Tag Archive for: Blake Shelton

[Watch] The Voice Season 15 Finale Contestants Perform With Country Stars

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Last night, NBC’s hit singing competition show The Voice wrapped up its 15th season with the last four contestants, Chevel Shepherd, Chris Kroeze, Kirk Jay, and Kennedy Holmes. The four finalists were competing for the winning title and a record deal that will change their lives forever. The two-hour season finale was jam-packed with performances from a multitude of different artists like Dierks Bentley, John Legend, Marshmello and Bastille, Panic! at the Disco, and Halsey. While even bringing out judges Kelly Clarkson and Jennifer Hudson to join forces for a powerful Christmas duet. That wasn’t all for the finale performances, the finalists had a special musical collaboration for their last performance in the competition.

Luckily for us country music fans, there were some country stars in the making, Chevel Shepherd (Team Kelly) and Kirk Jay (Team Blake.) The two finalists got the opportunity to perform with artists we all know and love, Rascal Flatts and Dan + Shay.

Throughout the competition, Kirk Jay and Blake Shelton have become great collaborators and friends. Shelton has embraced Kirk’s undying love for country music and even praised the contestant saying, “Kirk has got this twang that nobody has ever had in country music before.” Giving the Shelton stamp of approval, Jay has won the hearts of many and even turned fellow judge Jennifer Hudson into a fan of the genre. Last night, his dream came true to share the stage with one of the best selling country groups of all time, Rascal Flatts, performing their latest single, “Back To Life.” The trio and the finalist poured out their hearts, giving the crowd a beautiful performance filled with emotion and undeniable talent.

Next up, was Kelly Clarkson’s very own country Tinkerbell, Chevel Shepherd. The champion coach took Shepherd under her wing, bringing the pure country singer all the way into the final four. Over their time in the competition, the two have formed a sister like bond with one another, ending with Clarkson praising her saying, “She’s everything you want your daughter to be, I hope my daughter sings and she sings like you!” The country Tinkerbell took the stage with Grammy Nominated Best Country Duo, Dan + Shay singing their latest number one single, “Speechless.” The duo and the finalist joined forces, giving everyone watching a female perspective of the hit song, while she stood in the middle belting out the lyrics and captivating the audience with their powerful vocals.

Before the big winner was announced, country superstar Dierks Bentley took the stage to perform his latest hit single, “Burning Man” off his ninth studio album, The Mountain. Bentley gave all he had while performing, not leaving the crowd disappointed for a moment. Throughout the performance, he was seen interacting with the audience, even stepping into the crowd to get as close as possible, while the camera panned to the fans cheering and singing along. The performance was energized making those watching at home wishing that they were there.

Voice Finale

Photo Credit Trae Patton/NBC

After the final four performed for the last time, it was the moment everyone was waiting for. Coming in fourth place was Team Jennifer’s Kennedy Holmes while following in third place was Team Blake’s country singer, Kirk Jay. The final two contestants came down to Team Blake’s Chris Kroeze and Team Kelly’s Chevel Shepherd. Leaving the audience waiting on the edge of their seats…and the winner is country Tinkerbell, Chevel Shepherd! A big congratulations to the winner and Team Kelly, who has now won two years in a row.

Luckily for us New Yorkers, Dan + Shay have recently added a New York City date to their spring 2019 tour, playing at Hammerstein Ballroom on March 7, 2019, with support act Morgan Evans.

 

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NYCS Swag Spotlight Featuring Sundance Head

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Sundance Head

Photo Credit: Tara Bone Photography

You may recall our next Swag Spotlight, Sundance Head as the winner of season 11 of The Voice back in 2016. Growing up in Porter, Texas about twenty miles north of Houston, his father was in the music business so he grew up around musicians, never really knowing that people had other jobs other than playing music. “It was more of like a lifestyle, I wrote songs because everyone I knew wrote songs, played guitar because everyone around me playing guitar,” Head says. In order to pay the bills, he took a job in construction which allowed him the freedom to work outside, listening to the radio all while keeping his musical dreams on the back burner.   When his girlfriend at the time suggested he try out for American Idol. Making it to the top 13, he learned a lot about the television competition process during that time. “I didn’t know myself as an artist and I wasn’t a great vocalist at the time. I didn’t realize that you needed to have a strategy,” Head explains.

