Emily Ann Roberts

Emily Ann Roberts first captured widespread attention in 2015 as a competitor on season nine of NBC’s singing showcase The Voice. Representing the country side of the roster, her piercing, high-lonesome delivery blended vintage twang with a fresh edge. She ultimately finished runner-up that season and notched several country-chart entries along the way, most prominently a rendition of Cam’s “Burning House” that climbed to number four. After the program concluded, she completed her secondary education and reentered the pop marketplace in 2019 via the EP Someday Dream.

Born in Knoxville, Tennessee, on October 23, 1998, Roberts grew up immersed in music thanks to her family’s shared passion; rides in her father’s car often featured Ricky Skaggs and Patty Loveless. Her dad handled guitar duties, and by sixth grade she was harmonizing with his playing; she also performed gospel numbers alongside her grandmother, a tradition she vowed to sustain after the older woman received an Alzheimer’s diagnosis. At thirteen Roberts began formal guitar lessons, quickly shifting to self-taught country and bluegrass licks. She became a regular at Knoxville spots such as El Charro and Clancy’s Tavern, and local station WDVX invited her to perform on its daily Blue Plate Special broadcast.

In fall 2015 the seventeen-year-old auditioned for The Voice, earning chair turns from Blake Shelton and Adam Levine on “I Hope You Dance” and ultimately joining Shelton’s team. Four of her performances surfaced as digital singles during the competition; “Blame It on Your Heart” peaked at number 43 on Hot Country Songs, while “She’s Got You” advanced to number 21 on the country tally and number 103 on the pop chart. “In the Garden” reached number three on Hot Christian Songs and number 34 on the country side. Jordan Smith claimed the season’s top spot, leaving Roberts in second. Eleven of her live interpretations later appeared on the 2016 digital release The Complete Season 9 Collection.

Once the show ended, Roberts obtained her diploma through evening classes and relocated to Nashville to focus on music. She issued the Christian album Bigger Than Me in 2017 and promoted it on the package tour The Gospel Through Girls & Guitar. Returning to mainstream fare, she signed with Starstruck Records in 2018; the label issued the singles “Stuck on Me + You” and “I Got Forever” that year before releasing Someday Dream in 2019.