The list of successful musical acts whose careers have been launched on televised singing competitions can be counted on two hands. The U.S. version of American Idol has been most successful so far, producing bona fide stars like Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Phillip Phillips, and Daughtry, and the U.K.’s version of X-Factor is of course responsible for unleashing the reigning world champion of boy bands, One Direction. The other singing competitions here Stateside have had less success up to this point, but the recent champion of The Voice, Cassadee Pope, looks well positioned to be the first breakout star from that program.
The 24-year-old Pope won the third season of The Voice last December and has spent the majority of 2013 working on her solo country debut, Frame By Frame, for Republic Nashville. Her first single, “Wasting All These Tears,” seems well-positioned to be a crossover hit; the song is currently #7 on the iTunes Top 10 Country chart, but is an impressive #41 (and climbing!) on the overall iTunes Singles Chart (which encompasses all genres of music).
“I feel so incredible about the album,” she told our pals over at CMT Hot 20 Countdown. “I created it with [producer] Dan Huff mostly. … Me and Dan just had a great time in the studio. We had this chemistry that was undeniable, and we were on the same page constantly throughout the entire process.”
Be sure and tune-in to the premiere episode of Cassadee Pope: Frame by Frame on CMT tonight, October 4, at 10 p.m. ET/PT, and keep an eye out for her Frame By Frame LP when it drops next week. Additionally, she’ll be appearing on VH1’s Big Morning Buzz Live With Carrie Keagan next week.