This time last year, it was as easy to predict the winner of The Voice as it was to guess that spring would follow winter. But Season 22 has proven to be a whole other animal.
Jaws dropped on Tuesday, when Team Blake Shelton’s fine-but-not-phenomenal Bryce Leatherwood and Brayden Lape made the Final Five, and Team John Legend’s demonstrably more skilled Kim Cruse and Parijita Bastola were eliminated along with Team Gwen Stefani’s last remaining member, powerhouse Justin Aaron. Bryce and Brayden didn’t even have to sing for the Wildcard Instant Save with Team Legend showstopper Omar Jose Cardona. (Read the full recap here.)
What does that tell us? Hardly for the first time, the vote is leaning toward the coach with the biggest following and not necessarily the contestant with the best voice. But that still doesn’t guarantee a victory for either Bryce, who also has country fans in his corner, or Brayden, who would’ve looked right at home on Riverdale. So who, then?
Not Team Camila Cabello’s Morgan Myles, sadly. Amazing as she is, her rookie coach doesn’t seem able to muster up much voting power. (If she could, Devix would’ve made the Top 10.) Having just had to sing for the Save, Omar is also unlikely to go home with the title. That leaves as our frontrunner… bodie.
The 29-year-old alt-rocker has everything going for him, too. 1. He’s on Team Blake, as valuable an asset as talent. 2. He’s as lovable as an overeager puppy. 3. The guy’s got chops to spare. His Semi-Finals cover of Halsey’s “Without Me” wasn’t his best, but he more ordinarily performs at the high level of his Fan Week showing (which you can rewatch below).
So there you have it — bodie is my pick to win. And I won’t even be mad if he does. Vote in the polls below for the contestants you think should and will emerge victorious, then back up your votes in the comments.
