‘Voice’ contestant’s haunting sound finds way onto first single
Stephanie Rice, who competed earlier this year on “The Voice,” has released her first single since appearing on the NBC talent show.
“Let Me Go” is a richly emotive ballad that stays true to the sound Rice developed on the TV competition. It dropped at midnight Friday across digital outlets.
Her haunting, gorgeous voice again remains the centerpoint across the heartbreaking lyrics.
“I know I’m not the woman of your dreams/But I’m not strong enough to leave/I know I’m not exactly innocent/But aren’t I everything you need?”
Rice, who also fronts the band Colonial Blue, wrote the song.
“It’s been a labor of love, for sure,” she said during a Facebook Live segment celebrating the release. “I’m sharing my heart with (fans) through this song. I feel like this song is dripping with my tears and my blood — and with my all.”
“Let Me Go” was produced by her brother Benjamin Rice, whose engineering credits include albums from Bruce Springsteen, Selena Gomez, Britney Spears, Lady Gaga and Fifth Harmony.
Stephanie Rice’s blind audition was one of the most memorable of the season on “The Voice.” Her take on Kelly Clarkson’s “Piece by Piece” was full of raw emotion and honesty.
It earned the Texarkana native a spot on Gwen Stefani’s team. When Stefani cut Rice during the knockout rounds, Alicia Keys immediately took her on. Rice remained on the show for several weeks and was cut one week shy of the top 10.
Rice came out as a lesbian at 18 after being confronted by her father, a Baptist pastor, about dating a girl. Her parents disowned her.
She auditioned for “The Voice” after graduating in 2012 with a biology degree from the University of Houston but didn’t make it past the open calls.
She auditioned again for Season 12 and found a place on the show earlier this year — and a new legion of fans.