Coach Suggestions: What Would Mark Burnett Do?

[Mattipoo]

Pharrell will be a great coach. Not sorry to see Ceelo go. Does anyone know if they will be replacing Christina Aguilera as well since she is pregnant? If so, I would like to see Pink or Gwen Stefani take her place.

[Lily Adler]

So what other musicians do you guys think will make great coaches for the show? I personally believe Blake and Adam may need to take a break for a season or two. I would like a shake up for the panel eventually as long as the replacements have as much chemistry.

Edited April 12, 2014 by Lily Adler

[photo fox]

I really enjoyed what I saw of Chris Martin, and could easily see him as a replacement for Adam. He may be a bit too reserved for the Battles, though.

For a Blake fill-in, I submit Brad Paisley for consideration. He's funny, irreverent, and really knows his stuff. Plus, I'd love to see him rip a guitar solo on the Voice stage.

[Lily Adler]

I always wanted a female replacement for Blake. Jennifer Nettles or Reba McEntire would be great. :D

[photo fox]

Ooooh, Jennifer Nettles would be fun.

I've got so much respect for Reba. Like MAD respect. But as awesome as she is, I think she would annoy me no end as a coach.

[Mattipoo]

Chris Martin or the One Republic guy would be a good replacement for Adam. Maybe Billy Ray Cyrus can replace Blake Shelton? There are rumors of Jewel replacing Xtina too. I think she might be too country for the pop/Latin/female coach chair so I would hire Pink, Gwen Stefani or Fergie instead.

[kj4ever]

Jewel was fabulous on the sing off and gave some of the best critiques I have ever heard on shows like these.

I'd love to see Adam take some time off.  I could deal if Blake stayed, he's like the heart of the show, but the Adam/Blake stuff is just so old.  I really liked Chris Martin this season, and just for entertainment's sake I think it would be a blast to have Cher on as a coach.  That's it, replace Adam with Cher.  Why does it seem like there is some unwritten rule that there can only be one female coach anyway?

[Lily Adler]

I don't know how the Adam fans would react if he took a break for a season and was replaced by a female singer such as Cher. I would only welcome it if it wasn't another diva archetype musician since Xtina is ample in that department. I would want someone young and fresh to music kind of like what Simon did with Demi Lovato on The X Factor. Ariana Grande need a new gig once Sam and Cat gets inevitably cancelled or put on hiatus. :p

Edited April 16, 2014 by Lily Adler

[Lily Adler]

Only when Levine takes a break will I truly look forward to another season. Not that I don't hate him with the intensity of a thousand burning celestial bodies rather I tire of him and his tactics on the show. Blake is okay so long as he stops with that damn finger.

Edited April 19, 2014 by Lily Adler

[Kromm]

Rest Blake (who face it, even his biggest fans may be getting tired of him) for a season and have... Miranda take his seat.

Yes that means two women on the same panel.  America can deal with that, I promise!

 

If they rest Adam (not as annoying ever-present as Blake but getting close--since at least he's won less often), then try someone totally out of the box. I was thinking Bono, but his ego (and likely paycheck) is too big.  Any Rolling Stone or Beatle is similarly too expensive and likely too damn old. 

I dunno.  Billie Joe Armstrong maybe?  Would he be any good on camera in a format like this?  He guested on The Voice UK I recall.

Edited April 19, 2014 by Kromm

[photo fox]

If they have to pick one of the two, please ditch Blake over Adam.  Then, if they must fill their "quotas", at least there are plenty of FEMALE country singers to fill his seat with (including his own wife).

I'm not sure I agree. There's actually a dearth of female "superstars" in country right now, and has been for some time. Of the six women nominated for a CMA or ACM award for female vocalist in the past year, two - Kelly Clarkson and Sheryl Crow - aren't considered "country" by most country fans, and one - Kacey Musgraves - is nowhere near "superstar" status enough for this show (even though I love her).

That leaves Carrie Underwood, Taylor Swift, and Miranda. I can't imagine Taylor tying herself down to something like this, and I'm not sure Carrie would do a non-AI reality show. That leaves Miranda, whose music I like, but didn't impress me as a mentor. I didn't think her personality shone through at all.

