Crazy. That’s what most people thought about Executive Producer Mark Burnett when he announced he’d launch another singing competition to take on the “American Idol.” juggernaut. Only fittingly was it then, when the coaches, not judges, of NBC’s “The Voice” — pop stars Christina Aguilera, Adam Levine, Cee Lo Green and country star Blake Shelton — decided to open the premier show with a rendition of a song all in the same. The foursome performed “Crazy” by Gnarles Barkley — of which Cee Lo is one half — to show contestants “just how it’s done.” The performance also seemed somewhat symbolic, as if the coaches were saying “Hey, we can have a successful singing show too. We’re not crazy for trying.”The premise and format of “The Voice” is different from “Idol.” There are three rounds: the Blind Auditions Round, the Battle Round and the Live Round. In the first round, which will air over the next month, the judges sit with their backs to the performers while the contestants perform behind them. If the judges like what they hear, they hit a button and spin around to view their potential teammate. If more than one judge turns around, it’s their job to sell the contestant on who would make a better coach for them, to fit their particular singing style.
There are some obvious pairings, such as folksy husband-wife duo Elenowen choosing Blake over Cee Lo; or Frenchie Davis (who was actually on “Idol” eight years ago, but was disqualified), the big girl with the pipes picking Christina over Adam. Then there are also some surprises, such as shy 16-year-old Xenia picking Blake over any of the pop stars for which her peers would go crazy; or the forty-something rock chic, Beverly, who chose Christina over Adam. So it will be interesting to see how the coaches and the contestants ultimately work together and collaborate their ideas.
Eventually, each coach carries a team of eight people into the battle round, where two people from the same team sing the same song and the coaches themselves have to decide who is eliminated from their own team.
Once each coach has only four players left, the viewers get to vote during the Live Round, where the 16 finalists compete against each other. Viewers will vote for one contestant from each team to be safe, leaving the coach to decide who they want to save from their team and who they will eliminate. In the end, the best contestant from each team — the final four — will compete against each other for a $100,000 recording contract.
Sounds intriguing, but what makes “The Voice” better than the competition? For one, the judges are relevant and still making hits. They’re fresher, hipper and funnier than the “Idol” panel. The banter between Queen Bee Christina and Salesman-like Adam is great — heck the banter between all four coaches is great, especially when they’re all vying for the same contestant. It shows that they can all get along, set ego aside and are really there to make someone into a great star.
What’s also great about the show is there is no age limit. On this week’s premier, a 56-year-old woman from New Jersey sang and I was outwardly surprised at her voice, which ties into the whole concept of simply hearing a voice just for the voice, and not judging someone for what they look like. That’s what I love about this show. We all know a lot of pop stars simply got their start because of their looks alone, but with the “The Voice” the focus is shifted to vocal ability alone. There’s no ‘Well, she’s pretty and can sing half-decently, so we’ll put her through.’ With “The Voice” it’s all about the talent, and that’s why contestants need to bring their ultimate A-game to the table.
Oh, and I can’t forget Carson Daly. He landed hosting duties, and I have to admit, I enjoy seeing him back doing what he does best. Daly knows his stuff, music-wise — after hosting MTV’s “TRL” for four years, and “Last Call with Carson Daly” for over nine years, Daly’s got the hosting gig down and comes across as a genuinely nice-guy when he’s interacting with the families of the contestants. His personality isn’t too overwhelming like a certain “Idol” host who seems to always turn the focus on himself rather than the contestants. Daly supports the contestants and wants to see them do well, and you can see that.
I have a gut feeling “The Voice” will slowly surpass “Idol” as the dominant singing show, despite the success that J-Lo and Steven Tyler are having with the revitalization of “Idol.” After all, Burnett has a track record penning such hits as “Survivor” and “The Apprentice.” So here’s hoping “The Voice” does well and, if so, the coaching panel sticks around for a few seasons.
They’d be crazy not to.
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