16 country music stars that could replace Blake Shelton on ‘The Voice’ [PHOTOS]
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
In case you haven’t heard, season 23 of “The Voice” will be Blake Shelton‘s last. Blake has been one of four coaches on the long-running singing competition series since it began in 2011. He is not only the longest-tenured coach at the full 23 seasons so far, but also boasts the most wins with nine, including in season 22 with Bryce Leatherwood. Needless to say, Blake’s red chair, cowboy boots, and alcohol-filled cup (allegedly) will be hard to fill by anyone else, but there must be a replacement. We think the void can only be filled by someone with enough country music cachet to match Blake’s and so we’ve compiled a list of 16 industry stars that would fit the bill. Scroll through our gallery of potential Blake replacements above (or click here for direct access).
SEE ‘The Voice’: Every Team Blake Shelton winner ranked from worst to best
More from GoldDerby
Topping our list is obviously Miranda Lambert. Not only was she once married to Blake, but Miranda was a guest advisor to Team Blake on season 2, again to Team Shakira on season 6, and like coaches Kelly Clarkson, Jennifer Hudson, Niall Horan, and Camila Cabello also competed in a singing competition show before — she placed third on the first season of “Nashville Star” in 2003. Similarly, Carrie Underwood (season 4 winner of “American Idol”) or Morgan Wallen (season 6 alum for Team Adam Levine) would bring similar experience to help the vocalists navigate the competition.
If experience is what we’re after, then perhaps Kelsea Ballerini, Kane Brown, Jimmie Allen or Thomas Rhett would also make sense. Kelsea first appeared on the show as a fifth coach during the season 15 “Comeback Stage” twist, returned in season 16 as guest advisor to Team Kelly, and then sat in as coach for an absent Kelly during the season 20 battles round. Kane taught under Blake’s tutelage as his guest advisor on season 19, Jimmie was Blake’s last guest advisor on season 22, and Thomas was the guest advisor to Team Kelly on season 15.
SEE Team Blake Shelton: ‘The Voice’ Season 23 photos, bios, artist rankings
Yet even still, there is one name that would tower above the rest in terms of experience on the show and the wealth of country music industry experience and that is the legend pick, Reba McEntire. Reba was the first ever guest advisor to Team Blake on season 1, returned in season 8 to help all that teams on their top 12 performances, and is serving as the season 23 mega mentor during the knockouts. Reba also has a connection to Kelly, who is likely to remain a coach, through personal relationships as well as many projects they worked on together, including a joint tour.
If the show isn’t willing to go the legend route, it’s likely that they’ll appeal to fans of current country music with newer names like Carly Pearce, Sam Hunt, Luke Combs, or Cody Johnson, all of whom have had breakouts in the industry in the last few years. Tyler Hubbard might be the most relevant choice to make, considering he debuted with his first solo album in 2023 and would also bring with him the recognition of being a member of country duo Florida Georgia Line.
Like Tyler, artists with well-established careers in the country scene who have broken out into the wider consciousness would appeal to an audience wider than just country fans. Kacey Musgraves had a big year in 2019 when her country album “Golden Hour” won Album of the Year at The Grammys and Maren Morris has also been a multiple Grammy nominee in the country categories, including her three nominations in 2023. Maren recently made headlines by taking a stand against Tennessee’s anti-drag performer legislation with a concert in Nashville. Chris Stapleton has the most crossover appeal of the entire group perhaps, ever since his breakout moment performing “Tennessee Whiskey” with Justin Timberlake during the 2015 CMAs. That song has been covered many times on “The Voice” and Chris most recently had the opportunity to sing the National Anthem at the 2023 Super Bowl.
SIGN UP for Gold Derby’s free newsletter with latest predictions
Launch Gallery: 'The Voice': 16 country music stars that could replace Blake Shelton
Best of GoldDerby
Sign up for Gold Derby's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
