In just one week, Gwen Stefani brings her fiery energy back to the spinning red chair for season 9 of The Voice. With that comes the motivation to be the first female coach to win the competition.
Obviously, the show isn’t only about the coaches. The coaches don’t need a $100,000 reward, nor do they need a record deal. But as a mentor, seeing your singers make it to the top means more than a job well done.
As Gwen told Parade Magazine, “Just being around music in a new way and getting to hear everybody’s stories and be so inspired, and to see people improve, and to see yourself have an impact on people, it’s so rewarding.”
Given that none of Gwen’s singers from her last stint in season 7 even became finalists, I can understand the personal motivation to push her singers all the way this season. It won’t come easy, though. As Gwen says, “There’s no way for anyone to understand what makes us turn our chairs.”
So far, male coaches have mentored all winners of NBC’s The Voice. The staples of the show, Adam Levine and Blake Shelton, account for six of the past eight winners. Pharrell Williams and Usher have each mentored one winner on the show. Gender imbalance not withstanding, we can’t deny the power of stability. If I were a singer placing my future career in the hands of a mentor, I would want someone with a track record, as well.
Fortunately, this isn’t Gwen’s first time around the block. As she explains in her exclusive web trailer for NBC, she has the longest career and most experience of any of the coaches for The Voice. She goes on to describe what will be different for her this season:
“I think what inspired the change in my mentality is having the experience. I know what I’m getting myself into. The first time around I didn’t know what it would feel like to actually be playing a game with people’s lives, their dreams, and how much it would hurt for people to actually go home.”
With her new outlook, Gwen is fully capable of unpacking decades of experience to mentor her singers all the way to the top. A win for her is a win for every woman watching. That means a large chunk of NBC’s highest rated non-scripted show will be screaming for more Gwen at the finale, securing another season and empowering female fans.
Though you never know what’s going to happen in the competition, we can count on Gwen to stay true to herself and encourage her singers to do the same to win over audiences. In fact, that’s what Gwen does best: She’s herself, unapologetically. The power Gwen carries as a passionate and professional artist makes her a role model that inspires new generations of creative young women. She’s on The Voice to do just that and to see her succeed is what today’s viewers need.
“My role on the show is not to judge,” she concludes in her NBC web clip, “It’s to coach. That’s where I get competitive and I really want to take a finalist all the way.” Next week we’ll meet the talent and see who joins Team Gwen for the win.
Tune in to NBC Monday, September 21 at 8pm to see who spins their chairs for The Voice season 9.
Katy Palmer
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
(Image and video courtesy of NBC)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
