Exclusive: Cassadee Pope Opens up About Working as a Mentor With Kelly Clarkson on ‘The Voice’

Cassadee Pope is returning to the show that made her famous! The singer will join Kelly Clarkson on The Voice as a mentor for Team Kelly, for three shows, beginning Monday, April 2.

Pope, who won Season 3 of The Voice in 2012, admits it was a bit intimidating to be working with Clarkson.

“Being an advisor with Kelly Clarkson’s team is hilarious, because she’s one of the best vocalists of all time, so what am I going to offer on top of that?” Pope shares with PopCulture.com. “So I did the route of more mental stuff. I knew going in, ‘I’ve gotta let these artists know, your nerves can affect your voice and you have to harness those nerves and know how to breathe through it, and just know there’s a life after the show. It’s a big deal, and it could catapult you, but when this is all said and done, you’re going to look back and be like, ‘Yeah, I wish I would have just taken a breath.’”

Although Pope was successful on The Voice, the advice she gives is what she wishes someone had told her.

“I look back and I look at performances and I know I did not perform to my fullest potential, because of the nerves,” she continues. “I really try to express that to them, and it seemed like they were all really absorbing it, which was crazy, to be speaking to people and have them actually be like they want my advice. It was like, ‘Oh, my God, I feel so powerful right now.’ It was so awesome.”

Pope has had plenty of success on her own, including a multi-week No. 1 with “Think of You” with Chris Young, but when it comes to Clarkson, Pope isn’t afraid to admit she is one of her biggest fans.

“Thankfully, I’ve had some run-ins with her where she’s been awesome, and I’ve met her and actually sang with her on The Voice on my season,” says Pope. “We sang ‘Catch My Breath,’ which was so fun. So, I’ve gotten the initial meeting out of the way. But, I’ve loved her since she sang ‘Respect’ on her audition on American Idol, so I’ve loved her from Day One. And getting to stand there with her all day, hearing the way that she speaks to the artists and just hearing how much of a fan she still is of music.

“Not that that goes away,” she adds, “but you see some people who’ve been in it for a while, and especially for her. She’s been through so much, and so many different career obstacles and changes, to hear her still be excited and a fan, and react to music the way she does, it’s just so awesome. She’s the nicest, most down-to-earth girl ever. You forget she’s Kelly Clarkson. You’re like, ‘Oh, wait, you’re actually a household name, and you’re acting like the girl next door.’ So that’s another of the awesome things, is to know that big celebrities that are hugely successful can still be like that.”

The 28-year-old is grateful for her time on The Voice, even though she admits it was the most challenging thing she ever did.

“It was a learning experience,” Pope says. “I feel like I grew a lot as a vocalist as well, just singing every week. It’s a kind of like singing boot camp where you’re singing constantly. I felt like my voice got stronger. I, of course, got an incredible fan base out of it that has stuck with me through the years. It was really fun to see Hey Monday fans and The Voice fans work together in harmony to help me out, and go to my shows, and buy my music. So it was an incredible experience, and I loved getting to do that.”

The Voice airs Monday and Tuesday nights on NBC at 8:00 PM ET. Pope will appear on April 2, April 3 and April 9.

Photo Credit: Instagram/CassadeePope