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Why Adam Levine Says His First Seasons on The Voice Were “Out of Control”

"We were like the [Rolling] Stones or something," Levine recalls about what those early days were like with Season 1 Coaches CeeLo Green, Blake Shelton, and Christina Aguilera. 

By Elizabeth Logan
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Now that The Voice is a well-oiled machine, coaching is a pretty sweet gig. But when the show first started, says original (and now returning!) Coach Adam Levine, things were a bit more chaotic. In the most fun way possible, of course!

How to Watch

Watch The Voice on Mondays and Tuesdays at 8/7c on NBC and next day on Peacock. 

Read on to find out what kind of shenanigans he and the other early-season Coaches got into: 

Adam Levine says The Voice started as fun "chaos"

As one of the four original Coaches on The Voice, Levine really was there from the beginning. And what beginnings they were.

"It used to just be kind of crazy," Levine told NBC Insider, laughing. "We were like the [Rolling] Stones or something. It was like chaos. [Coach] CeeLo [Green] had a bird. We were like a punk rock band. It was wild thinking back on it; it was so out of control." Alongside Green and Levine, Christina Aguilera and Blake Shelton rounded out the first Coach quartet. 

CeeLo Green, Adam Levine, Christina Aguilera, and Blake Shelton appear pose for a photo during the Season 5 finale of The Voice

What Adam Levine loves about the "mellow" show now

It's been over a decade since The Voice premiered, and as Levine has matured, so has the show. "The general tone and  the efficiency of the show, I know that sounds really weird, has gotten so pleasant," Levine said. "It’s just gotten so different, in a good way, and efficient, and kind of mellow. As boring as that may sound, it’s actually really wonderful. And I’m so proud."

RELATED: Here's How Many Times Each Coach Has Won The Voice

When he left the show in 2019 (after 16 consecutive seasons), Levine told Howard Stern, "I was ready to not be doing it anymore ... for a little bit. When it all naturally happened, I was like, 'OK, this feels right.'...This was the right time for me to go. For eight-and-a-half years, I was so busy — [I] had the band, [I] had The Voice. I was beyond fortunate to go through all of it because it was a life-altering experience being on that show ... and then it got to the point where I got married, I had two kids, and I wanted to spend time with them."

Levine returns to The Voice Season 27 as a Coach alongside John LegendMichael Bublé, and Kelsea Ballerini. The season premieres Monday, February 3 at 8/7c on NBC. 

RELATED: Everything to Know About Adam Levine's Return to The Voice

Who won the most recent season of The Voice?

Bublé won Season 26 of The Voice with Artist Sofronio Vasquez. All episodes of the most recent season are now streaming on Peacock.

Reporting by Grace Jidoun.

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