Many predicted Tessanne Chin's victory on "The Voice" — especially after her cover of Whitney Houston’s “I Have Nothing” Monday hit No. 1 on the iTunes singles chart — but those people didn’t include the singer herself.

“I never got that comfortable,” she told TODAY after she won. “Not at all. Because I know that iTunes is one aspect of the votes, and I know that (Jacquie Lee) is a beast and so is Will (Champlin).”

If Tessanne had any serious difficulty during the finale on Tuesday night, it was in having to perform her new single, "Tumbling Down," just moments after learning she was the champ.

“Can you believe it?” she commented with a laugh. “I was a wreck. Especially because your debut, you want it to at least be good. I did my best. I was (struggling). I most definitely was.”


Though she may not have been her usual best, the tune was one she knew would fit her.

"That's the first thing she said, was, 'I connect with this song,'" the song's writer and OneRepublic frontman Ryan Tedder told TODAY. He added that he wrote the tune — a "nightmare," he called it, because it had to work for all three finalists — with the goal that it'd be something he could "without question pitch to an artist of the caliber of Rihanna or Kelly Clarkson."

"Tumbling Down" was about the only struggle this season for the 28-year-old, who earned the public’s vote through every week of “The Voice’s” live playoffs, and who was praised by her coach and fellow finalists on Tuesday night.

“(It) feels pretty good. It feels good,” said coach Adam Levine of earning his second “Voice” victory. (His first came in season one.) As for his advice to Tessanne, he told us, “She knows. She knows what to do.”

“Tessanne has such original star quality to her,” said teammate Will Champlin. “I can't even speak clearly here, but that's how good she is.”


As the champion of season five, Tessanne has earned a recording contract with Universal Music Group, and that’s where her focus turns now.

“I think a lot of my dreams have come true,” she said, “and my next dream is to have a No. 1 selling album. A Grammy award winning album.”

She won’t have long to celebrate her victory. Tuesday night, iTunes began taking pre-orders for her post-"Voice" album, which has a listed release date of March 25, 2014.

Tune in to TODAY Thursday for a live interview with Tessanne. - The Today Show

Video: Tessanne Chin, the season 5 winner of “The Voice,” tells TODAY’s Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb that she was often scared while tackling ballads on the show, and that singing with Celine Dion was a dream. - Kathy Lee & Hoda

It's Adam Levine's world, we just live in it. At the very least, The Voice coach and sexiest man alive is having an outstanding year, especially now that he can add "two-time winner" to his extensive résumé.

Yes, after three seasons of The Voice bordering on becoming The Blake Shelton Show, Team Adam came out on top once again – the first time since Season One – as Tessanne Chin took the Season Five crown.

Rolling Stone's Complete Coverage of 'The Voice'

Chin's win isn't surprising considering the show lobbed Levine a season-long, slow-pitch softball so that he could hit a homerun. But was it the right play?

Slow-but-steady Chin, who peaked at just the right time and pulled ahead in the past few weeks, bested runner-up Jacquie Lee from Christina Aguilera's team and third-place Team Adam also-ran Will Champlin.

Just a few weeks ago, it seemed like Champlin had a shot at winning (until his own coach threw him under the bus, that is). Then, out of nowhere came Jacquie as a fan favorite, despite her ridiculously over-the-top rendition of Janis Joplin's "Cry Baby." Before that, don't forget, Matthew Schuler, James Wolpert and Cole Vosbury were all way ahead of Tessanne on the iTunes songs chart.

It's been quite a rollercoaster ride, for sure. But America – by way of Tessanne's native Jamaica and the show's producers – chose Chin to be the next in line to try to make a name for herself outside of the comfort zone of a show that doesn't have a good track record of launching bona fide stars.

While Tessanne offers an interesting media hook as the first mixed-race non-American (she's Jamaican, lest we forget) to win a major U.S. reality singing competition, it doesn't seem like she has much commercial appeal beyond that. Can she sing? Of course. The woman barely hit a bad note all season. But powerhouse female vocalists are a dime a dozen these days, especially ones that come from reality TV, so she'll really have to step it up to stay afloat.

So far, Season Three winner Cassadee Pope is the show's biggest star, but she's no Carrie Underwood. In Season Four, the show banked on winner Danielle Bradbery, whose recently released debut album only sold 41,000 copies in its first week. So Chin doesn't have to reach very high to become a success story. But it doesn't bode well for her that during the finale, right before she was declared the winner, a commercial aired for the February premiere of Season Six. Because The Voice isn't about the winner, it's about watching The Voice. So, yeah, bon voyage, Tessanne! You're already in their rearview mirror.

