NBCThe Top 12 finalists on season nine of The Voice know there's one frontrunner in everyone's minds: Jordan Smith, the Kentucky singer who wowed the coaches so much during the blind auditions that Adam Levine called him "the most important person who's ever been on this show."
The Team Adam member has taken on Sia's "Chandelier," Beyonce's "Halo," and plenty more powerhouse pop songs throughout the early rounds of the competition, and his fellow finalists have taken note.
Immediately after the Top 12 results show, when asked who the biggest threat of the season might be, Team Pharrell answered in unison: "Jordan Smith," they chanted, while Team Gwen had the same reaction. "Aren't we all going to say that?" asked Korin Bukowski.
"I think it's obvious that Jordan's the best singer on the show and it would be a lie not to say that. He's consistently delivered the most amazing performances I think the show has ever seen," Team Blake's Barrett Baber told E! News.
But that doesn't mean the singers don't think they have a hope—they just know what they're up against.
"The way I approach that is not necessarily sizing up the competition, but really just being happy for the people who are successful who share the same dream that I have," Baber continued. "The one thing that I'm in control of is my attitude and my work ethic and my performance and how hard I work to connect with an audience. I might not be able to sing Beyonce like Jordan, but we both have an ability to connect with other people and that's through the shared language we all know, which is music, and that's an awesome thing."
Smith, however, was modest about the attention. "There's so many special people this season," he said, and they're all very different. "There's so much individuality. All of these singers have their own signature sound and I think it just proves that what society is looking for—something that's different, something that's exciting."
That's why he's proud Voice fans have affectionately dubbed him a "unicorn." "I'm proud they recognize me as someone that's different," he said. "I'm proud to be that and I'm proud to represent that it's okay to be yourself and not fit this mold that society has for you. It's okay to be unique and what makes you different is what makes you special."
The Voice's live Top 12 performances begin tonight at 8 p.m. on NBC.
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