The Voice finalist Morgan Myles should have spent this past Friday (Dec. 9) prepping for what might end up being the most important week of her life. Instead, she was mourning her late cousin.

“This is the day my cousin actually passed away," she tells Taste of Country, speaking quietly of her cousin Mac, who died when he was just 33 years old of glioblastoma. “It's interesting how everything just aligns in a certain way sometimes.”

It was just a few weeks back that Myles sang a musical tribute to her late cousin in the form of Lady Gaga’s megahit "Always Remember Us This Way" during the reality competition.

“Honestly, I was saving that song because I wanted to see if I could get to a point on The Voice where I could play it on a grand piano rather than a keyboard,” Myles explains, “And then the performance happened to align with the very same week that Mac got really bad, and we lost him."

Making the moment even more emotional was the fact that Myles' parents were there to witness her singing it.

"My parents always had said that if I make it to the last two shows that they would come out, so they were on their way," she says. “It was a lot of emotion for one week.”

Certainly, the performance left the hopeful in lingering emotional pain, but also solidified her place in the hearts of The Voice viewers.

"The Voice is a platform and I think honestly The Voice wants you to use that platform,” says Myles, who is being coached on the singing competition show by Camila Cabello. “They're going to support you and carry you if you want to be vulnerable and want to tell your story."

And despite the natural stress that certainly comes on the cusp of Season 22’s final elimination, Myles says she feels quite good about her chances of coming home as The Voice champion.

"This morning, I got up and walked my dog outside," she explains. "I had a really good night's sleep last night and my voice feels better this morning and I think I've got most of the lyrics memorized. I'm feeling really good. I’m ready."

Top 22 Country Songs of 2022, Ranked

There are plenty of feel-good country jams on this list of the top country songs of 2022, but the No. 1 song is one of the best love songs of the decade. These 22 songs are ranked by critical acclaim, radio and sales success, and importance to the genre.

Seven of the 22 artists made our Top Country Songs list from 2021 as well, but there are no repeats. If a song made a previous list or didn't spend most of its time on the charts in 2022, it's not eligible. So, before you ask where your favorite song is (i.e. Cody Johnson, "'Til You Can't), be sure the miss isn't just a technicality.

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