And while Tessanne's win was dubbed the big moment of the night, the two-hour finale was more like watching the Grammys than a results show as star after big-ticket star paraded onstage to perform: Lady Gaga, Celine Dion, Paramore, OneRepublic, Ne-Yo and Aloe Blacc.



Aguilera even took the stage with Gaga on "Do What U Want" as a consolation prize for not being "the first female judge to win this thing." Plus, they reunited the top 20 contestants in various forms for various songs, which only made us wish Schuler or even Kat Robichaud had stuck around longer and made the competition more interesting.

Tessanne capped off the night by singing an original song written for the winner by OneRepublic's Ryan Tedder, à la American Idol. Titled "Tumbling Down," it didn't make a lasting impression – and neither did this season of The Voice. But, hey, there's always next season, right?

In the meantime, sound off: Will Tessanne Chin be the next big thing? - RollingStone

Tessanne Chin may have won season five of "The Voice," but that doesn't mean she's closed off to advice. In fact, as she told TODAY Thursday, when her hero Celine Dion offered a suggestion, she immediately took it to heart: Wait to have children.


"She asked me if I was married," said Tessanne, who performed with Dion during "The Voice" finale. "I said, 'Yes,' and she asked me if I had kids, and I said, 'No,' and she said, 'Hmm, five years. Wait five years. Get yourself a nice house and stuff first.' I was like, 'OK, Celine said it, I'm gonna do it!'"


We'll see what her husband, Michael Cuffe, who was in the audience watching the finale show, has to say about that one. But what "Voice" fans already know is that he's almost happier about Tessanne's win than she was.

"I was laughing at my husband," she said when asked about her mix of emotions after finding out she'd won. "His reaction trumped mine, definitely!"

During her time on "The Voice," Tessanne picked up a lot of tips and succeeded at least in part thanks to listening to her coach, Adam Levine. As she revealed on TODAY, he consistently challenged her with songs she wasn't sure she could manage ... and then did.

"That's the sign of a good coach," she said. "When he pushes you past what you think is your best."


In the coming weeks, months and years, Tessanne's life will definitely change thanks to her victory. But for now, she said she's just rolling with whatever comes her way. "It's been a whirlwind, but a beautiful one," she told "Voice" and Orange Room host Carson Daly earlier on TODAY. "I'm so happy and just living it up and enjoying every moment." - The Today Show

Jamaican songstress Tessanne Chin's stratospheric ascent from relative obscurity, even in her birthplace, to international fame via her Dec. 17 triumph on NBC's singing competition "The Voice" is undoubtedly the island's biggest music story of 2013.

Displaying stunning vocal control while performing a variety of genres throughout "The Voice"'s fifth season, Tessanne, 29, won a recording contract with Universal Music Group and is positioned for a transformative career breakthrough in 2014 that has already begun to take shape: two songs she performed on "The Voice" sit on the Hot 100 for the week of Jan. 4: Tessanne's stirring interpretation of Whitney Houston's classic "I Have Nothing" is No. 51 and her duet with her "Voice" coach Adam Levine on The Beatles' "Let It Be", sits at No. 76.

In Jamaica, where Tessanne's dynamic reggae-soul-pop-fusion received scant airplay, her "Voice" victory has engendered great excitement among the music industry and far beyond (see Tweets from Olympic gold-medal winner Usain Bolt, above; and picture with prime minister Portia Simpson Miller, below) and perhaps paved the way for a wider acceptance of local acts outside the dominant dancehall and reggae purview.

"Tessanne had reached a ceiling in Jamaica and in humbling herself to take on an American singing competition she made history as the first Jamaican to win," says Walter Elmore, CEO of Art of Music Productions, promoters of the annual Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival, which will be held Jan. 30 to Feb. 1, 2014, at the Trelawny Multi Purpose Stadium.

Known for its eclectic lineup spanning rock, jazz, pop and reggae, the Festival has featured Tessanne numerous times, initially as the lead singer of Jamaican rock band Mile High and most recently in 2012 when she shared the stage with her older sister Tami Chynn, the opening act for Celine Dion, with whom she sang on The Voice finale. "I hope Tessanne's victory expands Jamaica's vision of its musical talent because it exists in all styles and our radio stations need to support these artists," he added.

