Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive show news, updates, and more!
John Legend, Dan + Shay, Reba & Chance Reveal The Voice Coaching Secrets - So What Does it Take to Win?
Reba, John Legend, Chance the Rapper and Dan + Shay reflect on their big Season 25.
Another season of The Voice has come and gone, and over the decade-and-a-half of music battles and playoff passes, the Coaches have learned a few tricks of the trade.
At a recent NBC FYC Emmy campaign panel, The Voice Season 25 judges came together to share their experiences with an enthusiastic packed room full of fans. Reba McEntire, Chance the Rapper, Dan + Shay, and John Legend were all candid about how much this show moves them over and over again.
RELATED: Find Out Who Won The Voice Season 25 Here! (SPOILERS)
NBC Insider was in the audiences as Access Hollywood moderator Scott Evans asked the coaches about what the show has taught them, their goals for their singers and some things viewers may not know about the show itself.
McEntire said of coaching to the audiences, "It's a lot of hours of a lot of hard work, deciding. You have no idea how many songs everybody goes through to get cleared. The band has to learn all the songs. It is exhausting. But it pays off. When those people get up on stage, America votes. And it's painful when your kid doesn't make the cut or your kid doesn't win, it's very emotional. Because you get very attached to them."
John Legend has honed his button strategy
As a nine-time coach, John Legend said he's learned to play a faster game during the Blinds.
"I've become quicker at pushing my button because once I got into a groove, I realized that you can hear really early on whether or not an artist is exciting for you and will move you," Legend shared. "I also consider it a selling point that I was the first one to go to bat for you. I'm making my decision at the beginning of the audition pretty much because I can tell now. I think at the beginning I was more hesitant. But once I got a little more experience, I was like pushing that button as early as I can!"
Reba tries to make her team feel comfy
As a long-time country legend, performer and actor, McEntire said she's knows people's best work comes when they can take all of that out of the equation and get real with her.
RELATED: Reba McEntire & Dolly Parton Joined Forces for a Duet That Will Give You Chills (LISTEN)
"Make them feel relaxed, so they can talk to me, that they can calm down and let's really have a good session," McEntire said of her evolving strategy with her team. "My favorite part of the whole show is when we get to go into rehearsals in the one-on-one. I have fun with it. It's just us. It's down to earth. It's fun and it's emotional. And they're like sponges."
Chance is all about passing along what he's learned
Admittedly he was a newbie to The Voice before he joined the show as a coach, Chance said he's learned that mentoring on the show is his sweet spot.
"I wanted to work in a hands-on way with artists, the production work and doing arrangements with my band," Chance said of his goals. "And then also just give them life advice. Operating in this industry and not losing yourself is a trying thing. And so, I think imparting that wisdom, or at least the lessons that I've learned since I've been in the business, is like really important. And I think that's what makes the show so dope and so different."
Dan + Shay making use of their Double Chair as strategy
As the new kids on the coaching block, Dan Smyers said they have been thrilled to be asked to be part of the show, and they took is seriously.
"For them to think of us to do this — especially with the Double Chair so new — that's a big risk," Smyers said. "But it has been so much fun for us. We use the Double Chair to our advantage, however we can. And as you get further and further into the show, there's so many emotional, heartwarming, connecting moments. It's real. What you see on TV with the Blind Auditions, you hear a singer just with their voice, you connect with them and sometimes you turn around and it's not what you expected. Then you fall in love with that personality, meet their family, their friends, and you hear about where they grew up. And their struggles that they've been through. I feel like and we've made lifelong friends with some of these people on our team. Even if they got eliminated early on in the show, we still keep in touch with them because they're chasing the dream just like we were."
