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Bethlehem singer Shye secured second place in The Voice season 26 finale on Tuesday night, marking Team Michael Bublé's dominant finish with both top positions. The 18-year-old embraced winner Sofronio Vasquez after host Carson Daly's announcement at Universal Studios. In an interview published on December 12 on Patch, expressing about her The Voice 26 journey, Shye expressed,
"It was surprisingly such a great process. I got so much out of it,"
The Glen Cove star’s finale performances included Harry Styles' "Falling," Joan Osborne's "One of Us," and a duet with coach Michael Bublé on "Something Stupid," earning her praise from all four coaches and a potential record deal offer from Snoop Dogg.
The Voice finalist Shye hopes for record deal with Snoop Dogg
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The experience reshaped Shye's musical approach according to her post-finale interview.
"It really helped me grow musically and personally. I'm allowed to be myself more and not being afraid to express myself musically," she explained to LehighValleyNews.com.
Posting on Instagram, she captioned,
“Thank you so much for the love!!! 2nd is my favorite place to be and i am so hype for what’s next and it’s all thanks to you guys. I’m going to miss this experience and the wonderful people who make it work.”
In the finale, she chose Harry Styles' "Falling" and Joan Osborne's "One of Us" to convey messages about personal reflection and moral evaluation. Speaking about cultural influences, Shye credited her mother Sheila's love of music as a tool for emotional expression and unity, stating,
"Speaking of 'One of Us,' people will kind of blindly follow religion or whatever they're grown up and taught and they never question themselves and what they're following. A lot of times they are taught in certain communities that you're supposed to treat people that are another religion or race or sexuality this way because that's what God would want.”
She continued,
"But is it really what God would want for you to treat people unequally because of their race? If God was somebody who was in a different class than you, or a different race than you, would you treat him as less than not knowing that he was God?"
During the The Voice season 26 semifinals, Snoop Dogg expressed interest in signing her to his record label after her rendition of "Story of My Life." When asked about this opportunity, Shye responded,
"I hope he does [sign me]."
Her immediate plans include scheduling performances in both the Lehigh Valley area and her hometown of Glen Cove.
Supporting Sofronio
The competition fostered a strong friendship between Shye and the eventual winner Sofronio Vasquez.
"He really deserves it. I'm just glad Team Bublé was the one and the two," Shye said after the results.
Supporting her teammate, Shye revealed she voted for Vasquez during the finale. Their collaborative performances and shared experiences under Bublé's mentorship created a supportive dynamic. After Daly announced Vasquez as the winner, Shye immediately offered congratulations, demonstrating their genuine friendship.
The duo performed several times together during the season, including group numbers and Team Bublé collaborations.
Journey to The Voice
Shye's roots in Bethlehem trace back to early 2023 when she moved from Glen Cove, Long Island with her mother Sheila, and stepfather. A graduate of Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts, she chose to miss her graduation ceremony in June 2023 to pursue her Voice audition.
On October 8, Shye stepped onto The Voice stage for her blind audition, performing Five for Fighting's "Superman." Her rendition prompted all four coaches to turn their chairs, establishing her as a serious contender from the start. Despite multiple options, she selected Michael Bublé as her coach.
Her journey included several memorable performances, highlighted by her semifinal delivery of One Direction's "Story of My Life." Snoop Dogg marked this performance with his highest score, drawing particular attention to her musical interpretation.
During the finale week, she performed Harry Styles' "Falling," which drew substantial praise from the coaches. She followed this with Joan Osborne's "One of Us" and joined Bublé for their combined performance of "Something Stupid."
The Voice season 27 will start on February 3, 2025 on NBC.
