Nick Jonas is the new kid amongst the coaches on The Voice, but early indications have shown he won't be as timid as newcomers to the show have been in the past. In fact, Jonas has been pretty aggressive in his pursuit of contestants in the first batch of episodes, and has shown some real passion in the process despite taunting and "bullying" from his fellow panelists.
Nick Jonas wouldn't call it bullying, however, at least in regards to fellow coach Blake Shelton. Jonas said that while the country singer may be telling viewers and other media he's going after Jonas in his inaugural season, the two hit it off early on.
I think any time you have a new guy, you can expect to be a little bit of a target. But Blake is very good at doing his Blake thing. Contrary to his public comments about bullying me as the new guy, we have a lot of fun together and found a really good dynamic early on. I think the show only works when everyone’s having a good time, and Blake really sets that tone for the rest of us.
Blake Shelton may be a bit biting with his jabs and strategies on The Voice, but Nick Jonas said they've formed a good dynamic. From what is seen in Variety's conversation with Jonas, it appears there are no hurt feelings from the actor/singer as the coaches vie to get the best competitors in Season 18 any way they can.
While Blake Shelton may not be a huge aggressor in Nick Jonas' eyes, he did tell Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show one coach surprised him. No, it wasn't Kelly Clarkson and her pointy outfits, but the EGOT John Legend who really came to play. Jonas joked to Fallon that "the gloves came off" with Legend. He teased more on that front to Variety:
I probably spent the most time with John [Legend] before we got into this, and getting to hang out was a icebreaker, jumping in. I will say that the first day, they take it easy, and by day two, the gloves came off, and I was sort of thrown at how drastic a change it was. If you leave yourself open, even just a little bit, they will pounce, especially on the blind [auditions], when you’re trying to bring the artists over.
The Voice coaches like to have a good time, but as Nick Jonas learned, getting talented singers is a cutthroat game. The right words or roast of another coach right before a competitor chooses teams can make all the difference, and maybe even get a coach a singer they wouldn't have gotten otherwise. The veterans know this, and Nick Jonas looks to be catching on quickly as the Blind Auditions roll on.
Overall, Nick Jonas is giving every indication he really enjoys The Voice. Watch him talk about his first few days on the show with Jimmy Fallon, and joke about his fellow coaches below.
Right now it's too early to say who has an advantage in Season 18, but Nick Jonas is off to as strong a start as anyone else. With his passion and willingness to mentor young singers trying to reach super stardom, I think he has a real shot at being one of the rare coaches to win in their first season on The Voice.
The Voice airs on NBC Mondays at 8 p.m. ET. Continue to check CinemaBlend for updates on Season 18, and for the latest news happening in television and movies in general.