I'd rather see Adam replaced with someone like Katy Perry, and sub in Brad Paisley for Blake. Or - gasp! - have two women and two black men on the panel, and put in Darius Rucker. His career isn't quite where it used to be with Hootie and the Blowfish, but the same could be said for Christina, Gwen, and Maroon 5 when this show started. He has solid credibility across multiple genres, and I love his voice.

[Mattipoo]

I think Darius Rucker is a good choice to replace Blake for the country spot. As for Adam, I think Billie Joe Armstrong, Chris Martin or the guy from One Republic sound like good replacements.

[Kromm]

I'm not sure I agree. There's actually a dearth of female "superstars" in country right now, and has been for some time. Of the six women nominated for a CMA or ACM award for female vocalist in the past year, two - Kelly Clarkson and Sheryl Crow - aren't considered "country" by most country fans, and one - Kacey Musgraves - is nowhere near "superstar" status enough for this show (even though I love her).

That leaves Carrie Underwood, Taylor Swift, and Miranda. I can't imagine Taylor tying herself down to something like this, and I'm not sure Carrie would do a non-AI reality show. That leaves Miranda, whose music I like, but didn't impress me as a mentor. I didn't think her personality shone through at all.

I'd rather see Adam replaced with someone like Katy Perry, and sub in Brad Paisley for Blake. Or - gasp! - have two women and two black men on the panel, and put in Darius Rucker. His career isn't quite where it used to be with Hootie and the Blowfish, but the same could be said for Christina, Gwen, and Maroon 5 when this show started. He has solid credibility across multiple genres, and I love his voice.

With female country stars you have a big back bench though.  If you limit it to ones that aren't TOO old (like Dolly Parton) you've still got the likes of Reba McEntire, Martina McBride, Shania Twain, Faith Hill, etc.  None of who are ideal, admittedly, I'm just saying that they could be sold as "current relevant" with about the same passion/conviction as Shakira (who face it... wasn't that relevant in the US anymore before coming back on The Voice, as big as she continued to be elsewhere in the world). 

Plus you also have non-solo artists (llke Kimberly Perry or Hillary Scott or Jennifer Nettles or if you go older and risk some displeasure from Bush family loyalists, Natalie Maines).

Also, I think you are shooting too high overall with thinking the show really has to (or even has) reached consistently for the top tier.  Neither Adam nor Cee Lo merited that before they were cast, and now (at least in the domestic market) there's Shakira.  Big stars, sure, but debatable as the "same" as Katy Perry (who, I'm sorry, the show would never get -- not until her career cools down significantly in a decade or so).

Edited April 22, 2014 by Kromm

[FormerMod-a1]

I'd love to see Jennifer Nettles.  I liked her on that failed Duets show, and she has a great voice.,

[photo fox]

I think you are shooting too high overall with thinking the show really has to (or even has) reached consistently for the top tier.  Neither Adam nor Cee Lo merited that before they were cast, and now (at least in the domestic market) there's Shakira.  Big stars, sure, but debatable as the "same" as Katy Perry (who, I'm sorry, the show would never get -- not until her career cools down significantly in a decade or so).

You have a point there - I remember promotion for the first season touting "country singer Blake Shelton" and "Maroon 5 front man Adam Levine" because they knew a lot of people wouldn't know those names. I guess I'm just thinking that at this point, if you're replacing Blake, who is a superstar now, you need to have someone at a similar level. (Katy Perry's just my wishful thinking.)

I like the idea of Kimberly Perry, or even Jennifer Nettles. They may not be household names, but their bands are. I think that in order to be a coach, you need to have a big, distinct personality, and I think they do. (As does Reba.) So many of the ladies of country are marketed as "sweet, wholesome" types, and I'm not sure how that would work in the blinds and with the steals. I'm afraid they'd end up being relegated to the background (as Cee Lo often was).

I'm admittedly probably overprotective of "Blake's" spot, even if his shtick gets somewhat old. Partly because he and I tend to favor the same contestants, but also because he appears to be the most invested in his top artists. He's helped launch at least a few people into legitimate careers, and I'd want to know that whoever is sitting in the "country" chair is willing to do the same.

