Pharrell & Stefani Out: ‘The Voice’ Renews With Keys & Cyrus

Fresh out of two heartbreaking tragedies for The Voice, the franchise is moving ahead with plans for its next season and has added new faces to the lineup with Alicia Keys and Miley Cyrus sitting is as judges on the hit television show.

This isn’t the first time the show has changed judges. For many viewers, part of the draw is the revolving door of artists who have served as judges; however, this will be the first season two females simultaneously take on the notorious judges chair and join Blake Shelton and Adam Levine as judges.

“We think the heart of it is those two guys and their relationship,” said NBC Entertainment chair Bob Greenblatt during the Television Critics Association summer press tour.

Fans of the show may recall the rocky tension that became celebrity news fodder between judge Levin and Season 10 mentor Miley Cyrus. Hopefully, with both serving as judges, those differences will serve the show well and can bring the show some life it didn’t have before.

“I think she’ll probably work hard at this because she’s definitely someone who thinks, obviously, thinks outside the box and so I know she’s going to bring her own elements,” Shelton told Access Hollywood.

Alicia Key’s participation in the show will likely make the competition more palatable for fans of R&B. While the show is still a top one for the NBC network, it’s rating slipped slightly, signaling a time to change things with its format. The addition of a powerhouse talent like Keys may be part of the answer to staying atop the season show ratings.

Keys is known primarily for her smoky vocals, smooth piano skills, and strong songwriting abilities. Being this type of triple-threat will likely be a draw for The Voice contestants who have the option of choosing her as a judge. Add to that the list of possibilities Keys will bring to the show when it’s time for her to choose mentors and fans of the show have a lot to look forward to. Keys also served as a mentor on the show, so she knows what it takes to win and that could prove to be valuable to her and valuable to the show’s ratings.

The dynamic between Keys and Cyrus will be one to watch on The Voice. For Shelton and Levin, their bromance has made network hard-hitter one to watch. Perhaps fans can expect the same between Keys and Cyrus and maybe even a little bit of competition for approval from fans, given that both are new to the show.

Supporters of The Voice haven’t wavered in their die-hard love of the show. In its first 10 seasons, the singing competition has ranked No. 1 in 52-week seasons in the 18-49 demographic, according to Greenblatt. With such major changes to the judges’ chair lineup, that kind of support is what the show will need to continue to move forward as one of the most beloved live reality singing shows.

While The Voice no longer has to contend with its primary rival, American Idol, it still has to contend with viewers eventually feeling the show getting stale. This new format could address that problem and improve viewership for one of the network’s most beloved shows. Executives at NBC see this as a good thing.

“If I can compare it to a scripted show, you have your series regulars that you love… and then we have this revolving family,” said Greenblatt.

The Voice will air on September 19 on NBC at 8/7c. This will be Season 11 for the show.

[Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images]