Final details

Contenders’ comments, country’s dominance

The Voice finalist Michelle Chamuel has no idea why America picked her to be in the top three. “I would love to take a course on Season 4, The Voice” to learn why she made the finals, she says.

Lots of Voice fans would learn something from that class, because this season, it was nearly impossible to predict who would make it to the singing competition’s two- part finale, which kicks off with a two- hour live competition tonight ( 8 ET/ PT). It ends with a two- hour results show Tuesday ( 9 ET/ PT) featuring Cher, Christina Aguilera, Nelly and other guest performers.

The class could show us why new coach Shakira’s gifted vocalist Sasha Allen was eliminated, and why veteran coach Adam Levine had to say goodbye to early favorites such as Judith Hill.

AND THEN THERE WERE THREE

We do not need a course, however, to teach us what is appealing about the final three artists. It’s pretty obvious.

Chamuel, Coach Usher’s 26- yearold finalist, says: “I’m trying to be myself. Hopefully, that inspires others” to do the same. That attitude, paired with big glasses, humility and an obvious bond with her coach (“He’s very inspiring, patient, talented, considerate and present,” she says), has earned her votes for a range of songs, from Cyndi Lauper’s True Colors to Zedd’s electronic dance hit Clarity. We “try to pick well- written songs,” she explains.

Voice host Carson Daly says Chamuel “is not going to be a guitar-wielding singer/ song writer,” but she’s “just infectious onstage.” The coaches regularly applaud Chamuel for her energy, and they comment on her signature stage squats, which look like dance moves but are actually a method of “crunching” her body to hit certain notes, she says.

And there are the two charming acts left in veteran coach Blake Shelton’s fleet of country crooners: country- pop artist Danielle Bradbery and

“How do you make your story work for you, and how do you make your music appeal to the largest number of people?”

Phil Gallo of Billboard

Okie duo The Swon Brothers.

Bradbery, the show’s youngest finalist yet, knows her audience. “There’s a lot of young girls I can relate to because I’m 16.” Those girls, and their parents, have consistently been voting Bradbery through, propelling her songs to the top of the iTunes charts and following her on Twitter ( she has more than 123,000 followers).

Bradbery has overcome stage fright, confidently belting classic country songs from artists including Pam Tillis and the more current Sara Evans. Her unique tone, huge range and relatable, down- to- earth persona make her “pretty marketable” and ready for the radio, Daly says.

The fun- loving Swon Brothers, who are known for their goofy antics during the Voice confessional videos, are probably the most shocked to be left in the game. As the most successful duo on The Voice to date, they “never intended on winning,” says older brother and lead singer Zach, 27. Daly chalks up much of their success to “choosing the right song at the right time,” like those that embraced their tornado- ravaged Oklahoma hometown and paid tribute to the late George Jones. More recent performances of 1970s hits Turn the Page by Bob Seger and Danny’s Song by Loggins and Messina also have rallied their fan base, shooting those singles to the top 10 of the iTunes charts last week. That “just blew our minds,” says Colton, 24.

If Bradbery or the Swon Brothers take the Voice title, it would mean a third consecutive victory for one of Shelton’s contestants.

“He knows the game very well,” Zach says, “but at the end of the day, he’ll invite you into his house when he doesn’t have to.”

COUNTRY GOING STRONG

It also would be another win for the country genre, which has been embraced by singing- contest viewers. Before Kree Harrison became runner- up on American Idol this year, plenty of country stars were populating Idol and Voice. Why all the country- music love? Because the country genre has expanded, says Billboard senior correspondent Phil Gallo, who focuses on the intersection of the music and television industries. “Country” stars such as Taylor Swift rarely use “a banjo and pedal steel,” Gallo says. Instead, they’re influenced by pop and rock. Plus, big country names such as Brad Paisley and Florida Georgia Line are collaborating with the likes of LL Cool J and Nelly.

Another reason for country music’s reality- show success: The genre plays well on TV, because the style tells a story “that people connect with,” Gallo says. And that connection could be contributing to The Voice’s appeal.

UP AGAINST ‘ IDOL’

The Voice is averaging 12.4 million viewers, down just 1% from last spring, but the show has eclipsed Fox’s onetime king American Idol among young adults, the key target for advertisers. ( Idol still leads overall but has declined sharply in each of the past two seasons.)

“The heart of The Voice is totally different,” Colton Swon says; the brothers made it to the top 48 on Idol. ( His brother describes himself as more of a musician than a singer and less focused on becoming a solo artist.)

“The Voice is a better television show than American Idol,” Gallo says, crediting the blind audition chair-spinning, instant- elimination vocal battles and entertaining coach/ artist rapport. And Daly says new coaches Usher and Shakira “have far surpassed expectations” as replacements for Cee Lo Green and Aguilera, who will return next fall before trading chairs again in spring 2014. But Idol has proved a better training ground for success and has produced more lasting hitmakers.

Training to be an Idol takes time. But you’re just born with The Voice, right? Not exactly.

Though the show’s simple title might indicate otherwise, “people who might not have ( the) better voices” are still in the competition, Daly says. “People are voting on songs, not necessarily ( a voice or) body of work.”

Gallo says success on The Voice is a matter of strategy: “How do you make your story work for you, and how do you make your music appeal to the largest number of people?”

Tonight, Chamuel, Bradbery and The Swon Brothers will try to make their stories work and forge connections with America for the win.

Colton Swon, left, and Zach Swon, aka the Swon Brothers, Danielle Bradbery and Michelle Chamuel vie for the title of

The Voice this week.

TRAE PATTON, NBC