Brayden, however, will have to take a slightly different path than the others because at only 16 years old, he has to finish high school. The Michigan resident is a sophomore at Grass Lake High School, where he is known for his athletic skills— basketball, baseball, and football—so much so that his appearance on The Voice surprised many of the faculty and his fellow students who didn’t know he could sing. That said, he also doesn’t want to let the opportunities pass him by that may come as a result of having made it to the finale on The Voice, so he plans to run with it. “I wrote some songs with Morgan Myles and I’m going to put those out and, hopefully, keep working with her because even before the Lives, even before going through this long process, she’s been there for me,” Brayden said in one of his final The Voice interviews. “We wrote a little bit in Nashville, and I just want to continue to write those songs, whether it be with Morgan or people she hooks me up with, or even just songs I write. I want to continue to do that and put them out for people to listen to and continue to play on bigger stages, play in front of more people. My goal is to ride this wave and not let it slow down.” That said, after the months of living in a hotel room, which is just one of the challenges of making it to the finale on The Voice, Brayden is very much looking forward to getting back home to see his family and friends. “The end of this show was a good time to go out there and perform like you haven’t before, just to have fun, and then to know that you get to go home and celebrate all the success that has come from it back home with your friends and family,” he admitted. Of course, this time of the year that means the holidays and Brayden isn’t too grown up to admit that he’s still like a little kid when it comes to Christmas. “I like to play,” he said. “I like to have a snowball fight and come in and have hot chocolate and watch cartoon movies and stuff, but my favorite thing is the movies. The movies are an awesome thing. I also just love spending time with my family. This time of the year in Michigan, it gets a little chilly, so you get to watch movies and snuggle up in blankets with friends and family.” Brayden credits being a member of Blake Shelton’s team as being responsible for a big part of his success on The Voice as the country star helped him “get into his voice” during their time together. “It’s crazy to think that two years ago, I was barely even singing,” Brayden said. “Now, I’m on this stage surrounded by all these people. The show was awesome, I’ve grown from it and learned from it.” He also takes with him some wonderful memories of the good times he had with his fellow castmates. “It’s funny to look back on those times we would get in trouble for jamming in the hallway,” he recalled. “Literally, every night we would get in trouble. Someone would come up and have a noise complaint from us going out there and having fun. It’s awesome to look back on those times. My best friends are in this Top 5. I haven’t been on other seasons of The Voice, but I am thinking this is may be the best cast.” The Voice will return for its 23rd season this spring with new coaches Chance the Rapper, Niall Horan, returning coach Kelly Clarkson and Blake Shelton coaching his final season. Next, Here’s What We Know About The Voice Season 23, Including Who’s Leaving and Who the New Coaches Are!
