Christina Aguilera had welcoming words to the talent reality show world for her fellow former Mousketeer Britney Spears.
At a press conference for “The Voice” Sunday at producer Mark Burnett”s Malibu mansion, Aguilera, who is a judge alongside Blake Shelton, Adam Levine, and Cee Lo Green, was asked how she felt about Spears joining “The X Factor,” since the pop queens’ careers have somewhat paralleled each other and they have known each other since they were tweens.
“I came up with Britney. [We were in the] Mickey Mouse Club. We were very close, and our paths have always crossed and, interestingly, they will continue to cross,” Aguilera said. “I welcome her to this family of fun and entertainment and finding new talent as well….I don”t know what [advice] she”s going to offer specifically, but I know she”s a pro…I think she”s going to give great advice.””
Without being asked specifically about fellow diva Mariah Carey, who is joining the judges panel for “American Idol,” she said in general, “I welcome these very talented women. In this business, especially in my genre of pop.. women [get] compared to each other and it”s women against women and this and that and I”m not down for that at this point in my life. I have no patience for it. C”mon, the more the merrier.”
The biggest change for Season 3 of “The Voice,” which debuts in September, is the addition of The Steal. “We go from blind auditions to the battles, this year, there”s much more at stake,” Burnett said. “When [the coaches] have their battles and select one person to stay with them and one person to leave, the other coach can buzz in and steal that person that coach has sent home.”
Each coach can steal up to two contestants from other teams. Each team will leave the Battle Round with 10 contestants. That number will drop to five in the Knock Out Round.
Levine admitted that if a dropped contestant is not picked by another coach during the Battle Round, it is adding insult to injury. “It”s pretty debilitating getting let go and then, essentially, it”s three other people not necessarily wanting to keep you,” he said. “That”s just like getting kicked in the balls and punched in the face at the same time.”
With “The Voice” expanding to two cycles per year, Burnett acknowledged that it will be tough to keep the coaches, all of whom have very active careers. Adding that the initial coaches have their “chairs for life,” Burnett said the producers will never replace one of the existing judges permanently, but the judges may rotate out for a season to tour or fulfill other career duties, and then come back. While Green, who pushed back his Las Vegas residency to film Season 3 said he “hoped” he”d be back for Season 4 this spring, none of the other judges committed on whether they planned to return, but Aguilera hinted that there may be a point when she takes a sabbatical.
“For me, personally, we”re not speaking about anybody going or leaving or the details of that, I just know that I can only be so great as a coach if I keep on re-inspiring myself by going out, making albums… and gaining new stories and experiences on the road so that I can share with my team and bring it back.”
Aguilera mentioned that she is getting ready to drop “Your Body,” the first single from her forthcoming album. According to Pop Crush, she will debut the song on “The Voice.”
As if to illustrate the point, Levine left this morning for a three-week South America tour with his band Maroon 5, but will be back in time for the start of Season 3″s live shows.