After 23 seasons being a coach on The Voice, Blake Shelton may be known as much for the help he’s given young artists on the NBC show as he is for his country music. 12 years have passed with hundreds of singers taking the stage, and Shelton has been there for every one of them. That will all change when the “No Body” singer makes his exit at the end of the current season, and while the coaching panel has had a revolving door for some of the hottest singers in music, will the audience continue to turn their chairs for The Voice without the cowboy?
It seems like another lifetime ago when Blake Shelton first took his seat in the Big Red Chair next to Adam Levine, CeeLo Green and Christina Aguilera to pick artists for the show based not on their charisma, stage presence or looks, but on their voice alone. The Voice has weathered the exits of the other three OG coaches, but at this point, Shelton is such an important part of the dynamic that there are a number of issues that could go into whether or not it will survive losing its anchor after Season 23. Let’s discuss.
Country Music And Its Loyal Fans Have Become An Important Part Of The Voice
Despite the reputation The Voice has developed over the years, not all of The Voice’s 22 winners have been country artists. In fact most of them, weren’t (I counted roughly seven, but not all of the winners’ genres were as clear-cut as Season 22 champ Bryce Leatherwood). However, a lot of the artists who make it on the show are country singers, and Team Blake has been THE place for hopefuls in the genre.
Will The Voice’s loyal country music following keep showing up when Blake Shelton isn’t there to shape its potential stars of tomorrow? The answer to that might come down to who replaces him on the coaching panel, and we’ll talk about that more further down.
Will His Absence Result In Fewer Country Singers And More From Other Genres?
The fact is that without Blake Shelton, the tone of the show is likely to change, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. There’s a good chance there won’t be as strong a focus — or the perception of a strong focus — on country music. While that genre won’t (and shouldn’t) disappear altogether, the cowboy taking his leave could mean more of an opportunity for singers of other genres. I’d personally love to see more blues, reggae, mariachi, opera or rap, but does the audience at large agree?
Artists have often clamored to join the winningest coach’s team, so taking Blake Shelton out of the equation might level the playing field and possibly give a country artist a reason to look outside of their genre. Chance the Rapper asked earlier in Season 23, what’s cooler than a rapper and a country singer working together? Maybe in future seasons we can find out!
Viewers Tune In For Blake Shelton’s Rivalries With The Other Coaches
Come for the singing, stay for the rivalries. On top of being good at coaching artists and garnering America’s votes, Blake Shelton has a way of crawling under the skin of his fellow coaches. His love/hate relationship with Adam Levine was a big draw for viewers for a long time (until it wasn’t), and when the Maroon 5 singer left the show after Season 16, Kelly Clarkson slid into the role of Shelton’s frenemy.
That energy is going to be hard to replace. I don’t know if fans would welcome a new coach who stirs things up among their colleagues in that way. Kelly Clarkson seems like the veteran coach who’s most capable of maintaining that vibe, but with whom? Also, for how long? Because there’s another issue:
Is Kelly Clarkson Nearing The End Of Her Run Too?
Kelly Clarkson took Season 22 off of The Voice to spend time with her kids and focus on her daytime talk show. In fact, she indicated to NBC Insider that Blake Shelton’s retirement was at least part of what pulled her back in for the current season. However, the American Idol champ has a lot going on in addition to being a single mom and hosting the Emmy Award-winning Kelly Clarkson Show. The singer is putting out her 10th studio album this year — featuring some of the songs she wrote about her divorce — and a big move might be in store.
In January, it was reported that The Kelly Clarkson Show is in negotiations to move production to the East Coast following the end of its current season. Kelly Clarkson reportedly requested that NBC look into moving the show outside of Los Angeles, where The Voice is filmed. If that move goes through, it seems unlikely the “Since U Been Gone Singer” will be able to continue with the singing competition.
Who Else Could Succeed Blake Shelton As Anchor Of The Voice?
The four coaches' chemistry will be vital to The Voice's future, so who might be a good fit? Blake Shelton has thrown out Neal McCoy’s name as a possible replacement. The country artist shares a fanbase with the “Austin” singer, and people pointed out that McCoy’s personality and sense of humor make sense for the job.
However, there was a rumor in Season 21 that The Voice was hoping to skew a little younger, bringing in Ariana Grande to edge Blake Shelton out. If that was ever NBC’s plan, it didn’t seem to work. Despite being a great coach and having a bajillion fans, Grande’s popularity didn’t translate to votes, and her team was eliminated before the finale. Similarly, younger coaches including Nick Jonas, Miley Cyrus and Camila Cabello all failed to produce wins in their seasons.
Niall Horan and Chance the Rapper likely won’t change that in Season 23. While I love the energy the One Direction alum brings to the show, and Chance has a unique perspective as a producer, I think if the fans have any say in things, nobody’s going to beat Blake Shelton in his final season. Hopefully the rookies get to return for a sophomore season.
Another cool option might be replacing Blake Shelton with a former winner, like Team Blake alum and Season 3 champion Cassadee Pope. The country-pop artist seems to check all of the boxes, as she found success after The Voice, she’s younger and has Shelton's built-in fanbase, as well as a working knowledge of the competition.
All said, I think The Voice will go on as long as NBC is able to find at least one coach who can match the playful energy that Blake Shelton has provided for 23 seasons. Being able to sub the biggest names in music in and out each season has been a strategy in play from the beginning of The Voice, and it’s something that Carson Daly has said is one of the secrets to the show’s longevity. The bigger question in my mind is, how different will the competition look without its resident cowboy?
We’ll find out soon enough, but for now, Season 23 continues on NBC, with episodes airing at 8 p.m. ET Mondays and 9 p.m. ET Tuesdays.
