Camila Cabello is the newest coach to join The Voice, and while the other coaches have earned their spot, the singer may be an even better addition to the show. Ariana Grande fans were ecstatic to see the singer on the singing competition show last season, but as the star takes on the role of Glinda in Wicked, she sadly cannot return for another season right now. Fans also lost long-time coach Kelly Clarkson, but luckily, Gwen Stefani is returning to take her seat. Kelly spent the last few years dealing with her messy divorce from Brandon Blackstock, and now that she's legally single, the star is enjoying her new life and taking a break from filming The Voice.
She and Ariana will be missed, but luckily the show is in good hands after their departure. Gwen has coached contestants on The Voice on and off since season 7. The series even introduced her to her husband, Blake Shelton, who's been a coach since season 1. The No Doubt frontwoman admitted that she had no idea who the country singer was until she met him on the show. Luckily, things worked out well for the two, and there's no doubt getting to see her husband at work every day played a part in her return to the series. Gwen's last season was in 2020, meaning season 22 will be her and Blake's first season together as a married couple.
Camila is the only coach of the season to have never sat in the spinning red chair before, but that doesn't mean she's unequipped for the job. In fact, Camila is an excellent addition to the series and may have more knowledge of the competition than any of the long-time coaches sitting beside her. In 2012, Camila auditioned for the US version of The X-Factor, a singing competition show from the UK which launched bands like One Direction into worldwide fame. Judges Simon Cowell, Britney Spears, Demi Lovato, and LA Reid saw her potential and put her into a singing group called Fifth Harmony with fellow contestants Ally Brooke, Normani Kordei, Dinah Jane, and Lauren Jauregui.
The group did not win the competition but came in third place. However, they went on to have a successful career as a girl group. Fifth Harmony released three albums, one of which did not include Camila, and they all debuted on the Billboard 200 charts. Needless to say, Camila knows a thing or two about reality TV singing competitions and how to succeed once the show is over. The girl group did two major headlining tours together and were even invited as a special guest at Taylor Swift's 1989 tour in 2015. Camila left the group and went solo in 2016 and released her first solo album in 2018, and debuted at #1 on Billboard 200. Later that year, she teamed up with Taylor again as the opening act for her Reputation Stadium Tour.
This may be Camila's first season on The Voice, but she has no reason to be intimidated by her more experienced costars. Former coaches Kelly and Jennifer Hudson also had an advantage on the show due to their time on American Idol. However, Camila is the only current coach to have competed in a singing series. The "Havana" singer will surely be able to relate to the contestants on a level that her costars won't understand. Her success in the music industry and connections to singers like Taylor and industry moguls like Simon will surely help Team Camila earn a spot in the finale. There have been some incredible coaches on The Voice throughout the years, but adding Camila is definitely one of their smartest choices.
The Voice premieres Monday, September 19th, at 8 pm EDT on NBC.