Niall Horan imitates Blake Shelton's southern twang in 'The Voice' promo: Watch

Edward Segarra, USA TODAY
·2 min read
2
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

Niall Horan is bringing some humor to his friendly competition with Blake Shelton on "The Voice."

Horan appeared alongside Shelton and fellow coaches Kelly Clarkson and Chance the Rapper during a first-look promo for the NBC singing competition's 23rd season published Wednesday.

The One Direction alum playfully took aim at Shelton's signature southern accent in an impersonation of the country singer.

"This is my last season on 'The Voice,' and I would be honored if you were to be on the last-ever team Blake," said Horan with a twang, poking fun at Shelton’s impending departure from the show after Season 23.

Watch his impersonation below:

Getting in on the lighthearted smack talk, Shelton asked the first-time coach if he plans on taking a page from Clarkson’s coach playbook and "act like you know something about country music" during the show’s blind auditions.

"Yeah, I am," Horan replied. "That's my strategy to beat Kelly Clarkson. Every time you turn, I'm going with you."

But Shelton didn’t seem to be fazed by Horan’s rookie confidence.

"Do you think I’ve got a chance of beating you in your final season?" Horan asked, to which Shelton replied, "No. I would elaborate, but no."

New coach Niall Horan, left, playfully took aim at Blake Shelton’s signature southern accent during a first-look promo for Season 23 of "The Voice."
New coach Niall Horan, left, playfully took aim at Blake Shelton’s signature southern accent during a first-look promo for Season 23 of "The Voice."

Shelton, who has appeared on “The Voice” for the series’ entire run since 2011, announced his departure from the show in October.

"I’ve been wrestling with this for a while, and I’ve decided that it’s time for me to step away from ‘The Voice’ after Season 23," Shelton said in a statement at the time. "This show has changed my life in every way for the better, and it will always feel like home to me."

He has also coached the most winning contestants on the show. These nine contestants include: Jermaine Paul of Season 2, Cassadee Pope of Season 3, Danielle Bradbery of Season 4, Craig Wayne Boyd of Season 7, Sundance Head of Season 11, Chloe Kohanski of Season 13, Todd Tilghman of Season 18, Cam Anthony of Season 20 and Bryce Leatherwood of Season 22.

'This show has changed my life': Blake Shelton set to leave 'The Voice' after 23 seasons

'They really take care of me': Camila Cabello talks bonding with 'The Voice' coaches

Contributing: Charles Trepany, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Niall Horan impersonates Blake Shelton's accent in 'The Voice' promo