It’s not easy to imagine someone else filling Blake Shelton‘s well-worn seat on The Voice. But the show does need to find a replacement for him later this year — and TVLine readers have some suggestions.
Earlier this month, we asked who you’d like to see take Shelton’s place on the NBC singing competition, now that he plans to exit when Season 23 concludes. And while Shelton, in theory, is an irreplaceable staple of the show, it seems there are quite a few country music stars who would be equally welcome on Voice viewers’ TV screens.
To be fair, it wasn’t only the country genre represented by your picks: Rock band frontmen like Jon Bon Jovi and Billie Joe Armstrong were proposed, as were pop icons like Lizzo and Lady Gaga. But it should come as no surprise that the names of country music legends filled our comments section, and we’ve collected the 10 most common suggestions in the list below.
Plus, during its 23 seasons on the air, The Voice has already recruited several of these hypothetical picks to serve as Team Blake’s Battle Round advisor — so we know they’d get Shelton’s endorsement! Keep scrolling to see who you most want as Shelton’s Voice replacement, then drop a comment with your thoughts!
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Maren Morris
Image Credit: Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for iHeartRadio Though Morris doesn’t currently have much experience judging singing competitions, she certainly knows what it’s like to audition for them, having been rejected by The Voice, American Idol and others before getting her big break. She’d be an empathetic addition to the coaching lineup, and it wouldn’t hurt to get another female mentor on the show; Kelly Clarkson shouldn’t have to hold down the fort alone!
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Kane Brown
Image Credit: Rich Polk/Getty Images for On Location Brown is a little newer to the music industry than most others on this list, having only broken out in the last decade — but that could actually work to his advantage when trying to recruit singers to his team. Plus, Season 24 wouldn’t be Brown’s first Voice rodeo: He previously served as Team Blake’s advisor during the Season 19 Battles.
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Tim McGraw
Image Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images for iHeartMedia McGraw also has some Voice experience on his résumé, having served as a key advisor alongside wife Faith Hill back in Season 11. Plus, few country singers are more decorated than McGraw, who’s got trophies from just about every music awards show under the sun (including three Grammy wins).
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Kacey Musgraves
Image Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images for The Recording Academy Should she join The Voice, Musgraves would be entirely new to the world of judging reality competitions. But her likable personality and sense of humor ought to fit well with the show’s lighthearted tone, and her accomplishments in the industry — including a whopping six Grammy wins at just 34 years old — would make her a worthy, capable addition to the bench.
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Darius Rucker
Image Credit: Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for ACM Few things are more appealing to prospective Voice contestants than a coach who’s well-versed in multiple genres — and that certainly applies to Rucker, who crossed over to country music after years of fronting the soft rock band Hootie & the Blowfish. And like several other names on this list, Rucker has previously appeared on The Voice by way of advising Team Blake (in Season 17).
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Carrie Underwood
Image Credit: Erika Goldring/Getty Images for BMI Underwood is just about to wrap up her Denim & Rhinestones concert tour, feasibly making her available to join The Voice‘s post-Shelton era in the near future. And should Kelly Clarkson stay on board for Season 24, it’d be a trip to watch two of American Idol‘s biggest success stories join forces — for a rival series, no less.
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Garth Brooks
Image Credit: Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum One of the biggest country superstars on our readers’ wish list, Brooks has 16 (!) studio albums, 13 Grammy nominations and millions of sold records to his name… so, yeah, we can see The Voice‘s starry-eyed singers wanting a coach with that level of experience. And Brooks wouldn’t be a total newbie to the show, either: He advised contestants during Season 11, the same year that Tim McGraw and Faith Hill offered their expertise.
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Reba McEntire
Image Credit: Jason Kempin/Getty Images We suspect many a Voice hopeful would leap at the chance to learn from the Queen of Country Music. And when it comes to Voice experience, McEntire’s got quite a bit: She was Shelton’s first-ever team advisor back in Season 1 (aw!), briefly coached contestants during Season 8, and will soon serve as Mega Mentor on the current 23rd season. Might The Voice be readying McEntire to become a full-time part of the show? Hm…
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Brad Paisley
Image Credit: Jason Davis/Getty Images for ACM Another former advisor to Team Blake (during Season 9), Paisley has been in the country music game for more than two decades — but it’s not just musical experience that he brings to the table. Paisley has also co-hosted the CMA Awards (with Carrie Underwood, another entry on this list) multiple times, showcasing the same kind of up-for-anything humor that has made Shelton’s Voice tenure so memorable. If the show is seeking a new sparring partner for Kelly Clarkson as much as it is a reputable coach, Paisley might be the perfect pick.
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Keith Urban
Image Credit: Jason Kempin/Getty Images Urban was far and away TVLine readers’ top choice to fill Shelton’s cowboy boots — and looking at his résumé, it makes sense. In addition to his three-plus decades in the biz (including four Grammy wins), Urban has 1) previously advised Shelton’s team during Season 15, 2) coached multiple seasons of Australia’s Voice iteration and 3) put in several years as an American Idol judge alongside Jennifer Lopez and Harry Connick Jr. He’s almost too qualified! Put him in that swivel seat!
