The Voice premiered on NBC in 2011 with coaches Christina Aguilera, CeeLo Green, Adam Levine, and Blake Shelton. The tattooed pop-rocker and the Oklahoma cowboy quickly brewed up a classic bromance. Viewers tuned in weekly to witness Levine and Shelton’s playful banter (bordering on light harassment.) Season 27 saw the “Moves Like Jagger” crooner return to his big red chair after a five-year hiatus. Although without his other half, Adam Levine has taken a shine to The Voice first-time coach Kelsea Ballerini. Keep reading to see how the country-pop phenom reminds him of Blake Shelton.
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Adam Levine Says Kelsea Ballerini Fits Right In on ‘The Voice’
Adam Levine says he instantly bonded with Kelsea Ballerini on the set of The Voice—”like a nice, friendly, sweet version of when I met Blake,” the Maroon 5 frontman recently told People.
Levine, 46, says the “Penthouse” singer, 31, won him over during an ensemble performance with fellow coaches Michael Bublé and John Legend. Still unaccustomed to singing with a group, the Grammy winner says he went “in my feelings… inside a little bit, close my eyes, whatever.”
When he opened them, Ballerini was there to bring the “Harder to Breathe” singer back down to earth. “She looked up at me, and she’d be like, ‘Hey, you going to pretend you like us?’” Levine said. “And I thought that was so f—ing funny and on point and great — and just instant friendship, because I always love someone who’s not afraid to give me a little bit of s—.”
[RELATED: Kelsea Ballerini Calls Blake Shelton Her Dad During Fight With Adam Levine on “The Voice”]
The Feeling Is Mutual
Kelsea Ballerini joins The Voice as her star is on the rise. The “Peter Pan” songstress kicked off her first-ever headlining arena tour earlier this year. She is also up for the ACM’s Entertainer of the Year award for the first time.
Speaking with People, Adam Levine praised his co-star for handling her growing fame “with so much poise and grace.”
“What I like about her is that what you see is what you get,” he said. “A lot of things these days are manufactured, but she’s been really tried-and-true to who she is and unafraid to do what she wants to do musically.”
For her part, Kelsea Ballerini is completely starstruck sitting beside The Voice co-stars Adam Levine, Michael Bublé, and John Legend.
“Being in a seat next to people that I grew up on more or less … like, [Maroon 5’s] Songs About Jane is one of my favorite records of all time,” she said. “I’ve covered John Legend a million times. I went and saw Michael Bublé at Bridgestone in Nashville. I’m a fan of these guys.”
Featured image by Trae Patton/NBC
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