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Season 29 of The Voice ended on a historic note.
During the April 14 finale, the competition was reduced to four rising stars: Alexia Jayy from Adam Levine's team, Liv Ciara and Mikenley Brown from Kelly Clarkson's team, and Lucas West from John Legend's team.
But, in the end, Alexia was crowned the Battle of Champions season winner, bringing in a coaching panel that had all previously won.
Not only is Adam's fourth win in the competition—tying him with Kelly for second-most wins by a judge, a title Blake Shelton currently holds—but it is also the first time a Black woman has been crowned the winner in the show's 15-year run.
Alexia has been a frontrunner in the season since she performed Aretha Franklin's "(You Make Me Feel Like) a Natural Woman" in her audition, which turned the chairs of all three judges. Adam said to the 31-year-old, "You have one of the best voices I've ever heard on this show, ever."
That voice carried Alexia through the season and into the finale, when she sang Patti LaBelle's "Lady Marmalade" and Adele's "One and Only."
Kelly made an appeal to the singer after her second performance: "Look, I adore Adele, she's one of my favorite singers, but crap. Just assure me you will never cover my tunes.
"You make people reflect on their own lives," the instructor explained. "When you tap into that, the world feels a little more connected and shared. That is truly, really unique. I've never felt anything like what we just experienced together. "Thank you for being the messenger; you're incredible."
When it came time to proclaim the winner, host Carson Daly called Alexia's name, causing the mother of 9-year-old Matthew to break into tears.
Tears quickly transformed to enthusiasm.
"We won," Alexia wrote in an Instagram Story following the conclusion. "Woo!"
She captioned the clip, "Just the beginning…" and it is. Alexia will walk away from the finale with a home recording studio, a $100,000 cash reward, and the chance to sign a record deal with Universal Music Group.
Plus, her new single "Rent Free" is now available for streaming.
In terms of choosing another champion, Adam told cameras, "I'd say I can't believe it, but I can. There is no one more worthy of this accolade."
She captioned the clip, "Just the beginning…" and it is. Alexia will walk away from the finale with a home recording studio, a $100,000 cash reward, and the chance to sign a record deal with Universal Music Group. Plus, her new single "Rent Free" is now available for streaming. In terms of choosing another champion, Adam told cameras, "I'd say I can't believe it, but I can. There is no one more worthy of this accolade."
