Although most The Voice stars failed to enter the music industry, some did build successful careers following their stints on the series.
There haven’t been many substantial music stars that started their careers on The Voice, but certain contestants from the show did go on to have illustrious careers. When the series premiered on NBC in 2011, it faced stiff competition. American Idol was still the roaring success it had always been. TV personality and music mogul Simon Cowell had just started the American version of The X Factor, which was extremely popular in the UK. It seemed redundant to have another musical competition series, but at least The Voice is still airing, unlike The X Factor.
Currently, The Voice season 25 is airing, and the series offers something different than its competitors. There’s no embarrassing auditions, no behind-the-scenes drama between the celebrity co-stars, and a format about coaching the singers on the show. From the first season, it became clear that The Voice would become a hit show for NBC, and that’s precisely what happened. The original coaches (Christina Aguilera, Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, and CeeLo Green) significantly boosted their careers. Sensibilities changed among viewers, who grew tired of the infamous Simon’s nastiness. They gravitated toward more positive talent competitions like The Voice and America’s Got Talent.
Danielle Bradbery
The Voice Season 4
Danielle Bradbery competed on The Voice season 4 during its early years. The judges at the time were Adam, Shakira, Blake, and Usher. When Danielle got out on stage, she sang Taylor Swift’s “Mean” and instantly got Adam, Blake, and Usher to turn their chairs around for her. While all three guys did their best to win Danielle over, she ultimately chose Blake and stayed on his team until the end of the season. Danielle had a great run throughout the season and ultimately took home the title of winner for The Voice season 4. She took the title home after singing “Born to Fly” by Sara Evans.
Since appearing on The Voice season 4, Danielle has become a huge success in the country music sphere. Shortly after Danielle won The Voice, she signed a music contract with Big Machine Records and came out with her first self-titled album, Danielle Bradbery, in November 2013. During this time, Danielle got to sing at the Grand Ole Opry, was the supporting act for Brad Paisley, and her song “My Day” was even played during the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics.
In 2017, she came out with her second album, I Don’t Believe We’ve Met. The album had a few hit songs, such as “Sway” and “Worth It.” On April 19, Danielle came out with her latest hit “Younger and Wiser,” which she also revealed on her Instagram page.
Cassadee Pope
The Voice Season 3
While The Voice shot Cassadee Pope to fame, she was already famous in her own right. Cassadee was already a well-known face in the emo/punk world as she was the lead singer of the band Hey Monday. However, Cassadee wanted more out of her music career. She auditioned for The Voice season 3, where she sang “Torn” by Natalie Imbruglia and had all four chairs turn around. She ultimately chose to be on Team Blake. Cassadee ultimately won the competition, making her the first female to win The Voice at the time. She released her first studio country album, Frame by Frame, in 2013, shortly after her win.
Cassadee had a lot of success with Hey Monday, touring around the world.
Since her time on The Voice, Cassadee has taken a step back from country music and has reverted back to her pop-punk days. She released a new song in March called “Eye Contact” and is even performing at a festival in Arizona in July. Cassadee’s success from The Voice has allowed her to dabble in music genres and become a success in anything she does.
Christina Grimmie
The Voice Season 6
Christina Grimmie was a finalist during The Voice season 6, placing third on Adam’s team. She two had a bit of a following before joining the singing competition. Christina was very popular on YouTube for her singing videos, which allowed her to be discovered by Mandy Teefy, Selena Gomez’s mom (via MTV). Christina later got the opportunity to open for Selena during Selena’s We Own The Night tour in 2011. A couple of years after touring with Selena, Christina got the chance to audition for The Voice season 6 and made it very far in the competition.
After The Voice, Christina went on to have a great career. She signed with Island Records and released her first studio album, All Is Vanity, in 2017, shortly after Christina’s death. In October 2016, Christina was tragically assassinated by an armed fan during a meet-and-greet after performing at a venue in Florida.
This event sent shockwaves through the music community and was particularly devastating for The Voice fans. Following her death, many celebrities responded to the news offering their condolences, such as her The Voice coach Adam, Justin Biever, Selena, Dove Cameron, and more. Despite her untimely death, Christina is still one of the most successful The Voice singers to date.
Melanie Martinez
The Voice Season 3
Her debut album, Cry Baby, was released in 2015 and was a huge hit for Melanie. For the young men and women who were constantly on Tumblr during this time will definitely remember Melanie and her signature musical sound. After Cry Baby, Melanie came out with more music that did well, with “Play Date” becoming one of the most-played songs on Spotify in the U.S. after its popularity on TikTok in April 2020 (via Idolator). Melanie continues to be a success as she released her third music video for “Tunnel Vision” in December 2023.
Morgan Wallen
The Voice Season 6
Not many will know this, but world-renowned country music singer Morgan Wallen was a contestant on The Voice season 6. He initially joined Usher’s team before joining Team Adam later on. Morgan, however, was eliminated during the playoffs. Despite not making it far on The Voice, Morgan is without a doubt the most successful singer from The Voice.
Four years after appearing on the show, Morgan’s stardom began to form. His single “Chasin’ You” was a huge hit in 2019 and 2020. However, his album, One Thing at a Time, which was released in 2023, really put Morgan on the map. “Last Night” became the song of the summer in 2023 and is still a favorite for many. While Morgan’s public image took a bit of a hit, as a video was recorded of him using a racial slur and his recent arrest in Nashville, he’s still the most successful The Voice contestant.
The Voice has yet to launch as many successful careers as its competitors. On the other hand, all the coaches who appeared on The Voice over the years have enjoyed plenty of success from this platform. It is ultimately an excellent chance for them to connect with new audiences and show different sides of themselves that the mainstream public might not be aware of.
