Viewers had a hard time picking the finalists on The Voice season 22, as there was such a stellar cast, and several surprising eliminations. Blake Shelton, Gwen Stefani, John Legend, and Camila Cabello all had strong teams this season, with performers as young as 17 years old. While Team Blake ultimately took home the title after Bryce Leatherwood won this season, some fans were hoping for a different top five in the finale.
The Voice season 22 brought back the elements that fans of the show love, starting with the blind auditions. No one from Team Gwen made it into the top 5, which shocked many viewers, given her talented lineup. The finale had Bodie Kuljian, Brayden Lape, and Bryce Leatherwood from Team Blake, Morgan Myles from Team Camila, and Omar Jose Cardon from Team Legend. Despite the finale having several exciting performances, viewers were still disappointed that certain contestants were eliminated before the big night.
Justin Aaron
While The Voice is a singing competition, many viewers have criticized it for being more of a popularity contest. In the past, it seemed like contestants were mostly judged based on whose team they were on, rather than their skills as artists. Since his blind audition, Justin from Team Gwen has been one to watch, thanks to smooth vocals that viewers loved to hear each week. He started his journey by singing John Legend's "Glory," and Gwen was the only one to turn her chair. He was given a lot of praise on The Voice's YouTube channel.
Fans loved his take on Tevin Campbell's "Can We Talk" during the Knockout round. However, he was ultimately eliminated in the top 8. Viewers were surprised that he did not make it into the finale after his last performance, which brought Gwen to tears.
Parijita Bastola
The 17-year-old from Maryland got all four judges to turn for her when she was singing Labrinth's "Jealous," and her audition went viral on The Voice, and she ed Team Legend. Many fans were outraged by her elimination in the top 8, alongside Justin and Kim Cruse, thinking that she had what it took to win it all. Parijita wowed fans with her ability to perform Adele's "Make You Feel My Love" so beautifully, but she was still sent home.
Kique Gomez
At 18 years old, Kique was one of the youngest contestants on season 22, and he has a powerful voice. Fans fell in love with his unique ability to put his own spin on recognizable songs, ever since his blind audition, where he sang, "Beautiful Girls" by Sean Kingston. The Miami native was a front-runner, especially after his viral audition on Despite The Voice fans being disappointed that he did not make it further, Kique had a sweet send-off, especially from his coach, Gwen.