[Kromm]

You have a point there - I remember promotion for the first season touting "country singer Blake Shelton" and "Maroon 5 front man Adam Levine" because they knew a lot of people wouldn't know those names. I guess I'm just thinking that at this point, if you're replacing Blake, who is a superstar now, you need to have someone at a similar level. (Katy Perry's just my wishful thinking.)

I like the idea of Kimberly Perry, or even Jennifer Nettles. They may not be household names, but their bands are. I think that in order to be a coach, you need to have a big, distinct personality, and I think they do. (As does Reba.) So many of the ladies of country are marketed as "sweet, wholesome" types, and I'm not sure how that would work in the blinds and with the steals. I'm afraid they'd end up being relegated to the background (as Cee Lo often was).

I'm admittedly probably overprotective of "Blake's" spot, even if his shtick gets somewhat old. Partly because he and I tend to favor the same contestants, but also because he appears to be the most invested in his top artists. He's helped launch at least a few people into legitimate careers, and I'd want to know that whoever is sitting in the "country" chair is willing to do the same.

I don't even know if it's Blake per se as much as the way the Country scene seems to work.  The Country music market, for some reason, seems to be very penetrable by Reality show contestants (all the way back to Miranda Lambert, or maybe even earlier).  The radio stations involved don't seem to hold back on radio play of records from those venues (whereas I've always gotten the impression it's an uphill battle with contemporary pop or rock stations to play other reality show winner's records).  A nice media outlet, CMT, exists to help market them, whereas the "rock" equivalents like MTV and VH1 barely exist to serve the music markets anymore.  Country fans still apparently frequently go to concerts (whereas that varies a lot with pop and rock fans), so those Country reality contestants have plenty of big name tours to tag along on right after their initial media exposure is over.

Not saying Blake doesn't go above and beyond as well, but he's in a more favorable circumstance to help out.  Possibly Usher might be in almost as good a position, I suppose, IF (and this is unlikely) an R&B artist in his stable of contestants won--although the weakness there is that Hip-Hop and Rap are the marketable aspects and if those contestants do any of that it never would get seen on The Voice anyway.

[Mattipoo]

I think Shania Twain, Faith Hill or even Leann Rhimes will make a good replacement for the country seat. They are well-known to people who don't usually follow country music and have been popular within the last decade or so.

[Lily Adler]

Rhimes lost a lot of respect for me after her performance on The X Factor.

[adhoc]

I want to chime in on this whole Coach Suggestions thread. Specifically, I want to point out why I think Adam and Blake are overdue for a "hiatus" from a season of the Voice.  And the "why" is because IMO, they are making the show too predictable, which I find boring.

The thing is, it's getting to the point where most of the best singers (3- and 4-chair turners) seem to go with Blake or Adam. Why not? Contestants see Blake and Adam as the two "tried and true" coaches. They produce winners. They have good track record. Plus Adam has the charm, and Blake has the Nashville connections, if the contestant's genre is country.

Frankly, though, I'm tired of hearing those two knuckleheads luring the contestants with how many times they've already won.

I often wonder how much better Shakira, say, would do if some of the 4-chair contestants were on her team and not Adam's or Blake's. It's easy to criticize her (as so many people have), but what if she had Delvin, Christine, Josh, Cessaundra?  I'm just saying.  The thing is, we never really get to know, IMHO. Because those contestants gravitate to "proven" coaches.

So, by the time we're headed into the finals, is anyone surprised that Adam and Blake's teams sail thru?

Anyway, that's the way I see it, FWIW.

As long as the show keeps Adam and Blake and just rotates out the other judges, it's just going to devolve into the same ol' same ol'.  Or as I like to think of it, "The Adam and Blake Show".

[Kromm]

Rhimes lost a lot of respect for me after her performance on The X Factor.

Well there are things in her personal life that might make her a hot potato too, at least for a network.

[Lily Adler]

Well yeah her personal life isn't all sunshine either, lol. I just thought she would never try to steal the spotlight from a young girl while possibly under the influence.

