NBC's hugely successful vocal competition The Voice returns for its nine season on September 21, but one of the most interesting and anticipated sideshow is the rivalry, albeit good-naturedly, between long-time hosts Adam Levine and Blake Shelton.
Levine and Shelton are the longest hosts in The Voice with Levine producing two winners and Shelton with four winners.
In a roundtable interview with The Voice hosts Levine and Shelton, including Gwen Stefani and Pharrell Williams that was participated by Monsters & Critics, Levine admits that while he wanted to beat Shelton in the number of winning contestants, the most important is still that the show picks the winner who deserves the crown.
"Winning The Voice, for the coaches, is fun," said Levine, "I'd love Gwen to win. I think that would be awesome. Pharrell won last year, and that was awesome. If we're being super honest, we don't really care [which coach] wins. Although it's awesome and fun and I'm super competitive and I love to win, I would much rather just believe that the person who did win was the right person. That's the truth. But within that, of course, I would rather it be someone on my team who's the right person to win. Beyond that, I will enjoy beating Blake at many other things that I get satisfaction from."
The four coaches of the show, all megastars in their own rights, bring along their big personalities which they use to their advantage to entice contestants to choose them as their coach. They use this same personality, coupled with their talents and experience to nurture the contestants become a major contender in the show and eventually become a champion.
And that what makes The Voice different from all the other singing competitions, both current and past tournament. Levine explained that in The Voice, the coaches and advisors work with the talent, and in the process, the coaches themselves learn from the contestants.
Levine said "I don't think there are too many mentor-based shows. Even American Idol was different because the dynamic was different between the judges and the contestants. We're coaching them and trying to make them succeed and do well, on a very intimate basis. We're helping them with the vocals and with who they are. I've had fun doing it. Every season is very different, and some seasons are better than others, but they're all very fun and informative for me because I always learn from it."
Gwen Stefani Waited For a Call From The Voice
In the same interview, Stefani said she was happy to return to The Voice Season 9 after a one season hiatus. She said she actually waited for NBC to give her a call for a comeback in the show.
She said, "It was so sad when it was over. It went really fast, and it was so fun. It was not at all what I expected. I got so much out of it, and I was inspired. I said, 'I hope they ask me back!' I was waiting and waiting. So, when it happened, it was last minute and it's been a whirlwind. Coming back has been great. It's so different this time because I know everyone so well, I'm so comfortable and I know what I'm doing. Also, my team is just amazing. Emotionally, the different stories that they have and what I'm getting out of it, I'm learning that we have these parallel stories going on and it's really cool. It's just a really fun thing to do."
And as to being the only girl amongst the guy coaches, Stefani said that is fine with her, "That's the story of my life! How did that happen? It's just so weird because I was not a tomboy. I was totally into Barbies and I had my girlfriends, growing up. And then, all of a sudden, I was in a band with all guys and it just stayed like that. I got the Harajuku girls for five minutes, but I had to pay them. No. It's really comfortable. They're so funny. They all are such great characters. It's been really fun. I don't really think about it like I'm the only girl. It's just normal. And I love being a girl on the show because I get to wear fun things and change it up. I just have to work a little harder than they do, to be honest. I'm always the first person here. I have to be here two hours before everybody else to make it happen."
The release date of The Voice Season 9 is scheduled on September 21st on NBC.
