout performances that her win is basically secured, so I kinda hoped they would push her a little bit out of her comfort zone.

Semifinals: Who I Am by Jessica Andrews
It may be a case of the lyrics being more age appropriate than usual for her, but this is the most I’ve felt moved by a Danielle performance since “Grandpa”. For a change, I believed every word that she sang and I didn’t even mind that it wasn’t anything new for her. And the hug with her parents at the end? C’mon, that’s gotta be cheating . I’m glad to finally say this again… I thought that was GREAT.

Finals: Timber, I’m Falling In Love by Patty Loveless
Hmm. Couldn’t they have picked a more… appropriate song choice for Danielle and her coach to duet on? I feel like a performance from them had the potential to be really sweet, but this just ended up a little awkward to watch.

Finals: Maybe It Was Memphis by Pam Tillis
Just like with Cassadee Pope’s reprise of “Over You”, I don’t think Danielle was able to recapture the magic of her first performance of this song. I think what tends to happen with these repeat performances is that the contestants go on autopilot mode. I dare to say this was her least assured vocal since her audition.

Finals: Born To Fly by Sara Evans
Aww, this was a very nice performance to end her run on. The whole thing felt like the end credits song that plays as you exit the cinema after watching a sappy but sweet romantic comedy. While this is the second time she’s covered Sara Evans, this performance sounded fresher than her first, and was a satisfying end to an astonishingly consistent run.


 

Overall:

Just in terms of sheer consistency, there aren’t many The Voice winners who have Danielle beat. Even though she wasn’t the strongest right out of the gate, she later on proved week after week that she was a powerful country vocalist who wasn’t just “good for her age”. Prior to watching her run in full, I had no idea that she had the ability to sing with such range and such power. On top of that, she had a beautiful tone that was as clear as a bell and unexpectedly mature-sounding.

However, while consistency is one of Danielle’s biggest assets, it is also one of her biggest detractors in my eyes. Part of why Danielle was so consistent is that she almost never had to sing something outside of her comfort zone, or make any of the songs she covered her own. She proved she could sing just as well outside of country in her battle, so I wish she took a chance with a pop song every now and then. Nonetheless, Danielle was able to pull off multiple standout performances throughout her run and its hard to deny that the kid hardly ever faltered. For what she was, she was a very deserving winner, despite not being the flashiest or most versatile in the bunch.

Top 3 Performances:
1. Who I Am
2. Grandpa (Tell Me ‘Bout the Good Ol’ Days)
3. Heads Carolina, Tails California

 

 

Winners' Ranking (so far):

1. Danielle Bradbery

2. Cassadee Pope

3. Javier Colon

4. Jermaine Paul

5. ???

 

Nice job! Glad you enjoyed her run.

 

Danielle is one of my favorites - the reason I found idf lol.  (My silly handle is from her songs Wasted and Maybe it was Memphis).  No serious arguments, just a couple of notes.

 

Blake really became the guy he is on the show this season. Danielle was his first dedicated country artist to go the distance, and he went all in for her and pitching her as a coming country star. While Danielle always said (even on the show) she wanted to do pop country, she got a steady diet of Blake's favorite 90's-ish country. We never know who picks, but it really felt like Blake had a hand in it here both from the picks and the way he talked about them. Blake's never seemed as genuine since but he's refined the routine lol.

 

Danielle did have a terrific duet with Amber Carrington on the Bangles' Eternal Flame and a good but less successful duet with Sarah Simmons on A Thousand Years (Sarah's voice was awesome and kinda overpowering). Those along with PYRO satisfied my need to hear something different during the season.

[nytsch]

My analysis is definitely biased here, but I actually preferred Cassadee to Danielle. I think part of that was me listening to her music before and liking her genre/style more, but also I feel like even if Danielle was more consistent, she didn’t have a performance that moved me nearly as much as Over You or Stupid Boy. I’d say the ones that came closest were MIWM and Little Bit Stronger, but still not particularly close. Plus I loved Cassadee’s high notes even if her lower register clearly needed work.

 

I think another thing for me is that there were so many other deserving candidates in S4 imo, while S3 was basically just Amanda so when she went out, I was rooting for Cass. But yeah, can’t really argue with many of the things you said. I would also mention that even though I’m not a country music fan, I always enjoy different song choices and a lot of her songs were unknown to me (maybe not to a classic country listener). That did make her run more enjoyable imo even if she didn’t have that much variety per se.

[FloorWax]

3 hours ago, Hsamid said:

I've only watched her audition and she didnt leave much of an impression to be honest. 

 

But for you to say she was one of the more consistent winners in all of the seasons is pretty impressive, I'll probably listen to her performances later.

 

How would you guys say she compares to Chevel? (the only other country female teen winner) Not a big fan of country myself but Chevel's one of my favourite country contestants on the show and of that season.

 

I honestly don’t remember much of Chevel’s run so I’m interested to rewatch her performances. 

 

Also yeah her audition is definitely in her bottom 3 performances for me. She ended up doing a lot better in the lives than she did there.

[FloorWax]

7 hours ago, Daillon said:

- Emotional delivery. I think this is where she struggled the most, the constant smiling during some of her performances was a bit distracting.

 

I didn’t get to mention this, but this was definitely noticeable considering who she was up against that season.

[QueenCami]

13 minutes ago, FloorWax said:

 

I didn’t get to mention this, but this was definitely noticeable considering who she was up against that season.

loooove wild horses ! so nice to get an emotional but still powerful performance. i imagine this is in reference to michelle or smth but unpop i’ve never been a huge fan?

[QueenCami]

btw maybe this is a stretch but i’m gonna guess the next one is gonna be Tessanne? but idk there’s no hint so i’m kinda shooting in the dark

[Cookie73]

10 hours ago, Misirlou said:

Not with Tesannee coming in next. First winner IMO who came strong out of the gate and remained that way through the competition. Same for Josh after her.

Yeah, they both had strong auditions

[FloorWax]

6 minutes ago, QueenCami said:

loooove wild horses ! so nice to get an emotional but still powerful performance. i imagine this is in reference to michelle or smth but unpop i’ve never been a huge fan?

 

Honestly not even just Michelle just the general performances that the rest of the S4 cast are known for