[HighQueenEB]

If I were picking a male country artist to replace Blake, I'd go with Tim McGraw or Brad Paisley.  Both of them are still churning out hits, plus they're quite funny and personable.  There aren't any female solo country artists that would be a good fit, I think.  As mentioned above, there just aren't a lot of relevant females in country music these days, and the ones that aren't named Miranda, Carrie and Taylor are members of bands.  Would Jennifer Nettles, Kimberly Perry or Hilary Scott be willing to commit to a full season of The Voice, knowing that it impacts not just them personally but their band mates as well? 

I have no suggestions for who should replace Adam, so I'll defer to the good judgment from those who have far more familiarity with pop music.

[pivot]

I am not a fan of Brad's at all. I think Luke Bryan could be a good fit to replace Blake. Miranda was a huge dud in her mentoring sessions with Shakira and she is really the only country female that I like enough to want to see week after week. Country expects female artists to be a little too fake for me. Miranda is the only one I can think of that just doesn't play that game.

[Lily Adler]

Nettles did do that show Duets on ABC a few years back. I think she would do another one. I loved her, Kelly, and John on that show. In fact, the only judge I didn't like was Robin Thicke because he was such an attention whore, especially when performing a duet. He would constantly over-sing and try to falsetto his ass off to gain the spotlight.

[pivot]

I don't see The Voice picking up leftover judges from other singing shows but I wouldn't mind seeing Kelly Clarkson on the show. She's got a great personality and voice plus she really knows her music.

[Lily Adler]

I love Kelly Clarkson and agree she would be great and her personality would help bring out the fun factor on the show. Her contestants on Duets started off rocky, but I did like Jason by the end. I just don't know if she would commit full time to this show.

Edited April 30, 2014 by Lily Adler

[photo fox]

I really like Luke Bryan's voice, and some of his music, but he can seem like an aging country frat boy at times.  He's the bro-iest of bro country.  He does have a lot of personality, though, he's camera-friendly, and he's good friends with Blake, so he might do it.  But then again, he might be really similar to Blake, for those who are tired of Blake.

 

Jennifer Nettles might do it, as she and Kristian Bush both do quite a bit of solo stuff outside of Sugarland.

[Lily Adler]

Oh I would GREATLY prefer Jennifer Nettles over Luke "Catfish Dinner, Winner, Winner" Bryan. I just don't like how stereotypically country he portrays himself.

[Mattipoo]

Maybe they can have a country group sitting together in a chair as one coach? How about Lady Antebellum or Florida Georgia Line?

[Kromm]

Maybe they can have a country group sitting together in a chair as one coach? How about Lady Antebellum or Florida Georgia Line?

I recall reading that some foreign version of The Voice did this (with a duo), but I really think it would be a bit of a mess here, since our version is all about the Coach Banter, and tossing an extra person or two in there would kinda come off as unbalanced, IMO.

[Lily Adler]

I'm going to go for a crazy choice, but how about Alanis?

[Kromm]

She might be a little ironic! Don't you think?

Edited May 2, 2014 by Kromm

[Lily Adler]

I see what you did there. =p She's improved greatly after Jagged Little Pill as a vocalist, but her timbre is still polarizing.

[Mattipoo]

Actually Alanis might be a good choice to replace Adam in the rock/pop coach chair, but of course they can only have 1 female coach per season so they will need to also hire a male, blonde pop star. Maybe Nick Carter from the Backstreet Boys.

[Lily Adler]

I think her and Gwen on the same panel would work very well. Gwen wasn't exactly edgy when she led No Doubt, so it wouldn't be redundant to have them both on there. Alanis Morissette, Pharrel Williams, Gwen Stefani, and Blake Shelton, I can see that panel working and breaking the "Boys Club, only one girl allowed" mentality this show has revered.

[Kromm]

Sigh.  It doesn't look like Blake or Adam are going anywhere.  

 

In Blake's case I think it's going to take either an act of Congress, or ten thousand people doing the wiggly finger point towards the studio door, to get his ass out of there.

[Lily Adler]

Kromm, on 04 May 2014 - 5:36 PM, said:

Sigh.  It doesn't look like Blake or Adam are going anywhere. 

In Blake's case I think it's going to take either an act of Congress, or ten thousand people doing the wiggly finger point towards the studio door, to get his ass out of there.