After working an office job for five years after American Idol, he got sick of sitting at a desk and decided to try his hand once again in the music industry. He started up a band and they played every bar and venue they could in Texas, cutting their teeth and honing their craft.  When that same girlfriend who now was his wife suggested that he try out for another television competition, he was skeptical. “I said that’s the last thing I want to do is do that, it’s taken us four-five years to prove ourselves to Texas Radio, if we go do that and it doesn’t work out, I can’t come back to Texas,” he explains. “They look at that like you are selling out, they don’t always understand that you are just trying to do what it takes to pay your bills.” He does think that that mentality is changing, however, with the help of artists like Cody Johnson and Aaron Watson. “We’ve cultivated this great sound down here, why should we just keep it here”.

Taking one more chance, with more experience under his belt he tried out for The Voice, making it on to Team Blake and eventually going all the way to win the season. Since then, he has been on tour, performing over 280 dates last year alone, especially opening for Blake Shelton for his arena tour. When discussing what he learned from touring with Shelton he explains that the main takeaway is, always be yourself, be true to who you are and people will respect you for that. “Blake is so good at singing to 80 thousand people but he makes each individual there think that he is performing the show for them personally,” he says.

He then comments about rising superstar Luke Combs and how his genuine nature and incredible songs are making waves in the genre and how that will affect the path he takes to the industry. “He is singing great songs about real stuff and he is a real dude…This is a dude that’s lived it, people can feel that. That’s super exciting for me too, other than me being in incredible shape and very tall and handsome, we have a lot in common,” he laughs.

Looking ahead, Head has worked with and befriended legendary songwriter Dean Dillon (“The Chair”, “Tennesee Whiskey”) to pick the right songs and produce his album that has become highly anticipated since winning The Voice. Some of the greatest songwriters in Nashville has contributed songs to the record, slated for release very soon he tells us. Lori McKenna (“Girl Crush”, “Humble and Kind”) and JT Harding (“Sangria”, “Somewhere With You”) collaborated on the debut single from the record, “Leave Her Wild”. He comments about the song and how he knew it was the right single for him explaining, “I fell in love with it, it has that sexy kind of rock n roll backbeat on the kick drum but then it’s got these hip lyrics, it talks about this amazing woman, I can visualize her being smoking hot, free, goes around being happy and being sweet to everyone, lives as hard as she loves. I know who that girl is, that’s my wife.”

Anticipating his album, Stained Glass and Neon to be released in early 2019, Head can’t wait to release his own brand of soulful country to the world. For all news and updates be sure to follow Sundance Head on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

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Blake Shelton Appears on Ellen & Laughs About Halloween Costume

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Blake Shelton Ellen

Photo Via YouTube (EllenTube)

The Voice judge and country music icon, Blake Shelton, appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show today and he had a lot to talk about!  Shelton sat down with Ellen DeGeneres to talk about his time as People Magazine’s 2017 Sexiest Man Alive. “I feel like sexy ends when… I’m not Sexiest Man Alive any more” he laughed. DeGeneres also questioned how it has affected his relationship with girlfriend Gwen Stefani. “It’s supposed to be like a superpower or whatever, you know what I’m saying? I don’t think she felt the power,” Shelton jokes.

Shelton also dished that Stefani was to blame for his Halloween costume debacle. The duo planned to dress up for a Halloween birthday party, and Stefani had bought Shelton a costume from the Disney movie, Incredibles. The joke was on him when he ended up wearing a sailor costume and another guest had mistaken him as the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man from Ghostbusters.

“So it’s the birthday party and Gwen had gotten me an Incredibles costume, the dad. And I put it on and it literally — this was here in L.A. — it was like putting on a thick coat because it had muscles and I don’t have real muscles… So I didn’t like that, it was too hot,” Shelton says. “So she said, ‘There’s a sailor costume you can put on. Just put that on. I don’t care.'” He continued…”So I put that on and I swear to God, Ellen, I swear, I walk into the party and the very first person walked up to me and asked me if I was the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man,” Shelton continues. “I swear! And they’re right. They’re exactly right!”

The two also talked about Shelton’s vodka brand Smithworks, which they both took a shot of right in the middle of their interview. After they drank together, they talked about his unfortunate fall on stage.  Watch the clip here.

