‘The Voice’ Top 10: Which Contestants Are Better Off Not Winning? [Opinion]
Televised singing competition The Voice is still going strong, proof that everyone loves a winner?
Or do they?
Since the show began airing in 2011, The Voice has yet to produce a star at the same caliber of similar platforms.
Winning aside, it can be said that the exposure offered by The Voice has been a positive stepping stone in certain cases. It was true for Season 6 hopeful Christina Grimmie. Despite not winning, she found herself with a contract at Island Records. She also found herself with multiple contract offers, despite not winning The Voice.
Although there’s no word if anything will come of this good fortune, it may be proof that the best thing that could happen for the most talented participants on The Voice is simply not to win.
Looking at the top ten singers left on The Voice there are a few standouts. These talents each have the potential and popularity to win — and that might actually be a bad thing.
Voice contestant Craig Wayne Boyd has a name that one can realistically imagine seeing on the cover on a best-selling country album. He has been a favorite of Voice viewers and stands a very good chance of winning.
Country music is one of the more popular genres, especially among Americans who view singing competitions like The Voice. Two country singers have won on previous seasons of The Voice: Cassadee Pope from season three and Danielle Bradbery from season four.
Pope seems to be the one person who’s won The Voice with the best chance for prolonged success. However, her star doesn’t seem to be rising as high or fast as what American Idol winner Carrie Underwood experienced.
To be fair, country artists have won Idol after Underwood, but haven’t enjoyed nearly as much success. Boyd does seem to have the potential to turn his time onto the show into a major career boost, but it might be a more successful endeavor from second or third place.
Watch @ColbieCaillat advise #TeamBlake TONIGHT at 8/7c on @nbc! #VoiceTop10 pic.twitter.com/AKtSjYgtSd
— The Voice (@NBCTheVoice) November 24, 2014
Other hopefuls who might benefit from not winning The Voice? Indie rocker Matt McAndrew and blue-eyed soul singer Luke Wade.
Country music winners may not have turned into huge stars after winning The Voice, but it can be argued that being on the show strengthened their career prospects. This doesn’t seem to be the case of persons outside of that music genre.
Both McAndrew and Wade have the vocals and popularity to win, but it may not work to their favor. Finishing second or third may remove the stigma of winning this show while also opening them to lucrative deals.
This, of course, raises the question of just who might benefit from winning The Voice. Of the 10 remaining singers, the one who could benefit the most from winning the seventh season might be DaNica Shirey.
Shirey is immensely talented and a favorite with the Voice audience. The songstress does not have a conventional look normally associated with pop stars, which would get in the way of her ability to have a successful career without a show like The Voice.
For women with a lot of talent, but who don’t fit a conventional mold, a singing show like The Voice is great for exposure and building a national fan base.
Who do you think would be better off NOT winning The Voice? Which artist do you think would have the most success if they were to win this season?
