While American Idol may be looking at a complete judges-table overhaul, The Voice is going back to its original judges line-up for its upcoming fifth season this fall. Where does that leave Shakira and Usher? They'll be back for Season 6. Host Carson Daly has been confirmed to resume his duties for both of the upcoming seasons of the NBC singing competition.
NBC made the news official today, confirming the return of the four original judges (Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, Christina Aguilera and Cee Lo Green) while also ensuring that newcomers Shakira and Usher will be back in the spring.
“We locked in a plan several months ago to have the outstanding Christina Aguilera and CeeLo Green rejoin Blake and Adam for cycle 5, and we’re pleased to announce that the original four coaches are going to be back together in the fall,” said NBC's Paul Telegdy. “They’re the reason this show was launched so strong for the first three cycles and we owe them a debt of gratitude. And after careful consideration of everyone’s schedules for next spring, we are excited to be returning the current cycle of coaches — Shakira and Usher along with Blake and Adam — for cycle 6, which will premiere after the Winter Olympics.”
Confirmation of Aguilera and Cee Lo's return isn't exactly surprising news. When the two artists departed the show ahead of Season 4, it was announced that they were both taking sabbaticals to work on their music. So there was always the chance that we'd see them back. And that's the case, but it's not entirely at the expense of Shakira and Usher. The two artists did a fine job of taking over the roles of judges and mentors on the singing competition series, and their arrival served to change up the dynamic among those four red chairs. So, while it's good news to hear that Christina and Cee Lo are returning, it's also good news to hear that Shakira and Usher will return in the spring. Both artists are said to be planning upcoming albums, which they'll work on in the interim, and Usher has the film Hands of Stone going into production.
Switching around the judges on the panel not only allows the artists who want to work on their music the opportunity to do so - and stay current as musicians, which is always a good thing - it also freshens up the series. Unlike Idol and The X Factor, The Voice has been going twice a year. A little rotation among the judges could go a long way in holding viewers' interest from season to season.