At the end of their chat, Shelton revealed details about his upcoming “Friends & Heroes Tour”. The tour will begin in February 2019. Lauren Alaina, the Bellamy Brothers, John Anderson, and Trace Adkins are acting as direct support for the tour.  Although the tour isn’t hitting New York City, Shelton will be in Uncasville, CT at Mohegan Sun Arena on March 21st and 22nd. You can also catch him on The Voice every Monday and Tuesday night.

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NYCS Swag Spotlight Featuring Valerie Ponzio

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Valerie Ponzio

Photo via www.valerieponzio.com

Recently, the country music umbrella has expanded thanks to artists like Maren Morris and Florida Georgia Line bringing pop influences, The Cadillac Three bringing a southern rock vibe and even Lady Antebellum adding a horn section into their latest album.  This week’s Swag Spotlight focuses on Valerie Ponzio, a singer-songwriter who grew up in a West Texas town, El Paso which borders Mexico and New Mexico, she hopes to bring her own blend of country music and Latin music to a new fanbase.  “I like to play different places and shed light on the region that I am from and the interesting Latin/country mix that they are known for,”  Ponzio tells us.

Her influences growing up and currently, range from strong female vocalists such as Sheryl Crow and Mariah Carey to Sting, Johnny Cash, and Luke Bryan as well as Shakira and the mariachi bands that she grew up listening to in Texas. Those sounds all come together to create Valerie’s undeniable signature sound, something that she prides her self on. “In the writing room, I try to bring Latin artists, as well as country artists as my influences and as far as where I want my songs to go,” she tells us, “It’s a funny mix between country and Latin, where I am at, it is where I steer all of my music and my live performance too.”

Most recently, Ponzio was a four-chair turn on season 12 of the popular singing competition, The Voice, ultimately choosing Blake Shelton as her mentor.  She chose to sing the Johnny Cash classic “Ring Of Fire” which although is traditionally a country song, sonically has a Latin energy, with mariachi horns in the chorus. “People are very passionate about Johnny Cash, you want to make it your own but do it as much as you can to pay your tribute and the style of the song,” she explains of her audition. Her sultry and slowed down version caught the attention of all four of the judges, Adam Levine exclaiming, “You are the most well-rounded singer, I think, for this particular panel of judges that I really kind of ever heard.”

She explains that the opportunity to be showcased on one of the most popular singing competitions is a crazy rollercoaster ride. “It was such a high moment in my life that I got to share with the people I love,” Ponzio tells us of her entire family being present for her blind audition. “It helped me grow as a singer and a performer.”  After the show, she moved to Nashville and is grateful for all of the connections and opportunities that have come her way.  She is writing as much as she can and taking every chance to spread her unique blend of music to new fans.

Her debut EP, Timeless, was released in July and features four original songs and the title track in English and Spanish.  Three of the four songs were written by Ponzio herself, as she represents her journey of moving to Nashville to further pursue her dreams and falling in love.  She explains that moving to Nashville has taught her so much about music and writing and even learning to let go and let the best song win.  When she heard “Morning” which was written by fellow Latin/country artists Sammy Arriaga she knew she had to record it for her own project although she didn’t write it herself. “The song is king here, you learn to respect that, even if I didn’t write it, there is something so amazing and putting that first and then seeing people react to it,” she says.

She is currently playing shows in Nashville, promoting the new music and looking forward to bringing her sound to other places around the country including places that primarily Latin markets that may not specifically listen to country music.  She hopes to put a tour together for early 2019.  Be sure to follow Valerie Ponzio on social media including Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

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Country Music Stars Head To ‘The Voice’

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The Voice

Picture Via @KeithUrban Instagram

This week NBC announced that two of country music’s biggest stars will be joining The Voice as team advisors for season 15. Traditionally, each of the coaches bring in a guest adviser to help the contestants during The Battle Rounds. Keith Urban and Thomas Rhett will be advising teams with Blake Shelton and Kelly Clarkson. Urban is no stranger to singing competition show, he was a coach on The Voice Australia back in 2012. Urban was also a judge on American Idol for four seasons on Fox. Urban will be joining Shelton’s team for the battle rounds, while Rhett will be joining Clarkson’s team. This will be Rhett’s first time advising and mentoring on a major competition show.  The other two advisers will be Halsey and former The Voice team coach, CeeLo Green.