Elmore's sentiments are echoed by dancehall superstar Shaggy whom Tessanne calls a mentor and part of her professional support team that includes sister Tami, Tami's husband sing-jay Wayne Marshall (who is signed to the Marley family's Ghetto Youths International imprint), Tessanne's husband, radio personality Michael Cuffe Jr. and her booking agent Sharon Burke, owner of Kingston's Solid Agency. Shaggy has collaborated with Tessanne on several singles including "Rise Again", the all-star Caribbean tribute to Haiti (recorded after the 2010 earthquake which devastated that Caribbean country), featuring Sean Paul and Sean Kingston.


Because Tessanne's talents weren't fully recognized in Jamaica, Shaggy urged her to audition for "The Voice" as a vehicle for showcasing her skills on a broader platform. "In Jamaica, if you are doing music with an international flair then you have a fight; a lot of the music that busts (breaks through) in Jamaica is raw, in the street, but it nah have no visa, it stuck at (Kingston's) Norman Manley airport," Shaggy explained. "Jamaica has not had a major chart hit since Gyptian's "Hold Yuh" (which reached several tallies, peaking at No. 77 on the Hot 100) so Tessanne's win might help us revise our thing and see where we are going wrong."

In a late December 2013 interview with Billboard.com at the Kingston home of her sister Tami, Tessanne lamented the marginal support she has received from Jamaican radio, prior to her "Voice" victory, but never doubted the love of her people, who displayed unwavering commitment throughout her journey, as demonstrated through various social media driven voting campaigns and "Voice" viewing parties. "What dominates on Jamaican radio now is mostly dancehall deejays (the Jamaican equivalent of rappers) and there is no real place for singers; I perform a fusion of styles so that made it even trickier," she offered. "I hope that 'The Voice' win has opened a door not just for reggae singers but artists who want to sing R&B, pop or soul here. Why should we be limited to just one thing?"

Tessanne hails from a musical family. Her father Richard Chin was the drummer in the world's first (otherwise) all-female ska band The Carnations, featuring Tessanne's mom Christine Levy-Weston on trumpet and aunt, Ingrid Chin, on bass. Mr. Chin, the owner of a sound and light rental business, built a recording studio in the family home to facilitate the aspirations of Tessanne and Tami. Tami Chynn's 2006 debut album "Out of Many . . . One" (Universal Motown/SRC Records) never charted in the U.S. but reached no. 41 on the Japanese Oricon charts. Singing from the time she was a child, Tessanne's career commenced more than 10 years ago as a teenaged backing vocalist for the legendary Jimmy Cliff.

She went on to front Mile High before embarking on a solo career. The tough edged rock-reggae fusion Tessanne brought to "Messenger" and the sultry soulfulness of her lover's rock breakout hit "Hideaway", although critically lauded, garnered limited airplay on the island's airwaves while the majority of her other recordings, including her debut self released album "In Between Words" were largely ignored.

"Tessanne has always operated outside Jamaica music industry norm," acknowledges Kingston based Seretse Small, former guitarist in Sean Paul's band, music business consultant, and educator. "But her win has inspired a renewed interest in singing versus deejaying while young and old singers might be empowered to perform more diversified sets. Producers might now be willing to explore various fusions in their productions, endorsing Shaggy's concept of making music with a visa."

Displaying phenomenal vocal skills at her performances in small venues around Kingston, Tessanne nonetheless was often overlooked for bookings at the island's festivals and major stage shows. The "bread and butter" she earned through music, as she captivatingly told "The Voice"'s judges panel in the blind auditions segment, was primarily derived from singing at corporate functions. She briefly considered relocating to pursue her career but the apprehension of leaving home, coupled with a strong sense of national pride, especially towards her country's music, kept her rooted in Jamaican soil. "Jamaica is responsible for some heavy influence in the music industry, the 'Beyonce' album for example, definitely has dancehall and reggae influences," Tessanne noted, "so I feel very strongly that anything I sing, it might not be outright reggae or dancehall because I don't like to be put in a box but it will always have that island swag."

Tessanne's first major appearance in Jamaica since winning "The Voice" is as the headliner for the Jan. 4 Shaggy and Friends Make A Difference concert. The event, which will be held on the lawns of Jamaica House, Kingston, is a benefit for the capital city's Bustamante Children's Hospital, the sole pediatric facility in the English-speaking Caribbean. Initially staged in 2009, Shaggy's Make A Difference Foundation has raised more than $1 million for the hospital.

