Recently it was announced that Gwen Stefani would be stepping in for Christina Aguilera as mentor for the upcoming season of NBC’s hit series The Voice . As we reported Stefani is joining season 7 along with her friend and creative collaborator Pharrell Williams. Williams is set to replace Usher, or if you were checking out an earlier season, Cee Lo Green, who has decided not to return to the show.
Confirming the news was Christina Aguilera herself through her personal Twitter account. It wasn’t just an announcement but an endorsement of Gwen Stefani, which hasn’t really happened before from a coach on The Voice . Aguilera, who is currently pregnant with her second child, has ceremoniously handed the baton over to the No Doubt singer.
So excited to have you join #TheVoice squad @GwenStefani ! Welcome to our crazy fam! Kisses- xoxo #blondesdoitbest
— Christina Aguilera (@xtina) April 29, 2014
However, don’t get too used to Gwen Stefani as a vocal coach. Just like with Shakira, she will switch off with Aguilera. While Gwen will fill in for Aguilera for season 7, which will start taping in June, Aguilera will be returning for season 8 which is set to air in the spring of 2015. As for Shakira she will be touring and promoting her new album.
Before Christina Aguilera made the official announcement sources were already buzzing about the possibility of Gwen Stefani joining the panel with Adam Levine, Pharrell Williams, and Blake Shelton. Earlier a source told US Weekly that the “contract is now done.” An NBC representative was hesitant to confirm the news, “We haven’t made any decisions at this point.”
Now that the news is official, those who watch the show have a chance to celebrate the new arrival. Stefani will definitely shake things up on the panel as she has a long history in the music industry, spanning all the way back to the early 90s with her rock/pop group No Doubt. The band has been successful with curbing their sound to the popular genres throughout the years without ever compromising their own unique sound, which is something important for an artist to learn going into a competition like The Voice .
In addition she has a strong camaraderie with new panel expert Pharrell Williams. The two have known each other since 2002 when Williams was known for his producer’s hat with the Neptunes. The two collaborated together for No Doubt’s popular single “Hella Good” and reunited for the smash hit “Hollaback Girl” which was off of Stefan’s solo album. Two weeks ago the pair reunited at Coachella on stage, and received fantastic reviews, so there’s no doubt these two new additions will hit it off on The Voice .
[Image Credit: via Bing]