Recently on The Voice, SoCal singer-songwriter Bodie turned the Proclaimers’ upbeat novelty hit “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” into a sad indie ballad so well that his coach Blake Shelton called him a “visionary.” It seemed like there was nowhere else for Bodie to go, no way for him to expand his vision after he set the bar so high. But when the top 10 singers from Season 22 of The Voice competed on Monday, Bodie raised the bar even higher. Blake was amazed.
This may be the greatest performance I’ve ever seen on this show.
Yes, Blake often exaggerates on The Voice. Once, he told a contestant,
You literally just bludgeoned me to death with your vocals!
Blake was being literal this time about Bodie’s top 10 tour de force, though. When NBC shows a best-of-Voice anniversary special years from now, it will include songs by Amanda Brown (“Dream On”), Hunter Plake (“Higher Love”), Victor Solomon (“Freedom”), and Bodie (“Golden Hour”).
Recently, the Top 10 was all about songs chosen by fans, and if viewers had given TikTok star JVKE’s fast, partly rapped “Golden Hour” to anyone other than Bodie, it probably would have been sabotage.
This may be the hardest song I have ever heard someone try to do on this show,
noted Blake.
What you were doing in the verses, and then the way you were singing in the chorus? What? Who are you?
But Bodie, who is a real original and is used to taking chances on this show, did it perfectly. This was one of the most daring, interesting, modern, and important performances in the history of The Voice. It was also Bodie’s best performance yet, and this season has been full of Bodie’s best moments.
You walked in here and I felt star-struck by you — and I don’t even really get star-struck anymore!
said Camilla Cabelo, gaspingly.
You definitely have your own lane, your own everything. I thought it was just beautiful. I’m always amazed by your voice, because it’s like an alternative voice, but it does so much more than an alternative voice,
said Gwen Stefani.
Oh my God, you’re incredible, dude. I don’t know what else to say,
Blake said
Even if Bodie doesn’t win this season, he has a good chance of becoming a star. But several other Season 22 contestants could be in the winner’s circle in just two weeks, because, as host Carson Daly said, this is “the strongest group of 10 artists the show has had in a while.” And he wasn’t exaggerating.