The Voice

Picture Via @Thomasrhettakins Instagram

 

Urban is currently on his Graffiti U World Tour with special guest Kelsea Ballerini which will hit NYC on October 27th at Barclays Center. Rhett is currently on the road with Kenny Chesney on his Trip Around the Sun tour which will hit MetLife on August 18th. The Voice airs Monday, September 24th on NBC.

 

 

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DBradbery Cover

NYCS First Impression: Danielle Bradbery ‘I Don’t Believe We’ve Met’

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Danielle Bradbery NYCS

From first listen, Danielle Bradbery’s latest album is a remarkable testament to the artist who is finally choosing her own path. “I didn’t know myself as a person back then,” Bradbery says of her teenage years. “I didn’t know my sound yet. Now I want to talk about real things. I want to be honest.” the singer says of evolving after her stint on the singing competition The Voice.  As a 16-year-old, Bradbery took the reality competition by storm with her strong vocal ability and sweet nature.  Now, 21, she understands the importance of being honest with yourself and making the music that you feel represents you.

At her album release party in NYC on Wednesday night, Bradbery explained to us before taking the stage  “This album is a huge growing up process, for this album, 16 to now 21 is a huge gap that you have to figure out and that is exactly what I did.”

The Texas native co-wrote 7 of the 10 tracks on I Don’t Believe We’ve Met, making each lyric personal to her story. The most intimate song, “Human Diary” is an intimate look at a breakup and all of the things you lose, feeling exposed and raw.  The lead single “Sway” is a perfect groove, introducing the new sound from The Voice alum.

“What Are We Doing” could easily find itself on any pop music chart sitting next to Justin Beiber, highlighting the back and forth of a modern-day relationship. Bradbery’s vocal chops bring new life to the simplest lyric including the female empowering, “Worth It”, her favorite on the album.  Fans of all ages can relate to the message Bradbery is singing about.  Sonically, the project fits in perfectly with the pop-country vibes that have catapulted young female artists to the country charts including Lauren Alaina and Carly Pearce. Be on the look out for more great things from this emerging country artist and grab I Don’t Believe We’ve Met on iTunes.

 

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Blake Shelton Texoma Shore

NYCS First Impression: Blake Shelton’s ‘Texoma Shore’

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Blake Shelton Texoma Shore

Blake Shelton has released his 11th studio album Texoma Shore today, the culmination of his 10 previous albums, bringing him back to his roots and to the traditional country genre.  The title is derived from Lake Texoma on the border of Texas and his home state of Oklahoma. The project was recorded right near the lake, making the title relevant for many reasons.

Texoma Shore is light and playful featuring happy songs that imitate where he is in his life.  His undeniable twang allows for the traditional country sound throughout the project.  Majority of the tracks highlight affection, for instance, the first 7 songs all reflect on romance and being lucky in love (“Money”, “Beside You Babe”, “Why Me”). His current single and the first off of Texoma Shore, “I’ll Name the Dogs” is reminiscent of his number one single “Honeybee”.  “When you listen to the record, it will go from something traditional to something that will make your head spin, back to something even more traditional,” says Shelton in a recent press release. “That’s just what you can expect from one of my albums.”

A stand-out on the record, “The Wave” features strong imagery and can be the perfect wedding song for 2018.

“I was a boat trapped in a bottle, dying for water, you were the ocean  / I was a compass that couldn’t find heaven, I didn’t know how bad I was broken / I was a castaway with no land /  I drew a broken heart in the sand and you were the wave that washed it all away”

Plenty of Nashville’s greatest songwriters are featured on the album including Ben Hayslip (“I’ll Name the Dogs”, “I Lived It”) Ashley Gorley (“Why Me”) and Rhett Akins (“When the Wine Wears Off”).  Shelton only co-wrote one song on the record, (“Turnin’ Me On”) with Josh Osborne and Jessi Alexander, which features a subtle reference to his current girlfriend, pop-star Gwen Stefani’s Revlon partnership, and her bold red lips.

“Knows how to set me on fire, she’s always holdin’ the match / And when my body’s beside hers, there ain’t no turnin’ back / She’s Revlon red in the blackest night, lighting up the room in the world just like she’s turnin’ me on.” 

Along with his album release week, Shelton announced on Monday his latest tour which will kick off in March.  The Country Music Freaks Tour  is hitting cities across the US and he is bringing Trace Adkins, Brett Eldredge, and Carly Pearce along for the ride.

 

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