The Hollywood Reporter (June 2013)

Perfect Harmony

New coaches keep The Voice at #1

Blake Shelton and Adam Levine were nervous about the future of The Voice. With fellow coaches Christina Aguilera and CeeLo Green taking a leave of absence from the show to focus on their respective musical careers, replaced for the fourth season by Usher and Shakira, there was no telling what might happen. "To hit on something that works and then mess with it is risky," Shelton says. "I was curious to see if this was going to fall flat on its face without the same group of people."

But then NBC shot a promo for the new season - Shelton, Levine, Usher and Shakira in a pickup truck, arguing over what radio station to listen to - and Shelton knew everything was going to be OK. "The four of us were in that truck for six hours," he recalls, laughing. "When you're sitting there between takes with nothing to do but talk to each other, that's how great friendships kick off. We didn't want it to end."

And it hasn't. The Voice is this season's #1 singing series - beating both nights of American Idol in Adults 18-49 - and ratings continue to soar. The series now averages nearly 14 million viewers per episode, making The Voice NBC's #1 entertainment series. "I'm as surprised as anyone that it can keep growing even in the fourth year, but there's been a very organic and natural progression to the show," says host Carson Daly. "The network really believed it had something at just the right time, that this was cool family TV, that people still wanted that. There's nothing cynical about it, so it makes sense that audiences want to keep watching."

Executive producer Mark Burnett notes that it s not just the show's family-friendly content that continues to build the audience. It's also its use of cutting-edge social media to make sure The Voice continues to be heard. "In the old days - and by that I mean two years ago - networks would only use their own website to showcase their shows," he says. "But now there's Facebook, YouTube, iTunes, Twitter and Instagram. It's very brave of NBC to recognize that there is absolutely a shift in viewer habits."

It also doesn't hurt that The Voice has been smart about adaptation, tweaking its formula just enough to keep it fresh without messing too much with what made it successful. Introducing the "steal" in season three, for instance, which allowed the coaches to poach each other's artists during the show's Battle Rounds, was a savvy addition. "Rather than simply watching a coach put battles together and decide who goes forward, now there's a consequence," Burnett says. "That has raised the stakes."

With the absence of Aguilera and Green this season, the stakes were already pretty high. Searching for their replacements was not an easy task but Burnett simplified the hunt by focusing on two overriding criteria: "Are they bona fide superstars and are they the sort of nice people you'd want over to your house?" Levine, for one, is pretty sure they found the perfect pair in Usher and Shakira. "All of us coaches are so incredibly different this season," he says. "We're all very competitive but have a great sense of humor and I think that combination continues to make the show really enjoyable for viewers."

Usher and Shakira obviously have had big shoes to fill, but they both have risen to the challenge. Usher's plan from the beginning was to show "the lighter side" of his personality. "People have seen me one way for so many years, so doing this show has allowed me to relax and be myself. I didn't know what to expect when I first signed on but getting to nurture artists and maybe teach them a different approach is a win-win for me." According to Shelton, it's a win-win for everybody. "I see how Usher is in the rehearsal room with his artists," he says. "He's like a drill sergeant. It's the same with Shakira. Adam and I look at that and think, 'We're lollygagging,' so we've had to step up our game."