It’s almost like he never left. Country star Blake Shelton, who was part of the original Coach lineup of The Voice and stayed for over 20 seasons, may have retired from the red chairs, but he will always be part of the show’s DNA. And the wonderful performance from the first night of the Season 28 Battles just proved it. As the episode drew to a close, Team Bublé Artists Austin Gilbert and Rob Cole rehearsed and duetted “Honey Bee,” a song from Shelton’s 2011 album Red River Blue.
“Blake would be happy to hear you do your version of Blake’s song,” Coach Michael Bublé advised the singers, encouraging them to “bend it to [their will].”
Their Battle Advisor, country singer and Season 27 Coach Kelsea Ballerini, completely agreed, telling the two, “Whatever changes you make to it, you just have to be 100 percent committed.”
The Shelton of it all definitely came through in the performance. After they sang, Coach Snoop Dogg, who sits in the red chair Shelton previously occupied, told Rob and Austin, “I felt the spirit of Blake Shelton when y’all was singing that. Something in his seat moved my legs.”
Just getting to the Battle rounds is a huge accomplishment for any singer, but it was especially emotional for these two. Just a few seasons ago, Rob Cole received zero chair turns, but he told himself, “No does not mean never.” It was all the more gratifying, then, when Bublé declared him the winner of his Battle.
Meanwhile, Austin Gilbert performed in front of his pregnant fiancée, aching to make her proud, and when Reba McEntire pressed her button to steal him, he literally fell to his knees in gratitude. “Austin, your enthusiasm, your big heart, your gorgeous voice…you’re a cowboy. I’m so thrilled you’re now a part of Team Reba,” she told him.
Will Blake Shelton ever return to The Voice?
“Honey Bee” is one thing, but will we ever get the real Blake Shelton back as a full-time Coach for the next generation of Artists? Here’s what he said last time he addressed the question…
Talking to E! News in April 2024, Shelton looked back fondly on his Voice journey, saying, “I did 23 seasons of the show and I enjoyed it. And by the time I got to that last season, it was time.” He’s been spending more time enjoying Oklahoma farm life with his wife Gwen Stefani and, of course, making music. “I needed to get back to what my day job was anyway,” he added, “which is, you know, being a country singer.”
And it’s not like he’s not around. “I don’t mean to sound like I’m not a part of the family anymore,” the singer said. “It was the most important years of my life where I was a Coach on The Voice. But as far as the job goes, I don’t think I’m ever ready to do that again as I sit here now.”
Catch new episodes of The Voice Season 28 every Monday and Tuesday at 8/7c — only on NBC, and streaming the next day on Peacock.
