‘The Voice’ Taps Usher and Shakira to Step in for Cee Lo and Christina
Cee Lo Green and Christina Aguilera are taking a break from The Voice after three consecutive seasons as judges on the NBC singing competition, the network announced Monday. Usher and Shakira will join returning judges Adam Levine and Blake Shelton on the panel for the show’s fourth season next spring.
Both Aguilera and Green are ramping up new projects: Aguilera is set to release a new album, Lotus, in November and launch a tour shortly after, while Green is working on both a solo LP and one with his rap group, Goodie Mob, along with planning a residency in Las Vegas, a memoir and a sitcom based on his life for NBC. Both singers indicated that they will return to the show after taking off next season.
“I am so proud of being part of the show from the beginning, all the work we’ve done, and proud of what the show stands for as a whole, said Aguilera in a statement. “I am a singer and performer first and I am so excited to get back to that love . . . By pursuing my first passion of music during the break, I am also able to come back and offer even more to my team on The Voice in the future.”
“I’m highly enthusiastic about focusing my undivided attention on my additional endeavors and interests,” said Green. “I will return for season five and will be watching season four. NBC is home and as far as Usher and Shakira are concerned – mi casa su casa.”