The Voice's Emily Ann Roberts & Celeste Betton Impact Billboard's Christian Charts with New Songs

By Timothy Yap Dec 03, 2015 03:55 AM EST

Two contestants of the ever popular NBC series "The Voice" have released Christian songs and each of them are impacting Billboard's Christian charts. The first of the trio is seventeen-year-old Knoxville, Tenn., native Emily Ann Roberts, makes her Billboard chart debut in style, launching atop the Christian Digital Songs survey (dated Nov. 28) with her take on the classic hymn "In the Garden." The track starts with 21,000 downloads sold, according to Nielsen Music, also planting her at No. 3 on Hot Christian Songs.

Emily has a passion for classic country and bluegrass and has wanted to pursue music since picking up a guitar at age 13. She and her grandmother are the only ones in her family who sing and her greatest memories are when they would sing old hymns together. After her grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, Emily started taking music very seriously. For the past three years, she has been playing steadily around Knoxville, performing regularly at a local restaurant and busking on the side. She feels that today's country has lost some of its soul and is hoping to introduce classic country to a new generation.

Another Voice contestant, Celeste Betton, opens at No. 3 on Christian Digital Songs (7,000) and No. 17 on Hot Christian Songs with her cover of Carrie Underwood's "Something in the Water"; the 2014 original ruled Hot Christian Songs and Hot Country Songs for 26 and seven weeks, respectively.

Although Celeste has always been passionate about music, she hasn't always been able to pursue it as a career. While in college at Alabama A&M, she had to step away from joining the traveling choir when she became pregnant with her daughter. A few years later, Celeste started getting back into the music scene when her husband's military career moved them to New York. Now, it's Celeste's turn to follow her dreams.

Tags : The Voice emily ann roberts celeste betton in the garden something in the water carrie underwood