“No Body” can fill Blake Shelton’s shoes on The Voice, other than Reba McEntire.
Videos by American Songwriter
On Monday (May 15), the hit competition show announced that the country legend would replace the longstanding judge for Season 24. While Shelton gears up for his final episodes on the NBC show, he declares that McEntire is the perfect fit for the panel.
“Well, there’s a couple of things about Reba that makes her so special. First of all, she’s just so authentic,” the crooner told Extra in an interview. “I don’t know anybody country, or on the planet, [who is more authentic than] Reba, and that’s just the truth, but the other thing is her talent…she was born with this raw, natural talent that’s just unbelievable.”
Shelton continued to point out that he is excited for the world outside of the country community to recognize her unmatched talents. He believes The Voice will provide her with a robust platform that will enable her to reach several demographics.
“People will finally maybe start to realize what an incredible vocalist she is. I shouldn’t say that; millions of us already know that,” he said. “But so many more people are going to realize what an incredible vocalist she is because she’s going to, as a coach on this show, perform at times, and it’s just, it’s shocking what an incredible singer she is.”
In October of 2022, Shelton announced his retirement from the show. The chart-topping artist has been a vital part of the competition since 2011 when he judged alongside Adam Levine, Christina Aguilera, and CeeLo Green. Shelton’s team has won several seasons throughout the years, and he has coached more than a dozen artists whose original songs have hit No.1 on the iTunes Top Songs chart.
McEntire will join John Legend, One Direction’s Niall Horan, and Shelton’s wife and pop icon, Gwen Stefani.
Season 23 will conclude on Tuesday, May 23. The show powered by women in music – McEntire and Stefani, will premiere in the fall of 2023. The official date and time have not been confirmed.
Photo by: Tyler Golden/NBC
