‘The Voice’ Season 12: Can Chris, Aliyah Or Jesse Defeat Frontrunner Lauren?
Lauren Duski has peaked higher than any other finalist on The Voice in Season 12 but can she go all the way and win?
There are only four finalists left on The Voice; Lauren, Chris Blue, Jesse Larson, and Aliyah Moulden. The finalists will perform one last time for the public vote on Monday night’s performance finale, and then America will decide the winner of Season 12. So, which artist will go all the way and enter the winner’s circle?
Lauren has reached the Top 10 on iTunes for the past three consecutive weeks, a feat no other Season 12 finalist can claim. She also became the first Season 12 artist to top the chart, reaching no. 1 for her Semifinals performance of “Ghost in This House” by Shenandoah. She has gotten praise throughout the competition for her authentic country sound, singing a variety of older yet still fresh-sounding songs from the world of country throughout the season. She has been able to sail through the competition from the public vote, never once having to face the threat of elimination.
Since Top 10 Week, oddsmakers at Gold Derby have been predicting Lauren to win Season 12 of The Voice. Heading into the finale, Lauren has 10/11 odds, while Chris is at 9/5, Aliyah is at 11/1 and Jesse is at 20/1. Based on these odds, predicting Lauren to win is as safe a bet as you can make. Is there a possibility for an upset, though?
Jesse had to rely on the Instant Save to advance to the finale, so he arguably has less of a shot of taking home victory than the three who advanced purely on the public vote. Between Chris and Aliyah, the former has tracked as another frontrunner throughout the season. Chris was in the no. 1 position for Gold Derby odds during The Voice playoffs, Top 12 Week and Top 11 Week before Lauren took over. He was also the only artist this week to get both his solo and duet performances to the Top 10 on iTunes. His solo performance of “Take Me to the King” by Tamela Mann rocketed him to no. 2 right behind Lauren. He also received the most retweets for his specific voting tweet on The Voice Twitter account than any other Semifinalist; even Lauren.
If you want to take @Chrisbluelive to the finale, RETWEET and don’t forget to VOTE. #VoiceTop8 pic.twitter.com/RlYnouawHs
— The Voice (@NBCTheVoice) May 16, 2017
Meanwhile, Aliyah has some newfound momentum on her side. Up through Top 11 Week, the young singer had mostly performed spunky novelty songs, but after performing the emotional “Jealous” by Labrinth in Top 10 Week, coach Blake Shelton and company commented on her having a breakthrough. She then performed another ballad, “I Can Only Imagine” by MercyMe, for Semifinals Week and finally charted in the Top 10 on iTunes. If Voice voters are taken by Aliyah’s growth narrative, she could pose a real threat as well.
Then there’s Jesse, who may not have the same level of support as his three fellow finalists but could also benefit from an underdog narrative. He’s also the only rock artist left in the competition, so he could accumulate enough voters who prefer this genre to put him back in the running.
Lauren’s popularity should not be underestimated, though, especially considering the number of country-leaning artists that have won The Voice over the years. Blake has won The Voice five times, four of which were with a country artist (Season 3’s Cassadee Pope, Season 4’s Danielle Bradbery, Season 7’s Craig Wayne Boyd and Season 11’s Sundance Head). Lauren having a popular genre with The Voice audience, combined with her iTunes success, could be unbeatable, but with her fellow finalists having success and popularity alongside her could make this a real competition.
https://www.playbuzz.com/inquisitr/the-voice-season-12-can-chris-aliyah-or-jesse-defeat-frontrunner-lauren
The Voice Season 12 finale airs Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.
[Featured Image by Trae Patton/NBC]
