Idol Chatter & Voice Views

His audition: Darius Scott, 23, of Dallas, Texas, auditioned with Usher’s “You Make Me Wanna.” Adam Levine turned midway through the performance; he was eventually joined by Gwen Stefani and Pharrell Williams. Pharrell called him “super special;” Darius opted to join Team Pharrell.

His background: Darius tells us his mother is musically inclined and his father asked him to perform a solo on “Oh, Holy Night” in church when he was young. That started his musical aspirations. In addition to singing, Darius plays guitar, bass, piano, organ and clarinet. He was also into theater, dance and fashion growing up and he works as a freelance stylist. “But in my heart, I’m a musician,” he says. “I have to put music first.” For that reason, he self-funded and self-produced an album. “I learned a valuable lesson — that you need a good team.” He’s hoping a stint on The Voice yields that kind of support.

What the show didn’t show: According to his bio on The Voice website, Darius studied abroad in France and worked in New York as a graphic designed for a fashion brand. But it also says he had to step away from music for two years at one point because he was diagnosed with pericarditis, a swelling around the heart.

We heard him talk on the show about his album. It’s a nine-song Christian/gospel effort called “Masterpiece” that was released in November 2014 and, according to his website, chronicles “the spiritual journey of a young man, challenged by the normative constructs of what is considered faith-based music.” You can check out two tracks below. And you can listen to more here. The project was partially funded by a GoFundMe campaign.

In his pitch to fans, Darius says he was wrapping up an R&B project in early 2014. “And as soon as I was getting ready to release it, I just couldn’t,” Darius wrote at the time. “I mean, I couldn’t put that music out there. It was not a true reflection of the man I am, and the man that I was called to be.” Hence, “Masterpiece.”

On his Darius Dixson website, he writes that “Masterpiece” is designed as a musical PSA with this message: “It is okay to be Christian and keep your cool points. It is okay to be a Christina and still be seen in the world. Unlike before, you are seen as a light in darkness. It’s the ‘something different’ factor. And it is marvelous, indeed.”

I’ll be posting profile blogs on every singer who lands a spot on Season 9 of The Voice. For links to the others, head here. Keep checking back. There are many more to come.

On iTunes: His 10-track “Masterpiece” album from 2014.

Update:
Battle round: Defeated Daria Jazmin, singing “Lean on Me.”
Knockout round: He sang “On Broadway” and defeated Morgan Frazier. She was stolen by Blake Shelton.
Top 24: He performed “Love Lockdown,” which landed at number 99 on the iTuens Top 200 and number four on the R&B/soul chart. He was eliminated when Madi Davis and Evan McKeel were voted into the finals and Mark Hood received the Team Pharrell save.

Keeping up with Darius:
Facebook (Darius Dixson)
Twitter: @dscottmusik

Blind audition — “You Make Me Wanna”

Battle Round — “Lean On Me”

Knockout Round — “On Broadway”

Masterpiece (from 2014 album by same name)

Your Way (from “Masterpiece” album)