The TV Chick

I gave up on Idol years ago, so when The Voice came along, I was unsure how to feel about it. I’ll tell you this: I was completely surprised by just how much I loved it. Seriously, it’s pretty fantastic. So when the opportunity arose for a media call with some of the contestants, I knew my resident reality guru Lindsey would jump at the chance. Check it out!

The so-called “Battle Round” episode of NBC’s The Voice is upon us, and tonight will inevitably be the night that determines whether or not the show will actually give Idol a run for it’s money. Now that the “blind audition” aspect is over (which is coincidentally the entire premise of the show), will The Voice have legs to stand on? Over the last two weeks, we’ve watched a country star, a lady-crazy one-hit-wonder, a Dolly Parton impersonator (Ed. Note: HA!) and the hottest man in the world (Ed. Note: Good call) duke it out over contestants to join their respective teams. We had the chance to talk to one contestant from each team about how they’re handling the pressure going into tonight’s Battle Round. We learned a lot of interesting things – like Beverly’s addiction to Mountain Dew and why Nakia chose a Cee Lo song – so read on to find out more!

Javier Colon (Adam’s Team)
Q: You were selected by all four judges. What made you decide to ultimately go with Adam Levine?
A: I would have been ecstatic to have even one person turn around. I was really flattered. I knew that if I was lucky enough to have my choice, I wanted to make sure I picked someone that was enthusiastic and adamant about having me on their team. Adam was almost distracting me during the song because he was so animated and into it. That meant so much to me.
Q: We heard that you actually intended to cancel your audition. What happened?
A: The Thursday before the auditions in New York I woke up and I wasn’t feeling well; I almost had no voice. I didn’t want to make a fool of myself, so I told my manager to cancel it. As it turns out, when Saturday came I was feeling a lot better than I thought I would, and my manager just so happened to “forget” to cancel it, so I flew in to Connecticut and drove from there to New York just in time for the audition.

Nakia (Cee Lo’s Team)
Q: You’re selected a song that was one of the judges own songs – were you hoping Cee Lo was going to pick you or did you think it would derail you?
A: I chose it because it’s an instantly recognizable, wildly accessible song. All over the world, anyone who hears those first four bars knows what song it is. I thought it was great that Cee Lo was there, but at the same time, the American audience — all the people watching it at home — will connect with the song and thereby connect with me. I knew choosing it was a risk, but having Cee Lo turn around was hugely validating for me as artist.
Q: When you’re practicing, how aware are you of what the other teams are doing?
A: We’re really not. I only know what’s going on with Cee Lo and what direction I’m getting from him. I’m glad I only have one coach, and I don’t want to worry about what’s going on on the other teams, because I want to focus on what I’m getting directed to do.

Tyler Robinson (Blake’s Team)
Q: You came out to your father on television before taking the stage. Did you warn him before the episode aired or was that his first time hearing the news?
A: I think that watching it on the show was the first time my dad actually heard the words come out of my mouth. I haven’t physically seen my dad in three years. When I was talking in my interview I honestly didn’t realize I hadn’t told my dad. I’ve been so out and casual about it for the past two years forgot that there were people in my life that still didn’t know. It was one of those things that fell into place at the right time.

Beverly McClellan (Christina’s Team)
Q: What scares you most about the competition?
A: Not being able to find Mountain Dew in LA. Just kidding! It’s all scary. It’s all new for all of us, all of this is something we’ve never ever been through, but it’s also a blessing.
Q: Can you talk about your tattoos? You have a ton of ‘em.
A: They’re all little journeys that I’ve taken. I love tattoos. I’m highly allergic to the sun, so this is my sun; this is my color. I pick things that mean the most to me – I have some of my Indian heritage tattooed on me, a microphone, a guitar. I’ll probably add one for The Voice, seeing how it’s changed my life.

Check out a preview for tonight’s episode:

Be sure to check out the Battle Round on The Voice, tonight at 10 pm on NBC.