Blake Shelton is looking forward to defeating new coach Ariana Grande when she joins The Voice in season 21. It was recently announced that the pop superstar has signed on to the hit singing competition series and will become a coach in the fall. She will join Shelton, Kelly Clarkson, and John Legend as they mentor up-and-coming singers trying to pursue a career in the music industry.
Grande, whose hits include "Problem," "Thank U, Next" and "7 Rings," will take Nick Jonas' place as he sits out The Voice season 21. While Shelton, Clarkson, and Legend have become regular coaches on the show, that fourth seat has become a revolving door of various celebrity coaches. Gwen Stefani, who also happens to be Shelton's fiancée, has been a coach off-and-on for five seasons. Now Grande is the latest to sit in that big red chair.
While speaking with reporters to promote The Voice season 20, Shelton mentioned he's excited to see Grande join the show so he can defeat her, saying (via People), "It's someone new for me to beat. I'm tired of beating John every season — and Nick." He added, "I'm looking for a challenge. I think Ariana could be a challenge. I'm looking forward to beating her though."
Speaking of competing against his fellow coaches on The Voice, Shelton revealed that Jonas "is the easiest coach I have ever beat in 20 seasons of doing this show." While Shelton won't be competing against Jonas in the fall, the boy band alum is looking forward to Grande taking his place, saying, "I'm so excited to see her beat Blake. It's going to be great for me."
It's clear the friendly rivalry is alive and well between all the coaches on The Voice, even when they're taking a season off. Some of the coaches, including Clarkson, have won the show during their first season as a coach, so Grande definitely has a chance. What really gives her a leg up in the competition is how big of a superstar she is. Christina Aguilera was a big name for The Voice to hire when NBC launched the series back in 2011. It worked then, and the producers are clearly hoping that this hire will prove to be just as, if not more, successful. Knowing they have Grande as a coaching option will be very tempting for a lot of contestants who audition next season. It wouldn't be surprising to see the other coaches lose out on adding some really strong talent to their teams as a result.
Shelton, who has been a coach on The Voice since the very beginning, has history on his side, though. He has won the show far more than any other coach, with seven of his artists taking the crown, starting with Jermaine Paul in season 2. Other artists he has helped win include Cassadee Pope, Danielle Bradbery, and Sundance Head. Last season, Stefani and one of her artists, Carter Rubin, defeated two of Shelton's artists, Jim Ranger and Ian Flanigan, in the finals. Now the country music singer is hoping that his strong track record will overcome the newest addition to the coaching panel.
The Voice airs Mondays at 8 pm on NBC.
Source: People