Season 29 of The Voice: Battle of the Champions was a horse of a different color. There were no live shows and the winner was voted on by an audience comprised of superfans and former The Voice contestants. That said, they did an excellent job in selecting 31-year-old soulful singer Alexia Jayy from Team Adam Levine as the champion.

During her Blind Audition, the singer from Irvington, AL, delivered a performance that showcased her rich, soulful tone and undeniable vocal control, with the classic Aretha Franklin ballad “(You Make Me Feel Like) a Natural Woman.” It earned her a three-chair turn. And once on Team Adam, Alexia continued to pick monster hits like Whitney Houston’s “You Give Good Love” and “I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Loved You),” also by Aretha, to cement her status as one of the best vocalists in the history of The Voice. But it was her performance of Adele’s “One and Only” in the finale that earned her The Voice crown.

Parade got an exclusive interview with The Voice Season 29 winner Alexia the morning after her win.

You were a three-chair turn, so you could have had any of the coaches. Yes, your son said he was a Maroon 5 fan but was there more to your decision to go with Adam?
I love the fact that he said, “Let’s do something different.” I have always listened to all genres of music. I think that’s what makes my sound and I feel like Adam is like that in similar ways, and so when he said let’s do something different, it set off a lightbulb in my head, and I was like, “Yeah, you know what? Let’s do something different.”

This season was filmed last summer. How hard has it been to keep the secret? And now that it’s revealed, what’s the plan?
It was really, really hard for me and my mom to hold that secret because she is a proud mom and she wanted to scream it to the world, but she couldn’t. I had to fuss at her numerous times, but she did a good job, and I’m proud of her.

I just want to keep singing and keep getting on these stages, keep doing them. I just put a new single out called “Rent Free” last night after the show, and so we’re just going to keep kicking out music and keep singing.

Tell me a little bit about this single. Why did you choose that as your first song? Does it have special meaning to you?
I think what it was for me, I felt like everybody, anybody could relate to that song because everybody’s been in a situation where they were really down bad, and the people that they thought loved them were not around at that time, and when they got to a good space, that’s when everybody came around. So, I feel like anybody can relate to that. That’s why I chose “Rent Free.”

The voting process was different this season. America didn’t get to vote. What was it like knowing that you were going to be voted on by your peers, people who have been on the show previously?
It was a lot of pressure, but I did enjoy the fact that the superfans and the alumni were able to vote because being in the room is so different from watching it on TV. You can feel it more when you’re in the room, and so I was excited that they were able to vote.

You selected songs for your performances from really powerful women like Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, Patty LaBelle and Adele. That takes hutzpah. Were you feeling confident tackling these monster songs?

No, I was nervous. I don’t even want to lie to you. I was, “Oh, my God.” It was so nerve-wracking, but because I’ve loved these people since I was a little girl, I was happy that I was able to get up there and sing the songs. I’ve been singing these songs since I was a kid, and to be able to get on a big stage and do it was amazing.

When they announced the prize last night, they talked about giving you a home studio. What are you looking forward to about having that as your prize?
I’m so excited about it. That means I get to sit in that room and I get to record all day long.

Will you be looking for a record deal, or do you want to stay independent?
I haven’t really made that choice yet. I am just waiting and seeing what comes on the table and we’ll go from there.

We have an idea of who your favorite artists are. But what kind of music do you want to release?
R&B. I love pop music. I wouldn’t even mind featuring on a country song. I’m from Alabama, so real country over here. I love all music. Right now, I’m doing RB and soul. I hope you guys love and feel everything that I put into my music.

The Voice will return with Season 30 later this fall on NBC.

Source: parade.com