Carson Daly’s announcement that Jermaine Paul had won the title of The Voice over Tony Lucca, Juliet Simms and Chris Mann was the reason for that collective gasp we heard across the country Tuesday night. But should we have been so surprised?

Throughout the season, Tony Lucca was the Mouseketeer, Juliet Simms was the gritty rocker, Chris Mann was the opera guy and Jermaine was…the guy that used to sing back up for Alicia Keys. Although vocally talented, Jermaine’s personality was more subdued than the rest and he simply didn’t have the hype that followed the other three – Lucca in particular.

When it came to talent, any of the four could have won, but considering Lucca’s Twitter following and celebrity endorsement from Justin Timberlake and J.C. Chasez, Christina’s alleged foe seemed like a shoe-in. Chris Mann wasn’t commercial enough and should have pimped out his Warbler days more for the Gleek vote. Jermaine, already overshadowed by his fellow contestants, also had stiff competition in the music industry considering that smooth crooners are plentiful and one, Javier Colon, had won the previous year. So, I was rooting for Juliet Simms to bring something new to mainstream music.

But if we look at Monday’s individual performances, Jermaine showed he wanted to win more than everyone else with his emotional rendition of “I Believe I Can Fly.”

Tony Lucca’s performance of “99 Problems,” although creative and fun, seemed more about getting back at Aguilera for her jabs throughout the season. Juliet Simms’ take on “Free Bird” was too much of the same, and Chris Mann proved he was much too similar to Josh Groban with “You Raise Me Up.” Jermaine, however, captivated the audience with a passionate performance of a familiar song.

In the end, the underdog came through. Although he wasn’t my pick, Jermaine deserves the title after 16 years of working toward his dream. Best of luck to him.

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