The Voice has been renewed for a season 7 as season 6 wraps up on May 20.
What’s unclear is which judges/coaches will be there for the next season.
This season, Usher, Shakira, Adam Levine, and Blake Shelton were the coaches.
The futures of Usher and Shakira are up in the air as neither will be back for season 7.
Gwen Stefani and Pharrell Williams are slated to replace them.
“I think being at The Voice has been not only a greater connection to my fans and for people who know I guess now a little bit more about my process as an artist and mentor…if there’s an opportunity to be here, I'd love to,” Usher told E! News this week.
“It is a little bit too early to say where I’m going to land. Right now I’m going to be focused on my new album.”
Shakira sounded more sure that she will not return for a while, if ever.
“I am going to miss them…I am sure that I am going to miss them, but that’s just life, things change. I have to go back to my career,” Shakira said.
“I have to prepare my tour, I have to go on tour, I have to be a mom. So many things to juggle, but it’s been a complete blast, an amazing experience.”
“I might come back,” she said. “For now it’s just about the music I want to make and promote.”
As for Levine and Shelton, they appear to be coming back. They’re the only coaches who have had singers win (at least prior to the season 6 winner being announced).
Regarding the other main judges, Christina Aguilera will come back in season 8, while Cee Le Green said that he won’t be returning to the show ever again.
Williams and Stefani are both excited about the opportunity to join.
“This is going to be so fun,” Williams said.
As for a projected premiere date, they have been all over the place. Season 6 premiered on February 24, but basically ever other season premiered in September. It’s possible that the show will premiere on September 16, September 23, or September 30.
