Blake Shelton Reveals ’The Voice’ Issue That He Hopes Won’t Impact ’The Road’

Blake Shelton left one singing competition show (The Voice), only to help create and star on a whole new one (The Road) two years later. But while The Voice has failed to produce any superstar, chart-topping singers, Shelton is confident that The Road will see different results.

While hosting Country Countdown USA, Shelton pointed out that the contestants on The Road are already established artists who are playing original songs for their performances on the show, so their music is accessible for viewers who want to support them.

“I think we found stars,” he explained. “Because they will perform an original song. Some of those original songs will take off and go viral, whether they win or not. Their music will be available when the show airs, so they won’t have to wait for the end of the show to buy their music.”

The “Honeybee” singer also opened up about why he thinks The Voice has had trouble producing lasting talent. “By the time the artist wins the show, [the TV people] have already moved on to the next season,” Shelton shared. “But also, that show was more about the coaches, and that’s why it was so popular. [It’s] not as much [focused] on the artists.”

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Indeed, a big drawing point of The Voice is the dynamic of the four superstar coaches who sit in the big red chairs each season. But that’s not to say that there’s not some star power on The Road. In addition to Shelton, the show also stars Keith Urban, who the artists open for while out on the road, and Gretchen Wilson, who serves as a tour manager and mentor to the contestants.

Shelton was previously a coach on The Voice for 23 season from 2011 to 2023. He left the show to focus on his family and music career, but eventually teamed up with Taylor Sheridan to create The Road.

The Voice, Season 28, Mondays, 9/8c, NBC

The Road, Season 1, Sundays, Check Local Listings, CBS