The Voice Season 17 premiered on Monday and it was the reality show’s first season without veteran coach Adam Levine, who quit following last season's finale. Levine, who is the lead singer of Maroon 5, was replaced by No Doubt singer and returning coach Gwen Stefani. Like his former co-star Blake Shelton, Levine had been a staple of The Voice since it premiered in 2011. So, it was more than a little strange to not have him on the show and, unsurprisingly, fans took notice of his absence.
Returning for Season 17 was Kelly Clarkson who was sitting in Adam Levine’s old chair and Blake Shelton noted that made her act possessed, declaring, "You have to go for the jugular if you're in that seat.” Fans also noticed the new seating arrangement and took to Twitter to express their feelings surrounding the loss of Levine’s presence on the show.
Another fan noted that they’re trying to keep an open mind, but The Voice just isn't The Voice now that Adam Levine is gone.
The void is one that many fans felt, and many shared the following viewer's sentiments about wanting Adam Levine to return to The Voice at some point.
Some even missed the way Adam Levine often hit his button for the acts that no one else turned around for.
Of course, even though the majority of posts seemed to be in the Maroon 5 frontman's favor, not every The Voice fan is sad about Adam Levine’s departure from the show. Some of them are thrilled about the current format of the NBC show, and don’t miss Levine at all.
After eight years and 16 seasons, Adam Levine left The Voice last spring, and there has been no confirmation as to why his exit was so abrupt, though there are plenty of rumors. The singer had already been announced as a returning coach for Season 17, but he officially stepped back after the end of Season 16, and the news shocked all of the fans who had been with the show since the beginning. And for the most part, it looks like many viewers out there are still feeling the blow.
Ahead of Season 17, Gwen Stefani, who had been a coach in Season 7 and Season 12 of The Voice, was announced as Adam Levine’s replacement. Not that Levine’s time on the competition show was the smoothest of sailing there in the end. Although he and Blake Shelton seemed to have a good offscreen relationship, Levine's frustrations with the show started getting directed at the country singer onscreen, with Levine's jokey comments coming off harshly, which set viewers off during Season 16.
Fans began calling for Adam Levine to be fired from The Voice for his comments, just as they did after Levine had previously left former team member DeAndre Nico out in the cold to help another contestant. His actions shocked fans, adding fuel to a fire that seemed to have been growing for awhile. Additionally, the singer himself had grown incredibly and noticeably grumpy over recent seasons, and there were the rumors about Levine embarrassing the executives at NBC during May’s Upfronts that piled onto the reasons for leaving the show behind.
Whether or not Adam Levine actually returns to The Voice remains to be seen, but viewers will just have to face Season 17 without him. The Voice airs Monday and Tuesday nights on NBC at 8:00 p.m. ET.
