Why Are Fewer People Tuning Into 'The Voice'?

On Tuesday night, 15.3 million viewers tuned in to watch 16-year-old Danielle Bradbury win Season 4 of The Voice. That's hardly a number to sneeze at (May's American Idol finale drew in just 14.3 million, after all), but it's still a disappointing finish for the NBC singing series. The finale might have been even with last spring's ender, but, still, The Voice dropped 12 percent from its Season 3 finale.

So what gives? Season 4 had a handsome duo, a country crooner, and a Liz Lemon lookalike — what accounted for the drop in ratings?

The Cult of Cassadee

It's not fair, really. Season 3's winner already came with a built-in fanbase. Cassadee Pope, the singer of the pop rock band Hey Monday, helped The Voice soar to new ratings heights, and even lit up Google when she re-appeared during Season 4. Hey high ratings!

The Cult of Christina

Or, should I say, the lack thereof. Though new mentors Shakira and Usher received high marks from devoted Voice fans, casual viewers were more difficult to convince. Without Christina Aguilera's revealing attitude and t-shirts, what reason was there to tune in? Sure, Shakira's accent is adorable — but Xtina is deplorable. And that's so much more fun to watch.

The Viewers' Changing Tastes

It's long been said that television is oversaturated with reality singing series. (Idol, The Voice, Duets, the list continues... ) Are viewers finally feeling fatigued? Unlike Idol, which has marketed itself as a once-a-year must-see, The Voice is attempting to strike while the iron's hot, airing two seasons per year. Are you sad Season 4 is over? Don't worry — Season 5 is set to begin in September. But aren't you curious in changing channels to see what else is on?

Image: NBC