The Voice is returning for another season and its four judges are spilling a few details about some changes to the competition. One of the biggest changes this year is a new concept called “the steal.”
The steal gives judges the ability to recruit singers that have been eliminated from another judge’s team. Adam Levine is excited for the change. “It’s nice to throw those elements in to kind of spice things up,” Levine said to Rolling Stone. “Those things definitely help keep it fresh for us.”
However, his fellow judge Blake Shelton said “I pick one and I know damn good and well one of these other three are gonna steal the person I don’t pick,’” he said. “There’s a chance that person may go on and win this and that’s gonna make me look really stupid. That definitely goes on in your mind. As an artist and somebody on television I have enough of an ego that I don’t want to look that stupid. I want to look brilliant.”
Shelton believes the change will excite fans of the show. “People love to see us hit those buttons and somebody’s life is changed at that moment,” said Shelton. “This is another way of changing somebody‘s life later on in the show, where they think all hope is lost, they’re going home, the next thing you know the button gets pushed and they’re right back in the game again. That’s pretty exciting.”
One thing that won’t be changing is the dynamic between the judges. Viewers have seen them laugh, banter and bicker but they have managed to build a strong bond with each other. Judge Christina Aguilera said that bond isn’t going anywhere.
“Over time we see how each of us react as coaches, giving such heartfelt advice and attention to these up-and-coming young fresh talents and it’s so nice to see,” she said. “It’s refreshing because we came into it not wanting to knock anybody down and I think we all respect that. We might take shots at each other, but never the talent. So there’s just a magic, there’s a bond there that’s unbreakable at this point.”