 

So the rumors of Adam leaving next season were proven false. =(

Edited May 5, 2014 by Lily Adler

[Kromm]

So the rumors of Adam leaving next season were proven false. =(

I suppose it could happen, but the reportage on Gwen Steffani and Pharell have specifically been saying they are there to take the Christina and Cee-Lo spots this Fall (with the reporting also saying Christina is STILL due back, just next year, whereas Cee-Lo is gone for good).

[Lily Adler]

The article posted in the Media thread indicated a speculative possibility that Adam may pursue a film career and take a sabbatical from The Voice like Christina. Of course it's just speculation, and personally I would love it if he took a break. I think it would "reset the balance" when picking coaches in the Blind Auditions.

[dbro]

Jewel was fabulous on the sing off and gave some of the best critiques I have ever heard on shows like these.

I'd love to see Adam take some time off.  I could deal if Blake stayed, he's like the heart of the show, but the Adam/Blake stuff is just so old.

 

Agreed!!! Loved Jewel on the "Sing Off" and either one of her co-judges, Shawn Stockman or Ben Folds, would more than suffice in filling Adam's spot 

[mercfan3]

I always liked the idea of Gaga as a coach.

 

She was fantastic on American Idol. Plus she's got that Cee Lo quirkiness too her. And she's a big name whose career isn't doing so hot so she'd consider it. 

 

I think Usher wants to come back too, so I can see a Usher/Christina/Blake/Adam S8 panel coming. I think that'll be interesting, if only because Usher evened out the score a bit with Adam and Blake last season. And Christina's got the advantage of being Christina...so I think the panel would be more evened out than with Cee Lo or Shakira there (where the top contestants just don't pick them.). I've got a feeling Gwen is going to be that coach this season. 

[Kromm]

I always liked the idea of Gaga as a coach.

 

She was fantastic on American Idol. Plus she's got that Cee Lo quirkiness too her. And she's a big name whose career isn't doing so hot so she'd consider it. 

Gaga's career isn't so hot?  I doubt there's a female artist who's career is hotter in recent years other than Katy Perry.  Admittedly her last album was something of a flop compared to the previous two, but it's early days on determining if that's a permanent career down-slide or not.

 

The profile of these shows has changed enough that Perry and Gaga will gladly guest star on any of them now, but I think there's zero chance that The Voice (or Idol) would ever be able to get either of them for a permanent coach/judge spot at this point.  Gaga would need another album or two being less and less enthusiastically received, and Perry would need to have any kind of career slow down at all (unlikely at this point--she's got her hit factory perfected).

 

You know who I've started to wonder might do one of these shows?  Madonna.  The big barrier is her 95 or so kids, and if they're being raised in a set environment (I'm actually totally confused if she and her pack live in London or LA now).  Sure there's no bigger all-time female star than her, but she IS at the stage where she has to generate attention artificially to get people to pay attention to her, so if she wanted one last career boost, something like The Voice or Idol would be within her scope now, finally.

[mercfan3]

They got Pharrell who is the hottest musical artist/producer right now. I don't think someone like Gaga is out of the question. 

 

By not so hot, i just mean that she's someone who could benefit from The Voice. And she's someone I think would be very good at it, and her personality would work. Plus, I think I just want to sit her next to Blake and watch that interaction. 

 

Madonna would be awesome. I wonder what her relationship with Carson Daly is. I've gotten the impression that the coaches picked originally were all friends of Carson's. Which to me made sense. He knows a lot of musicians, and would know who would be the right fit. (No way would he ever suggest Mariah Carey as a coach, for instance.) He said he babysat Usher and had followed Shakira's career from way early on. The show has it's own pull now, but I always got the sense that he was part of the pull early on..and likely still has a say in "fit."

Edited June 3, 2014 by mercfan3

[Kromm]

They got Pharrell who is the hottest musical artist/producer right now. I don't think someone like Gaga is out of the question. 

I think the difference is that Pharell is very hungry for exposure, whereas Gaga isn't.  Pharell has also built his career on collaboration, whereas when Gaga has done collabs it's almost seemed grudging.  Gaga is actually very old school in a surprising sense that she shapes her image around having a level of mystique--the way Madonna used to in fact.  Sure, they'll do documentaries and stuff about being behind their scenes at their tours, but it's all very controlled (and ultimately aimed at fostering that mystique, not dissolving it).  

