The Viking of The Voice has emerged victorious! Team Niall’s Huntley was crowned The Voice season 24 champion during the show’s epic finale event on December 19. After weeks of incredible performances, everyone wants to know when Huntley will be coming out with his new music. Hollywood Life spoke exclusively with The Voice winner about his plans.
“I’m down for it all,” he said. “I want to tour. I want to make an album. I’m hungry. I just won this show, and that’s cool, but let’s go. Now it’s time to work. I might take like a little Christmas break, but then it’s time to get to work. I’m hungry for this.”
The season came down to Huntley and Team Reba’s Ruby Leigh. They embraced in the final seconds before the results were revealed in a heartfelt moment. “When my name got called, as excited as I was, I am a dad first,” Huntley said. “I understand this is just a game show and there’s a lot of things that go into this, but the girl can sing.”
He continued, “As soon as I got the yes, I definitely felt very proud, but at the same time, I couldn’t help but just look over and see Ruby. She’s just an amazing artist. I know she’s 16, but her artistry definitely weighs her age. Her age is just a number, but I can’t even imagine standing up on that stage at her age.”
Huntley admitted that he thought he was “going home” when it was just him and Ruby up on stage. “I just wanted to let her know she wasn’t out there alone. I wasn’t up there alone. We had each other, and it was just a genuine moment,” he told Hollywood Life. “Me and her dad were the last dads left on the show. We definitely had a lot of camaraderie between each other, so it’s been a crazy journey. This girl has been doing school while still doing this. She’s about to go do a live show, and she has to go sit through and do a tutoring session. It’s insane to me.”
Throughout his journey on The Voice, Huntley was mentored by Niall Horan. The Virginia native explained how Niall has helped him as an artist.
“I would say the big thing is that, even though I’m good at telling a story through my song, he’s really helped me just have a lot more patience with the song, to take a step back and really tell the story first before I start using all my power or using all my tricks,” the 33-year-old said. “As much as I’ve always leaned into that, I think that through this competition he’s really made me self-aware with that. The connection to the song outweighs the perfection of a song.”
Huntley’s voice wasn’t the only thing that turned heads when he stepped out on stage. His long blonde locks and changing hairstyles kept fans on their toes every week. So, does Huntley have plans to ever cut his hair?
“I like the never answer,” Huntley said about cutting his hair. “And they’re not extensions. Everybody out there thinks they’re extensions, but they are not. It’s all-natural.” The Voice will return for season 25 in spring 2024.