NBC Blind auditions on season 22 of 'The Voice.'
The premiere of season 22 of “The Voice” is right around the corner. The show will begin airing September 19 at 8pm ET on NBC. Promos are showing audiences exactly what they want to see: sardonic banter among the coaches, the promise of “incredible artists like never before” and stunned faces when someone’s voice blows everyone away.
While everything may seem to be real and authentic, according to Screen Rant, “From blind rehearsals that aren’t quite as blind as they appear to completely fabricated drama between the coaches, fans may be surprised to learn just how much of the show is fake.”
Calling Them ‘Blind’ Auditions May Be Stretching It
One of the most unique aspects of “The Voice” compared to other reality talent shows is that contestants are supposed to make it through without the coaches knowing who they are. They are supposed to get a chair to turn based strictly on the quality of their vocal performance. That way, what they look like, how well they dance, or how much stage presence they have does not play into the decision.
The way the show is edited, a nervous contestant walks out onto the stage and begins singing to four red chairs that are facing away from them. If the coaches like what they hear, they turn their chair around and proceed to fight to get the contestant to choose their team (assuming more than one chair turns). The coaches often ask the contestants questions that get them to open up about interesting details in their lives.
The coaches, however, might not be as much in the dark as it appears. An insider told Women’s Day magazine, “the four coaches are, in fact, all told who is performing, defeating the show’s purpose about ‘the voice’ being anonymous.”
The unnamed informant explained, “They’ll often get a name or a back story to make sure they’re asking the right questions. It makes for better television if the coaches are familiar with who they are.” This means when a coach seems in shock when a singer turns out to be a different gender or age than they expected, it might not be entirely authentic.
It also means that when contestants come back for a second audition after being turned down previously, the apparent recognition the coaches have of these contestants may not be genuine. They’ll say things like “I know you! We told you to come back!” like Kelly Clarkson did when she turned around and saw Makenzie Thomas’ second blind audition. But according to the insider, the coaches already have pertinent information on many of the contestants who are auditioning.
Other Ways the Show May Be Fake
According to Screen Rant, there are numerous other things about “The Voice” which indicate “that not everything in the show is as authentic as it seems.” For example, a lot of the drama between the coaches is staged for entertainment value. In addition, the blind auditions are actually the fourth stage of auditions, not the first, at least in the UK, according to the outlet.
Fans also might not know that the producers actually go out scouting for contestants rather than just letting the singers come to them. Season 1 contestant, Vicci Martinez, told Cosmopolitan that the producers were “really persistent” in their pursuit of her.
Viewers might also be surprised to know just how competitive Blake Shelton is. Executive Producer Audrey Morrissey told Gold Derby in June that Shelton is “sneaky competitive. He plays it off like he’s not… very complex guy. He’s actually like the ‘happy shark’ competitive,” meaning that he acts like he doesn’t care at first, but when the shows go live, he’s like an animal.
Fans can tune in to judge for themselves starting September 19 at 8pm ET on NBC.
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