By Donna Freydkin, USA TODAY
Christina Aguilera never aspired to be in your living room.
By Matthew Rolston, NBC
Pop singer Christina Aguilera says she knows what it's like to be a contestant: She was on Star Search as a child.
By Matthew Rolston, NBC
Pop singer Christina Aguilera says she knows what it's like to be a contestant: She was on Star Search as a child.
Though she appeared on the All New Mickey Mouse Club as a child, she has been focused on music since then.
"I don't watch a lot of (television). I can't even say that I've actually seen a full episode of the other musical shows that are out there such as American Idol," she says.
Still, the diminutive singer with the supersized pipes is one of four musicians headlining NBC's The Voice, one of this season's most heavily promoted vocal competitions. The show, which premieres Tuesday (9 p.m. ET/PT), stars Aguilera, Cee Lo Green, Maroon 5's Adam Levine and Blake Shelton as tunesmiths who work with contestants to bring out their inner, well, Aguileras and Greens.
"We know what it's like to get up on that stage. I was even a contestant on Star Search years ago (as a child). For me, I know what it's like to be them," Aguilera says. "One of the reasons I was hesitant about doing a show like this was because I wanted to make sure I was a part of something very positive and not negative just for television's sake. I wanted to bring positivity and a really honest perspective."
She and her fellow celebrity coaches are entering a packed programming playlist, in which singing contests are as prolific as the wannabe crooners who audition for them. There's the revamped American Idol, the stalwart hit that now features the musical guidance of Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler. American Idol's acid-tongued former critic Simon Cowell is bringing his much-hyped show The X Factor to Fox, already home to Idol, this fall and has booked Mariah Carey as one of the judges. CMT's Next Superstar, executive-produced by Idol's Nigel Lythgoe, focuses on country performers. And Bravo's Platinum Hit, starring former Idol umpire Kara DioGuardi and singer Jewel, premieres May 30.
But harmonious stylings aside, The Voice, says executive producer Mark Burnett, has as much in common with Idol as William Hung has with Kelly Clarkson. His series isn't about showcasing the hopeless or humorous.
"Idol has great comedy in the early rounds when they find the bad singers. I was clear that we're not doing that," Burnett says. "There won't be any criticizing of the poor people up there. It's a singing contest, but it's very fresh. It doesn't seem like a copy."
Will viewers take note? It could go either way, says Andy Dehnart, editor of RealityBlurred.com.
"The public's appetite for these kinds of competition shows is pretty high, but at the same time, it's been proven over the years that copycats don't work. Shows that clone American Idol don't work," he says. "But The Voice has a different kind of formula and has some big talent associated with it, so I'd be surprised if people didn't tune in at first to see what it's like."
Christina Aguilera
The singer has been through a turbulent year. Her 2010 album, Bionic, underwhelmed, as did her movie debut, Burlesque. She flubbed the national anthem during a Super Bowl performance and fell on stage at the Grammys. And she separated from her husband, Jordan Bratman.
"The last year has probably, with the divorce and considering everything that's gone on, has humbled me a little bit," she says with a laugh.
Aguilera says The Voice represents a new beginning for her in every sense. The concept of the show intrigued her and took her back to why she started singing. "Being in this business for quite a few years now, sometimes you do take things for granted. I've had my ups and I've had my downs. You have to take the good with the bad in this business. It gets me back to the root of why I got into this business, and that's real, raw talent," says Aguilera, 30.
The show films in Los Angeles and has allowed Aguilera to stay near her son, Max, 3, and record her new album. The next release, Aguilera says, will focus on her personal evolution.
"For this one, I really want to make a real rooted, heartfelt record. After someone goes through the things that I have, regarding a divorce, there's a lot of emotions that are stirred," she says.
Aguilera, whose towering talent has never been questioned, says she keeps right on going, even when things get tough.
"I prove to myself that I'm stronger than just to let things take over me, and take over my head space," Aguilera says. "I'm very honest with myself in seeing if there are things that I need to change about my life, or if there are things I need to do stepping forward.
"That's in part why I got the divorce. It's a new beginning for me. It's all positivity for me. I've been through some hard things, but I'm on the up and up. "
The advice she would most want to impart to the contestants she's coaching on her team? To always follow your gut and focus on why you're making music. It's not about the freebies or the fame.
"There's so much in the media and in the press, opportunities to get swayed. That's why I stay so far away from reading anything about myself.
"I love to sing. It's what moves me and inspires me. To be able to do that is a gift."
Maroon 5's Adam Levine
By Matthew Rolston, NBC
Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine says that if "things don't get stupid, it will be a really classy show."
