Cody Belew has been known around The Voice for being the guy who put on the biggest spectacle of a show. The Arkansas native held Beyonce’s “Crazy In Love” as a favorite performance during his tenure on Season 3 of NBC’s reality singing competition, because it was a moment his friends and family back home were waiting for. For, perhaps, the first real time on the show, Belew let loose and spotlighted the showman in him — not just the singer.
But on Tuesday, Belew’s The Voice dreams came to an end, as he was eliminated from the competition. Celebuzz spoke with him after the results to talk about how he wanted fans to most remember him from the show — and if he’ll work with coach Cee Lo Green again.
“The beauty of this moment [is] I like the body of work that I put out there. I like that everybody watching tuned in every week wondering what I was going to do. I think I was successful at every juncture [and] I don’t regret, and I don’t think I missed any opportunities,” Belew said.
“As far as a spectacle, [a favorite] would have to be ‘Crazy In Love’ just because I do want to be able to up my own game and put on big numbers like that, but I think the moment that really made people go, ‘Oh gosh, he can really hang,’ was when I did ‘One More Try.’ You know, I’m the best of both worlds kind of guy. I will follow a sweaty, mean, hard-hitting anthem with something just with a stool and one spotlight, and I think the versatility that I have was showcased.”
Belew called himself a “green” artist before coming to The Voice, not from the creative viewpoint position but from the business side of things. He always knew he loved to sing and perform — and knew just exactly how he wanted to entertain his friends and fans. Working with Green just solidified how much he had to be true to the artist within him, rather than get caught up in competition or anything else.
“Really and truly, [Green’s best advice] was just to be yourself and if you can manage to share the energy that’s good inside of you — those were literally his words — and invite people into that and have those moments on stage, it will take you far. It has taken me far. I think it showed me that I don’t have to be somebody that I’m not; people like me just the way I am,” Belew said.
As we’ve seen from past seasons, those artists Green picks for his team are ones he feels personal connections with, and Belew was no different. Green’s interest in artist development extends long after the live clock runs out each week. And just because Belew is going home before the final rounds doesn’t mean his time working with Green is over.
“He did say ‘I’m not going to let you go, and I’ll take care of you.’ And he’s proven that, just in the scope of the other teams he’s had in the past,” the singer told us. “He’s always just right there, and if any of them need them, he’s right there to help. And when he has an opportunity, he brings people onto his shows. So I hope that we can do great work together later on.”
Perhaps Belew and Green can even collaborate on a new track for either man’s new album? Belew wouldn’t rule it out, but he did say it might be a little way down the line before he can worry about that: “I’ve got a couple of songs for the album in mind, but I’ve got to figure out who’s going to rep me first!”
Watch our full chat with Belew above.
The Voice airs on Monday and Tuesday nights at 8 PM on NBC.
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Watch our interview with fellow eliminated singer Dez Duron below.