This year's extensive lineup also includes Ne-Yo, Shaggy's collaborator on the 2013 single "You Girl", Damian Marley, Sean Paul, Tarrus Riley, and Matthew Schuler, who made it into "The Voice"'s season 5 Top 6.

Tessanne then returns to Los Angeles where she'll begin work on her debut album for Universal Republic, tentatively scheduled for a March 25 release. Neither the songs, the producers, nor the recording studio for the project have been determined but Tessanne told Billboard.com she hopes GeeJam Studios outside of Port Antonio, Jamaica, which has been utilized by Drake, Diplo and Snoop Lion among others, will be the chosen recording destination.

Geejam owner Jon Baker, who is thrilled by the possibility of Tessanne recording there, says her Voice achievement "has brought Jamaica back into the higher echelon of the mainstream music industry rather than the underground where it has been in recent years. The industry is now based around TV and mass marketing," observes Baker, "so it's important that people see the island's broad spectrum of talent; Tessanne is now the flag bearer for that." - Billboard

It's hard to believe that it's been less than a year since Tessanne Chin won “The Voice”! Since she became the season five winner of the hit NBC singing competition last December, the Jamaican native's life has taken a major turn, and for the better! And this summer, things are especially exciting for the talented songstress! In addition to the release of her album “Count On My Love”, Chin is currently gracing cities across America with her powerhouse voice on “The Voice's” first every nation-wide tour. She is headlining the 31-city tour with other standout “Voice” alumni from previous seasons. Before her show in Massachusetts, Chin generously took the time to chat with me about life on the road, recording her own music, whether or not she still keeps in touch with her former coach Adam Levine, and much more!

Congrats on the release of your album, “Count On My Love”! How did it feel the day it was released?

Tessanne- You know when you're keeping a secret and you just want to tell the whole world? (Laughs) That's what it felt like. I was finally able to show everybody what we've been working on and what we've been doing for the past couple of months. And we had a couple of setbacks because it had a previous release date and I was just so anxious to get it out. I'm so happy! It debuted at number ten on the overall iTunes charts. And it went all the way to number six on the Pop iTunes charts.

What was that process like for you to go into the studio and make your own album instead of just covering songs like you did while you were on “The Voice”?

Tessanne- It was wonderful! Literally, since December 17th we haven't stopped. So right after I went home for like a week and a half, then I went back recording in L.A., New York, Atlanta. It was such a wonderful experience to write with some of these people that I've dreamnt about writing with and working with. People like: Diane Warren, Toby Gad, Claude Kelly, Supa Dups, Ray Marshall, Chuck Harmony; amazing, amazing writers and producers. They gave me a chance, which I really, really til this day hold very dear to me because anyone could have just given me a song and say hey sing this, but they took the time to sit with me, and talk to me, and give me an opportunity to write as well. So it was a great feeling to kind of be building myself as an artist and not just somebody that was singing other people's songs. I got to know myself as the artist that I am now. It was just great. I loved the process.

Do you have a favorite song on the album?

Tessanne- I love all of them for different reasons, but right now I can honestly say I do love “Count On My love”, the title track because I think about my husband. It's about having to be away all the time but knowing you can count on them to still be there. I love “Heaven Knows”, written by Claude Kelly and produced by Chuck Harmony. It has like a little reggae kind of swing to it but still very melodic and wonderful. And also “Loudest Silence” by Rock City is amazing. It's kind of an epic movie kind of tune to me. The song is like a movie. And I love “One Step Closer”, which is produced by myself and Ray Marshall, and that is just a happy kind of song.

It sounds like your album is very eclectic and I remember at “The Voice” you were as well with your performances each week. You mixed it up every week with your song choices.

Tessanne- That's right! I hate being put in a box and I hate being told I can only do one thing. And for me, that's never going to be the case. I do have very solid reggae roots based on the fact that I'm Jamaican, and so that is a part of myself; even if I never do all reggae it has to come out in some way because that's who I am. I think a part of being successful or trying to be successful is staying true to who you are. Be genuine. And I think that's when people really connect.

What was it like for you when you went back home to Jamaica following your win on “The Voice”?

