“It Was a Really Dark Song”: ‘The Voice’ Star Adam Levine Recalls Writing His First Song About a “Traumatizing” Childhood Moment

You never forget your first… song, that is. Both seasoned pros by now, Adam Levine and Kelsea Ballerini are lending their industry expertise to this year’s crop of hopefuls on The Voice. Ahead of Monday’s (Feb. 3) season 27 premiere, the coaches took a trip down memory lane, sharing their first songwriting experiences. While Ballerini was ready to go with a sweet Mother’s Day anecdote, Levine’s tale was slightly more gritty.

“It Was a Little Traumatizing”

Adam Levine revealed to Kelsea Ballerini that his first songwriting experience is technically a co-writing credit. The future Maroon 5 frontman teamed up with his piano teacher to write the “one-note song.”

“I was probably 6, and I had just seen my bird, like, attack a lizard. It, like, dove down, and it was a little traumatizing,” Levine said. “So I wrote a song about it.”

Understandably, Ballerini needed a little clarity. “About your feelings about it, or about the actual murder?” the “Dibs” singer asked.

“About the actual murder of this bird murdering this lizard,” Levine admitted. “It was a really dark song.”

Pro-tip: don't bring up lizards to @AdamLevine. 🦎 See you MONDAY February 3 when #TheVoice returns! pic.twitter.com/MnYgjheBct

— The Voice (@NBCTheVoice) January 29, 2025

Yikes. Not quite, I don’t mind spending every day / Out on your corner in the pouring rain.

[RELATED: Watch Adam Levine, Kelsea Ballerini, and  ‘The Voice’ Coaches Take on an Elton John Classic]

Taken aback, Ballerini responds, “Okay,” before the two erupt into laughter.

Why Is Adam Levine Returning to ‘The Voice?’

In 2019, Adam Levine left behind his big red chair after 16 seasons. Six years and 10 seasons later, the “Sugar” crooner is back. And according to him, it was fate.

“I honestly feel like the stars aligned,” Levine, 45, told People. “It was one of those moments where we started talking about it and it felt right… and it hadn’t felt right until now.”

The “Harder to Breathe” singer took a much-needed breather after his eight-year run on The Voice. “Doing it for so long, so consistently, for almost eight or nine years of my life, you can definitely start to get burnt,” he said. “I did it for this really long period of time, so I started to feel like I was kind of getting away from things that matter to me the most, like making music and playing music.”

Now, he is feeling recharged and ready to fully commit. “[Coming] back has been fantastic,” the “Moves Like Jagger” singer said.

Featured image by Tyler Golden/NBC