Things are going to look a little different when the coaches take to the Big Red Chairs on The Voice’s 25th season. One chair has been replaced with a two-seated operation, ready to welcome the NBC competition’s first coaching duo, as country-pop singers Dan + Shay join the fun. But before you go thinking that two heads are better than one and the rookies might have an advantage over The Voice’s other coaches, Dan + Shay revealed why tag-teaming actually might not work in their favor.
Already Dan + Shay will be the only first-timers when Carson Daly kicks off auditions for The Voice Season 25 on February 26, as they join veteran John Legend and second-time mentors Reba McEntire and Chance the Rapper. Dan Smyers further explained on TODAY that having to consult with each other before turning for an artist may actually give their competition an edge. He said:
Honestly I think it puts us at a little bit of a disadvantage. I gotta put that out there into the atmosphere, in case John turns around faster and uses it against us. Because we’re sitting there, kind of like trying to give each other, like, ‘Are you digging this?’
None of the other coaches have to consult with anybody before hitting their buttons, which means they could, in theory, turn faster than Dan + shay. And any fan of The Voice has seen how often the mentors use the “I turned first” argument in trying to draw singers to their teams.
It sounds like another issue has popped up when one member of the coaching duo may not be feeling a particular artist, as Shay Mooney admitted that he and Dan Smyers have sometimes forgotten they’re mic’d up when expressing any less-than-favorable opinions to each other about one of the hopefuls. Smyers continued:
We’re in there, like, ‘I don’t know about this one.’ Then you meet the family after [and they say], ‘What do you mean you don’t know about their voice? That’s my son!’ We do have to have some hand signals, because we’re not used to doing the TV thing. This is our first time. There’s cameras everywhere.
It’s true that Reba McEntire, John Legend and Chance the Rapper can think whatever they want about the contestants’ performances without consequence, because they don’t have to voice any negative opinions to a partner. This aspect of the coaching duo is actually pretty intriguing to me, and I’d be here for a little drama on The Voice or some more honest critiquing like we saw from McEntire last season.
In all seriousness, that does sound like a potentially tricky situation for Dan + Shay, and hand signals are probably a good idea, since viewers are going to be scrutinizing every facial expression and whisper exchanged between the pair.
Dan + Shay made a guest appearance on Season 24, as they filled in for a touring Niall Horan, and it didn’t seem like the three-time Grammy winners had the potential to bring much drama. However, after these comments, this coaching duo situation might make for an interesting dynamic I hadn’t anticipated.
We’ll find out soon enough, with The Voice Season 25 kicking off at 8 p.m. ET February 26-27 on NBC and can be streamed the next day with a Peacock subscription. Be sure to also check out our 2024 TV schedule to see what other premieres are coming soon.
