Christina Grimmie

In the sixth season of The Voice, Christina Grimmie surfaced as an emerging artist whose appeal spanned both mainstream pop enthusiasts and indie rock followers. Although she secured the third-place finish, her fanbase kept expanding in the wake of the program until her tragic killing in 2016. Prior to issuing her first recording in 2011, Grimmie connected with listeners online, rising to prominence as one of YouTube's most watched performers through her stripped-back renditions of current pop tracks. She initiated her YouTube channel during 2009 and took on interpretations of tracks originally by Adele, Miley Cyrus, and Selena Gomez, playing piano as her sole accompaniment while building a substantial online following. Among those watching was Selena Gomez's father, who took on the role of her manager. Under his guidance, she put out the self-released EP Find Me in 2011 and toured alongside Gomez that same summer, as their styles aligned in the dance-pop realm at that point. Her first full-length album arrived in 2013 under the title With Love, featuring an energetic blend of pop and rock elements. The next year brought her tryout for The Voice, where she achieved third place once more. Utilizing her guitar skills under the guidance of Adam Levine, she advanced all the way to the final round performing versions of songs from OneRepublic, Drake, and Katy Perry. Those performances were later gathered together for The Voice: The Complete Season 6 Collection, issued toward the end of 2014. Following her time on the series, she navigated several label shifts while continuing development of her next album. During 2015 she put forth three separate singles, one of which was the dubstep number "Stay with Me" featuring Diamond Eyes that reached the upper echelons of iTunes' Electronic chart. Side A, her second EP, came out in February 2016 just as she started touring in support of Rachel Platten. After performing with the pop-punk group Before You Exit on June 10, 2016 in Orlando, Florida, Grimmie suffered a gunshot wound while autographing items for fans and died later on that same date.