Tessanne- Oh my god they gave me a royal welcome! I was very thrilled because my dear friend Shaggy, who was the person that kind of really convinced me to go on The Voice in the first place, every year he puts on an amazing charity show called “Shaggy and Friends”. And what it does is it basically gives all the proceeds to a major children's hospital there- it's the only English-speaking hospital in the Carribean. That was my first show back, and it was nice to be able to come back but also give back for that because that show is very dear to all of our hearts. And also, there was an amazing homecoming for me and I got awarded from my country. It was awesome!

I'm sure they were just so proud!

Tessanne- Till this day, people stop me in the supermarket and they're like, “Oh, we're so proud of you!”

Do you still keep in touch with your former coach Adam Levine?

Tessanne- I do. Not as much as on “The Voice” because we had work to do then. (Laughs) Which I wasn't expecting to then, I'm not naïve in that way. I would have understand if he was just like all the best to you. But we do exchange emails every now and then. When I went back on “The Voice” I got a chance to show him my album and he showed me some of his amazing songs, so it's nice to kind of touch base once in a while.

I know we are speaking that you are currently on the first ever “The Voice” tour, how is that going?

Tessanne- It's going really well. We have been very blessed to have with us a bunch of people that are just so easy going, so wonderful, friendly; and we all just get along. Sometimes when you have a bunch of personalities in one space it can get a bit much, but in this case everybody is pretty cool. It's nice to kind of mingle with the different seasons, too. It brings back good memories. We're part of this wonderful, special little “Voice” family and it's a real blessing to be here with them. It's like a continous slumberparty with singing! (Laughs)

Do you have a stand-out moment from the show?

Tessanne- I have to say my favorite moment on the show is when I get to share the stage with Josh Kaufman. I think he is such an amazing singer. He's awesome.

Is there a big difference for you when you're performing every night in a different city, in a huge venue, versus performing on “The Voice”? Do you feel you discovered any strengths or challenges you didn't before?

Tessanne- There is always something wonderful about a live audience. And don't get me wrong, “The Voice” is a live audience, but now each night we're put in front of an audience and we don't what we're going to get. We don't know how they're going to react, we don't know what their energy level is going to be like. It's nice to kind of have the excitement of okay we're going to really work to either win them over more or just show them a wonderful time. For me, it's a privelage to be able to sing an original song every night. And I know Jacquie [Lee] and Will [Champlin] feel the same way because we get to do songs that are ours. That's a real highlight for me to be able to sing a song off my album, because if it wasn't for “The Voice” we wouldn't have had this opportunity in the first place.

And you know, having been there and interviewed you every week at 'The Voice”, it's so cool to think it was just last winter that you were a contestant competing on the show! Just a few months ago! And now look at everything we're talking about!

Tessanne- Can you believe it?! Less than a year! It's amazing. And you know, let me tell you I know there's so much specualtion about “The Voice”, and how “American Idol” always does things and success after, but I firmly believe that everything takes time. And you can't just think based off of just that alone, because it has changed each and every one of us. It has changed our lives, and most definitely for better. So I don't look at stuff like that. I look at the fact that we're able to do our music, and make a living, and work to be successful in what we love to do, and that to me is success. What I love to do is music. Period. Whether it's on this level, that level, I was born to sing and that's what I'll be doing.

Yes, I agree. I believe when you follow your passion and work hard, you eventually get that opportunity you have been waiting for.

Tessanne- Thank you. I believe for me, “The Voice” gave me that chance I was looking for because I was really towards the end of a journey. Because I haven't been doing this since yesterday, I'm going to be 30 this year, I've been doing this since I was in my teens. So it's just a testament that you have to persevere a little bit longer. And sometimes you have to step out of your comfort zone and do something you've never done, because if somebody had told me that success or going to the next level would be through doing this, I would have laughed. I would have said no way! But look at that! I'm glad I did!

If you could sit down on a bench with anyone, dead or alive, and have a conversation with them for an hour, who would it be?

Tessanne- Bob Marley. I think I would want to talk to him about what he feels about life today because he had such a very simple, but astonishing way of putting things that everybody could understand it. Whether it was in musical terms; there is a wisdom that he had that doesn't come from books. And to hear this messages now; they still live on.

Any final thoughts you would like to share with your fans?

Tessanne- I just want to say thank you. Thank you to everybody for their love and support because we can't do this without them. And if you want go pick my album “Count On My Love” on iTunes or in Walmart! - The Examiner

Two of Jamaica's most celebrated women, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Tessanne Chin, created history on January 30, 2014 when they were jointly chosen as the 2013 Gleaner Honour Awards Persons Of The Year during a gala awards luncheon at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston. - The Gleaner