photo: Ryan Pierse / Getty Images"The Voice USA" Season 1 winner Javier Colon has sadly already parted ways with his record label, and the entire "Voice U.K." tour just got cancelled (after that series' winner, Leanne Mitchell, failed to chart higher than number 45). But maybe there's hope for Karise Eden, the newly crowned winner of "The Voice Australia"--which, unlike its British counterpart, experienced robust ratings all season long.
Karise's lovely cover of "Hallelujah" topped the Australian iTunes charts last week--despite the song choice being somewhat of a tired reality-TV cliché at this point--and she went on to chart two additional number-one Down Under downloads this week. And there's just something about her that's very...cool. Karise Eden is kind of badass. I like this girl.
Karise was coached by Seal (the other three celebrity coaches on the Aussie "Voice" were Keith Urban, Good Charlotte's Joel Madden, and Australian pop star Delta Goodrem), and she came to the show with a genuine sob story that clearly connected with viewers. The now 19-year-old, Joplin-esque belter bounced between 20 different refuges after leaving home at just age 13, and she actually wrote her chart-topping original song, "I Was Your Girl," with her adopted sister back when they were sharing bunk-beds during tough times.
Obviously Karise isn't just a hard-luck case; the girl can sing, too. I dig her vibe--she's got a bit of an Australian Bowersoxian thing going on--and I hope she does well and adds a little credibility to the possibly fading "Voice" franchise. Do you think Karise Eden has what it takes--and could maybe be a hit on this side of the equator? Let me know.
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