Exclusive

The Voice Backstage Scoop: Taylor Swift Comes Through for Michelle Chamuel

Exclusive! "It's crazy. It went to number one before the show, which was such a boost of confidence and it was great," returning champion Cassadee Pope also said of her new single

By Tierney Bricker Jun 05, 2013 4:13 AMTags
Taylor Swift, The VoiceNBC

Such is the power of Taylor Swift!

Michelle Chamuel, Usher's last remaining contestant on The Voice, performed an amazing cover of Swift's "I Knew You Were Trouble" on Monday night's performance show—following a surprise appearance from Swift herself.

And clearly the superstar was a good luck charm as Michelle's cover cracked iTunes' Top 10 singles chart and she was the first contestant, er, ushered to safety during Tuesday's results show.

"I'm still on my high right now," Usher gushed to E! News backstage afterward.

But it wasn't all good news, as Blake Shelton team member Holly Tucker was eliminated. We chatted with her after her emotional exit...

Though Shelton didn't offer her any advice, Holly is hopeful for her career post-elimination. "He didn't really say much," she said of her coach after her ouster. "He just hugged me and I just kind of felt it. I knew that everything was going to be OK." Such is the power of Shelton's hugs!

More emotional than her elimination was Holly's heartwrenching trip to Oklahoma for Shelton's benefit concert, which raised $6 million for those affected by a pair of devastating tornadoes. "It was crazy, but emotional is probably the best word I could use to describe it because we went to the very sight of the devastation and just to know that something that bad can happen that quickly and affect so many people is just mind-blowing to think about. The fact that we could go and help and do that concert and bring some happiness to people was really cool."

As for Michelle's early save, Usher was thankful to the voters for giving him the opportunity to mentor her futher. "The fact that America is continuing to keep us in this game and a career is being built, that's the serious part about it," he told us. "Yes, this is an incredible opportunity for me to continue to have some association in America with music and do something in terms of mentoring and really showing that we as artists do make investments back to the pot."

He continued, "She has definitely been an incredible representation to what it is to be an optimistic story. Having her at times to be able to overcome it, having come to the show once and not be voted on and to come on and be in this place in the competition, it's an American dream."

Last season's champion, Cassadee Pope, returned to The Voice's stage to perform her new single, "Wasting All These Tears," which has already reached the top spot on iTunes.

"It's crazy. It went to No. 2 before the show, which was such a boost of confidence and it was great, just knowing that people are enjoying my original stuff," Pope said of reaching such heights. "On the show I charted a few times and it was the best feeling in the world and all I kept thinking was ‘I wish this was my song.' And now that it is my song it's just the best feeling ever!'"