When Blake Shelton first joined “The Voice,” he thought the show was “pretty ridiculous” with its “Star Trek”- like chairs and big red buttons. Reading the concept on paper made it hard to envision, but once filming started, everything clicked.
“If Christina Aguilera is doing it, I’ll do it,” Shelton recalled thinking at the time. “The fact that we didn’t take it so serious when we started that’s where all the joking started from… I don’t know that show was ever meant to be as funny as it is.”
Ahead of the Knockout Rounds, coaches Shelton, Nick Jonas and John Legend and Knockout Mega Mentor Snoop Dogg gathered (virtually) to celebrate season 20 of “The Voice.” Coach Kelly Clarkson could not participate in the Q&A discussion because she was filming her daytime talk show. In their reflections, they revealed how the show has impacted them personally.
“It helps us think anew about our own careers,” said Legend. “It’s inspiring. The kinds of advice we give to these artists, I think it helps me turn the lens back on myself, like, ‘well what would I say to myself to make myself a better artist?’”
In advising on the decision to advocate for social justice issues, Legend said artists must decide how they want to move in the world, adding that he is vocal about politics because he feels passionate about what he has to say and has such a big platform. Snoop echoed this sense of purpose.
“I think that artists inject themselves into the system as far as speaking up, it’s not something that they want to do, it’s something they have to do,” said the rapper. “It’s in their blood, it’s in their spirit.”
The coaches also dove into the strategy behind the Knockout Rounds. Though the audience gets a behind-the-scenes look at preparation, when it comes to showtime, all that matters is the actual performance. Legend explained it’s important to go in open-minded and be impressed by what the contestants do on the stage. And while Shelton said he said he goes into the Knockout Rounds likely knowing which contestant will win, he acknowledged there is always a chance the other contestant will step up to the plate.
“The Knockout Rounds at this point, it means so much to each of these artists where we become really invested in each step of their journey,” Jonas added. “It’s a tough spot to be in, but it’s a decision that has to be made and you just got to go with your gut and whatever feels right.”
The Knockout Rounds will air on “The Voice” on April 19 and 26 on NBC at 8 p.m.
