I Did Not Expect Kelsea Ballerini To Replace Blake Shelton As Adam Levine’s Rival On The Voice, But The Maroon 5 Singer Knew It ‘Instantly’

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Once word got out that Adam Levine was set to rejoin The Voice for Season 27 in the 2025 TV lineup, fans started speculating about how this could occur without Blake Shelton. After all, their rivalry had become such a significant part of NBC’s singing competition during its initial 16 seasons. I must admit, I never anticipated that Kelsea Ballerini would be the one to challenge Levine’s ego, but it seems he quickly identified her as his latest adversary.

This season’s chemistry among The Voice coaches is delightful; they even have a shared group chat! Much like Adam Levine and Blake Shelton quickly became friends during Season 1 in 2011, Adam Levine developed a quick rapport with Kelsea Ballerini when they first met during Season 27. According to People, he shared this.

We got along famously instantly — like a nice, friendly, sweet version of when I met Blake.

Yet, it was during their first collaboration with John Legend and Michael Bublé for a coaches’ performance that Adam Levine truly understood the caliber of his collaborators. He admitted he tends to become somewhat reserved when singing in ensembles, expressing, “I get lost in my emotions, I retreat slightly.” However, Kelsea Ballerini reportedly disagreed with this approach, as Levine later shared.

In a different take of the song, we prepared it for the coaches’ performance. Afterward, she glanced at me and said something like, ‘Hey, are you going to fake liking us?’ I found that remark hilarious, spot-on, and fantastic – instantly forming a bond because I appreciate someone who isn’t afraid to tease me a bit.

Kelsea Ballerini mentioned that she was taken aback by how well she and Adam Levine meshed together, even though Blake Shelton had cautioned her about the Maroon 5 frontman being harsh and unkind. However, contrary to this warning, Ballerini described Levine as “pleasant,” but that doesn’t prevent her from occasionally poking fun at him.

During the second round of Knockouts, she playfully admitted that she hadn’t heard Season 27 contestant Divighn’s rendition of Maroon 5’s “Harder to Breathe” before. Later, on the episode airing April 14, she poked fun at a phrase Adam Levine used to praise Olivia Kuper Harris’ interpretation of “Last Dance,” jesting about it.

As Adam would say, in very caveman terms, ‘Big-time wow.’

This situation reminds me of the past conflicts between Blake Shelton and Adam Levine, which I wouldn’t have expected to arise from Kelsea Ballerini. To be honest, I thought John Legend might be more likely to engage in a rivalry, considering the speculation that he played a role in Adam’s departure from The Voice after Season 16, given his status as an EGOT winner.

Although it might seem surprising, it’s far from unwanted. In fact, I find the bond between Adam Levine and Kelsea Ballerini quite delightful, and I can’t wait to witness its growth further as Season 27 heats up with more competition.

On the 21st of April coming up, we have a recap episode airing, followed by the start of the Playoffs on NBC at 8 PM ET on the 28th of April. These playoffs will be streaming the next day with a Peacock subscription, and it’s interesting to note that each team initially consisting of five members will be narrowed down to just two. I’m really looking forward to finding out who will emerge victorious!

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2025-04-15 06:37