 

I think the only reason Madonna might not insist on that anymore is simply because she's gotten so damn old that she'd need to be a lot more open-seeming to gain back any "Youth credit".

 

I will admit that Usher being on the show, probably more than anyone else, opened some doors, although a younger star like Nicki Minaj on Idol also helped (even though she turned out to be a total trainwreck and probably hurt her own career somewhat in the process).  Even with his current level of hipness, Pharell is not a totally unnatural progression from Usher, because he's from a music culture that doesn't really aim for that element of untouchable mystique anymore (and when you do, you wind up projecting being a douchebag instead, like Justin Bieber).

[Cramps]

I believe Madonna's raising her kids in NYC. I'd love to see Cher as a coach, but I think she'd be more comfortable as a judge than as a coach. Very different dynamic.

Looking forward to Gwen- not so much because I think she'll be an amazing coach, but because I'm hoping the show will bring in some more interesting alternative artists in the blinds for her to potentially choose.

[fluffysheap]

Option 1.  Send Adam away, move Gwen over to that chair (their music is different, but not THAT different), bring back Xtina.  Pharrell or Usher interchangeable.

Option 2.  Send Blake away, bring in Reba, Shania Twain, Faith Hill, or Martina McBride.  Reba's probably too old, Shania is actually pretty busy still, but she might do it.  I'd love to see Martina McBride, I think she'd be great.  I wasn't real impressed with Miranda as a guest mentor, so although she'd probably do it, I am not sure I'd want her.

Option 2+.  Also send Adam away and get Ryan Tedder or Chris Martin.

Option 3.  Send Pharrell away, bring in Alicia Keys or Jill Scott, who were both good as guest mentors.

Option 4.  Send Adam away and bring in Pink (if she'll do it) or Alanis (great idea!).  Pink would bring very, very much-needed honesty to the proceedings.  If somebody sucks, she'll let them have it.  Alanis is Canadian, but apparently the Canadian version of the show is French, so maybe she'd do the American version.

Option 4+.  Also send Blake away and get, who knows, let's say Brad Paisley or Tim McGraw but there are so many guys in this genre, it's really just whoever would do it and fit in.  I'd love to see Garth Brooks, though he's a bit older.  Brad Paisley I think would be more clued in when it comes to the non-country world, which is sort of a handicap for Blake.

Option 5.  Bring in a country-but-really-pop artist like Shania or Jewel and let them replace Adam, so there would be two country-flavored coaches.

 

Shakira's super fun, good performer, and obviously really smart, smarter I think than anybody else in the coach's chairs, but she doesn't seem to really "get" it in the strategy department.  She usually figures out the best thing to do, and then does the opposite.

 

Taylor Swift and Katy Perry are way, way too hot right now to accept a coaching gig.  You might as well ask for Madonna in 1988, or Jewel in 1997.  The Voice might not still be around in 7-10 years, but I wager there will be some sort of singing competition still on the air, and that's when they'll be at a stage of their career when they'd consider it.

 

I love Lady Gaga, but she's way too weird to be a coach.  Madonna would be great, but I doubt she'd do it, and would cost a fortune.  She's also a little old, the coaches are usually 30s-40s, and Madonna's pushing 60.

[Raja]

Nettles did do that show Duets on ABC a few years back. I think she would do another one. I loved her, Kelly, and John on that show. In fact, the only judge I didn't like was Robin Thicke because he was such an attention whore, especially when performing a duet. He would constantly over-sing and try to falsetto his ass off to gain the spotlight.

I think the timing was perfect for her going into Duets. She was pregnant and getting ready to launch her solo career. But with the way Blake broke out from Country to mainstream success I expect many will be willing to give it a shot for a season. As we have seen from ABC's two failed entries into the singing contest shows there are many both up and coming artist along with those who peaked a decade ago willing to give it a shot.

[ToxicUnicorn]

It was hard to decide where to put this - it might belong best in Christina's thread.  Ariana Grande for the win!  I think Voice fans will love this.

 

[mercfan3]

Christina did one too, but I actually think Ariana's were a little better. 

[DownTheShore]

That was great! Thanks for posting it!