The charismatic lead vocalist of the Los Angeles-based rock group was leery of venturing into reality television, given the genre's less-than-prestigious connotations.
"I was extremely wary. It's not something I would necessarily endorse. Clearly there was money involved, and there's a lot at stake. It's a risk in some ways because you don't know what you're getting yourself into," says Levine, 32.
He says he's in it for the right reasons, and he promises viewers a worthwhile experience. "We're doing this because we want these people to succeed based on their talent and our ability to help them. If that remains and things don't get stupid, it will be a really classy show."
Plus, the singer says, "this is a good opportunity to show that I have a brain and a personality."
And while he and his fellow coaches know when something works, or doesn't, there's no recipe for cooking up a superstar. It's a question of being in the right place at the right time. Of pairing the right song with the right person.
"Life is so circumstantial. You need to see something in the right way. If someone had a cold, just got into argument and was nervous ? there are so many variables. The stars need to align for that person in that moment. It has nothing to do with technical ability. It's about a moment being captured," he says.
The lesson he'd impart on his pupils is as straightforward as Levine is himself. It's something he learned from another songwriter, whom he won't name, years ago: "Don't sell your publishing. When you're broke and someone waves money in your face, it's easy to say yes. If you believe in what you're doing ? you should wait. As shallow as that sounds, it has a lot of depth. "
Cee Lo Green
By Matthew Rolston, NBC
Cee Lo Green says he'll be tough, professional and persistent.
The idiosyncratic performer, 36, whose hit F ??? You was ubiquitous last year, says his TV endeavor is a way to build "a r�sum� and reference sheet in a diverse career."
He's no catty Cowell when it comes to his team.
"I'm tough. I'm professional. I'm persistent. I'm consistent with being passionate, with constructive criticism and with care. I do care. We have built a bond between us in a very short amount of time. It's a special moment. I would never be tough and nasty with someone I care about. I'll be honest."
Green tends to talk in circles and give circuitous answers to questions. His own mentors throughout his career?
"I had a few. I'm inspired by everything and everyone. There's validity in all expression. Luck is alive. It knows whether or not you appreciate it or not. I had many surrogate fathers. I have a father in James Brown, in Al Green. I have a brother in Billy Joel. We are family. We are a community. I am Destiny's Child."
One person he does consider a friend is Gwyneth Paltrow, who performed the sanitized version of Green's hit (Forget You) on Glee.
He says the actress is a "great" singer and an equally good person. "I hear she's about to record an actual album. If she needs my help, all she has to do is call. She's a very cool girl. Very cool," Green says.
Green was previously best-known as one-half of the duo Gnarls Barkley. He has learned the ropes, so what advice would he share with up-and-comers?
"The more you come to the table with, the less you have to ask for. And at all costs, be yourself."
Blake Shelton
By Matthew Rolston, NBC
Country singer Blake Shelton says he is looking forward to an opportunity to encourage others.
The country singer, 34, doesn't edit himself when asked about his decision to appear on a network music competition. He just wasn't that into it.
"I was turned off a little by Idol and X Factor. There's judges sitting there, and America rips on" competitors, Shelton says. "I realized (The Voice is) a show where we actually have the opportunity to help and encourage and not just be mean and make fun of somebody."
His own style is matter-of-fact and encouraging, but also candid. He's not out to alter anyone's personality, or destroy their dreams of being the next Carrie Underwood.
"I want America to hear the best vocalists out there who maybe are a little bit bashful. I want them to be heard because they're great. If I'm offering someone some advice and taking the time to do it, they can either take it or leave it," Shelton says. "I don't want anyone to say I didn't try and do my part."
Shelton himself has relied on country legend Reba McEntire for guidance. He admires adaptability.
"She's constantly reinventing herself. She keeps it interesting for her and her fans, and she stays true to what she wants to do," he says. "In country, we buddy up with somebody. You're inside each other's lives a little bit, and you see how people handle situations."
Another inspiration: his betrothed, fellow country star Miranda Lambert.
As for their upcoming wedding, they've agreed on the entertainment: country singer Neal McCoy.
"Whatever genre you listen to, there's no way you can go to a Neal McCoy concert and not be entertained," Shelton says.
The best guidance he has received came from Richie McDonald, one-half of the country duo Lonestar. "I'd been doing this for about eight months, and I'd had a big hit, and I was living it up. He pulled me aside and told me: 'Slow down, sleep at night, wake up and enjoy this. Don't let it be a blur to you when you look back,' " Shelton says. "That was great advice. I didn't take it. But he was exactly right."
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