As season 20 gets rolling, with judges Blake Shelton, Kelly Clarkson, Nick Jonas and John Legend, Parade discusses the show with Shelton and Daly, looks back at some of the wows and whoopsies, explores who’s the most competitive coach of them all and shares a few spoilers about the milestone season. But first, Blake’s former artists, who have gone on to have success in country music, pay him tribute on his 10-year anniversary, including Raelynn, Cassadee Pope, the Swon Brothers, Lauren Duski, Danielle Bradbery, Ian Flanigan and Todd Tilghman.
Behind the Scenes With Blake Shelton
The winningest coach of them all dishes with Parade. Could you have envisioned in season one the show being where it is today in season 20? None of us knew it would be this big and still going so strong after 20 seasons. It has changed my life both personally and professionally, and I can’t believe how fast the time has gone by. I can’t believe it took so long to get rid of Adam [Levine] either. What have been some of the biggest highlights over the seasons for you? All I ever wanted to do was be a country singer, and I moved to Nashville right after I graduated high school, so I know why people chase this music dream! To be able to help them in any way, give them some advice I’ve learned along the way and watch them literally blossom on the stage is my highlight every season. How has the show evolved since season one? The show is a much bigger production now than it was when we started, and we have moved to a new and bigger stage. The performances now have the production level of an awards show, and it’s incredible for these artists to have such an amazing platform every week. Do you have a favorite moment? Or the funniest thing you ever said? I don’t remember half the crap I say, but I guess making fun of Adam’s outfits and hairdos was always fun—and so damn easy. I mean, if you dress like a mime, I’m going to remind you not to talk. What’s the best thing that has come out of The Voice for you, personally? Well, obviously, it’s Gwen Stefani. She’s the most understanding, kindhearted person that I’ve ever met, and I learn something from her every day. She saved my life. But I’ve made some of the most important relationships that will last a lifetime because of The Voice. There are many great friendships, from the coaches to Carson and the crew and staff. It’s a family! How real is the rivalry between the coaches? To be in this business, you have to have a competitive spirit, and that’s what we bring to the stage every night. Gwen is less competitive than I am, but she sure did enjoy winning last season, and I was thrilled for her! And, of course, I did love beating Adam season after season. But at the end of the day, we’re all friends, and we support each other personally and professionally. How much support do you give to your contestants after the show is over? I think the continued support that I’m able to offer contestants after the season ends is one of the reasons why they come to my team in the first place. RaeLynn and Sundance Head came out on tour with us, and many others play shows at our Ole Red venues in Nashville, Orlando, Gatlinburg [Tennessee] and my hometown of Tishomingo [Oklahoma] throughout the year. These relationships keep going even after their season ends.
Behind the Scenes With Carson Daly
Check out these insights and season highlights from the warm and calming presence who holds the whole show together. “Stop comparing us to American Idol!” “Your measuring stick is antiquated because of the way that technology has proliferated,” Daly says, explaining why the days of discovering a Carrie Underwood or Kelly Clarkson on a TV show are gone. “For instance, I could never do TRL [his Total Request Live show] again because this generation has the internet and doesn’t need MTV to get music. There are a lot of YouTubers, and my kids listen to music of people that you have never heard of, that I have never heard of. For some people, just getting to a place where they can support themselves making music, thanks to The Voice—that’s winning.” “We chose to make feel-good TV.” When Mark Burnett developed The Voice in 2011, he wanted it to be a family entertainment show to counteract programing on the air that was polarizing and negative, Daly says. “Idol would make fun of people who couldn’t sing, for instance. As producers we were always like, ‘Let’s not judge people. Let’s support people.’ I think America enjoyed that and the mentorship factor of our show.” “My favorite part of the job is hanging with artists’ families.” “I take the responsibility of being not just the host of the show, but being a host to these families who’ve flown in from all over the country,” he says. “I want them to have a good experience on the show even when we’re not on camera. You see me, I jump up and down and high-five and hug when someone gets a chair to turn, or I’m there if it doesn’t work out. I really, really respect and cherish my time with the families.” “Families guess wrong about coach choices.” “A mom will look at me and go, ‘She’s going to pick Blake, for sure, she’s going to pick Blake,’ and all of a sudden she’ll pick Nick Jonas. I’ve seen it happen where the families are then stunned. When those artists are out there in that moment, chairs have turned, and pitches made, artists think they know what they’re going to do, but when they’re actually out there, they’re won over by somebody’s passion and pitch. Adam used to be the king of that.” He cherishes the meaningful moments. On the December 17, 2012, episode of The Voice, the show opened with Daly, Shelton, Levine, CeeLo Green, Christina Aguilera and the artists singing Leonard Cohen‘s “Hallelujah” in a tribute to the 26 children and adults who died at Sandy Hook Elementary School. “That was one of the more powerful moments on the show, for me, of the last 19 seasons,” Daly says. “The kindergartner, whose name I was holding, I ended up meeting the parents on Today on an anniversary show for Sandy Hook. I couldn’t believe it. I knew the name sounded familiar, so I went back in my photos and grabbed the photo of me onstage on The Voice years prior and sent it to the mother. She was like, ‘Wow, that’s really crazy.’”
The Voice Gimmicks
The red chair: The swiveling red thrones on NBC’s singing competition are sleeker versions of the seats from the original Dutch show. Made by the Scenic Route, Inc. in L.A., each has speakers embedded in the headrest. If a chair malfunctions, there’s a spare. Over time, the chairs were spruced up with more lights, buttons and cup holders (rumored to be a Blake Shelton request). The Blind Auditions: “We start with 75 to 100 of the best voices in America each season, so right when we come on the air, there is this wow factor,” Daly says of the dramatic Blinds process. The Steal: The first notable button addition was the steal in season three. It gave judges a second chance to nab an artist they’d overlooked or who hadn’t picked them in earlier rounds. Instant Save: Adding real-time voting during the Knockout Rounds in season five definitely added a touch of drama. “Believe me, everybody producing the show is on the edge of their seats during those last-chance saves,” says executive producer Audrey Morrissey. “We’re making sure, ‘Is Twitter working? Is the app working? Are we getting results? What is happening?’” Cross Battles: This season 16 change pitted contestants from opposing teams in a singing face-off with the audience choosing the winner. It was definitely a fail, says Morrissey. “It was something that had been tried in other countries that we thought we could do during taping. Due to coach scheduling, we had to do it live. Some people liked it, some people were up in arms and just did not like it at all.” The “didn’t likes” won, and Cross Battles was retired after one season. The Block: “The block button has only been around for three years or so, but it’s been a lot of fun to watch one of the coaches get excited about an artist until they realize they got blocked,” coach Blake Shelton says. “Well, it’s fun until it happens to me.” The Advisers: “I always say being a coach on The Voice is a team sport. It really is. They’re an ensemble, and they’re working together,” says Morrissey. The addition of celebrity advisers each season—in the past we’ve seen Celine Dion, Bette Midler, Cher, Stevie Nicks, Dolly Parton, Rihanna, Lionel Richie, Taylor Swift and Billy Ray Cyrus—adds to the team feeling. Season 20 advisers will include Darren Criss, Luis Fonsi, Dan + Shay and Brandy.
The Voice Love Connection
Shelton and Stefani, now engaged, may be the best-known Voice love story: They met on season seven of The Voice, when she was married to Gavin Rossdale and he was married to Miranda Lambert. After season eight, they were each getting divorced and bonded over their heartache. But theirs is not the only happily-ever-after story. Season four contestants Colton Swon of the Swon Brothers and Caroline Glaser met on Team Blake. Glaser was stolen by Adam Levine and eliminated in the live playoffs, while the Swon Brothers finished third for the season. Four years later, in 2017, Swon proposed to Glaser at a Nashville theater in front of their families. They were married in 2018. Next, See What The Voice Judges Have in Store for Blake Shelton’s 20th Season
