Competition is firing up betweenThe Voicecoaches!
In a preview of Monday night’s Blind Auditions round of the NBC singing competition series shared exclusively with PEOPLE, veteran coachesBlake Shelton,Adam LevineandKelly Clarkson,along with newcomerJohn Legend, get in a hilariously heated fight over contestant Dexter Roberts.
As the Alabama native gets to the chorus of Randy Houser’s “Like a Cowboy,” Shelton, Clarkson and Legend press their buttons and turn their chairs for Roberts simultaneously. Levine, on the other hand, holds out until the very end of the song to turn his chair around.
Tyler Golden/NBC
Once Roberts finishes singing, Legend, 40, is the first to offer his take on why he should be the coach he chooses.
“You sounded beautiful,” Legend begins. “Your low stuff was so rich and the baritone was so beautiful and then you hit the power notes at the end. Everything was perfect. I may not be an expert in country, but I know a great voice and I heard it today. I would be honored to have you on my team.”
Levine, 39, is up next and prefaces what he’s going to say with, “I’m going to keep this brief,” to which Shelton, 42, quips, “Thank God.”
To that, Legend says, “Woah, that’s reverse psychology.”
Levine then goes on to jokingly say he doesn’t want Roberts to pick him “because that would be far too daring and far too bold and we might go way too far together.”
“So don’t you dare, don’t you dare pick me Dexter!” Levine adds.
The Voice coaches.
Levine and Legend both admit they don’t know the song Roberts sang before Levine says to Shelton, “You don’t know 99 percent of the songs anyone sings on this show.”
Clarkson, 36, agrees, “Yeah, that’s not fair!”
“This is notWho Wants to Be a Millionaire?,” Legend says. “We’re not trying to ask trivia questions here.”
Levine claims that if Roberts were a country singer that Shelton would be saying “the exact opposite.”
“He’d be like, ‘I’m just a fan of music, and I’m a fan of you,'” Levine says. “That makes no sense!”
Clarkson then takes her shot at persuading Roberts to be on her team, though she admits she almost didn’t turn her chair around for him for two reasons — but she assures him the reasons have nothing to do with his talent.
“One, males — I don’t know if I wear some kind of repellent, but you’d never pick me on this show,” she says. “Males are like, ‘That’s sweet,’ but you just don’t pick me.”
Dexter Roberts.Tyler Golden/NBC
Legend says, “I feel like you could write a nice country song about it.”
“But here’s the thing,” Clarkson continues. “I want you to think right now about two things. One, strategy — who is going to have all the country singers who you’re going to be up against on this show? ‘Cause half the teams go home, brother, right off the top in the Battle [Rounds]. Two, think beyond what everyone else does on this show and think aboutKelly Clarkson.”
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Levine then mimics Shelton’s country accent and says, “I’d hate to see you in the hands of someone who don’t know what they’re talking about.”
“Can you guys please use the Dex-it and let me talk to this man for a second, please?” Shelton says. “Listen man, country artists know who they are and know where they come from and they keep a foot in that place. I’ll be the first to say it, I don’t cross genres, I don’t care to. I’m a country artist.”
This statement has the other coaches up in arms as Clarkson exclaims, “You did a duet with [girlfriend]Gwen Stefani,ShakiraandChristina Aguilera— what!AndKelly Clarkson!”
“Not only that, hold on, but his rise to prominence had directly to do with his willingness to branch out,” Levine adds. “That’s why he is where he is, not because he stayed in that box. He’s here because he went against the grain, that’s why he’s here.”
Shelton then stands up because, as he puts it, that “clearly commands more attention.”
“Country artists know who they are, they keep one foot in where they came from and they keep their eye on the ball,” Shelton says. “I just happen to know what I love. I’m damn proud that’s what I want to do. If being on a popular television show is me stepping out of the country music box somehow, okay, I’ll give you that one.”
The clips ends as Legend asks Roberts if he has made his “Dex-cision,” which will be revealed on Monday’s episode ofThe Voiceairing at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.
source: people.com
