The Voice’s Winner Lets Loose on Hair-Raising Speculation, Their Scariest Number and Sweet Vindication
The morning after giving coach Niall Horan his second consecutive victory on The Voice, newly minted winner Huntley rang TVLine to discuss everything from his little girl’s big influence on the competition to the long and the short of being the show’s best-tressed contestant — even if some viewers doubt that his magnificent mane is all his. Here’s what the rocker had to say…
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TVLINE | Congratulations! Tell me about your night.
[Laughs] I don’t know if I can tell you that, but it was a great night. I definitely went out and celebrated.
TVLINE | Have you been to bed at all?
No! It’s been an insane experience. I’m so grateful.
TVLINE | I assume your kids stayed up to watch the show.
Actually, my kids are on the East Coast, so I haven’t had a chance to talk to them yet. I have no idea if they know or not!
TVLINE | I read in your bio that you only got serious about music when a friend reassured you that you were actually good. Did you call him to tell him he was right?
My buddy Robert definitely sent me a message last night, but with everything going on, I haven’t had a chance to call him. He said that to me when I was 14, so it’s a full-circle moment. I know he’s really proud.
TVLINE | Your daughter Stella announced that you had picked Niall as your coach. Was he who you were going to pick?
You know, I really had no idea who I was leaning toward going in. I wanted to wait for the moment and see what every judge had to say. But my daughter, I think no matter what anybody said, she was going with Niall.
TVLINE | Since you got a four-chair turn in the Blinds, did you have a sense from the start that maybe you could win?
No, I never thought that for one second. This whole season’s been nothing but amazing artists I would go and see live in concert. So it’s just been about creating moments and focusing on that rather than winning a game show. That was way more important to me.
TVLINE | I know everybody always says they’re friends and didn’t think about the competition, but tell the truth, was there one singer that you were like, “Crap, I’m not sure I can beat that”?
I mean, there was not a person here I didn’t feel that way about. This season was insane! We had performers from 13 years old all the way up to 50. It was crazy.
TVLINE | Which of your performances did you feel like went the best?
Every performance, I left everything out there, but definitely my first audition [“She Talks to Angels”] to get through the Blinds. And then my duet with Niall [on “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door”] was really special.
TVLINE | One-hundred-percent agree. I hope you two have talked about recording it together.
That would be cool, but as much as Niall’s been a hands-on coach, I sort of give him space. He’s starting a tour, and I’m hungry and ready to start my own career. But when we left that stage, we knew that we’d done something special. I think it transcends The Voice. Literally, if you wished you had Bob Dylan and Axl Rose on that song together, that’s kinda what it came down to.
TVLINE | Was there a number where you were like, “Oof, that could’ve gone better” or just wished you’d done something differently?
I don’t think I would have done anything differently, but “Wanted Dead or Alive” was a scary song. You know, it’s Jon Bon Jovi and one of the biggest songs ever. I didn’t want it to sound like karaoke. So that was definitely one where I was nervous.
TVLINE | I’ve gotta ask about the hair. How long does it take to get that all tied up and show-ready?
Hours! [Laughs] No, about an hour. People keep asking me if it’s extensions, and lemme tell you, it’s all natural!
TVLINE | It’s kinda like a Huntley trademark now. Are you worried that you might never be able to get a crewcut?
Oh, I mean, I love the hair anyways. But I do whatever I want to do.
TVLINE | After doing American Idol twice, how sweet is the vindication of winning The Voice?
It kind of shows that timing is everything. [After that], I felt like I didn’t want to do this again. The fact that I took the leap and went for this, it’s like, “Oh, you almost missed out on this.” That why I want to relay to everybody who’s a fan of me out there trying to follow their dreams but getting shot down, it really just takes persistence. Persistence and consistency are everything in life. Consistency is everything to me, whether it’s music, being a parent or being a partner, it’s very important to me.
