‘The Voice’ Season 22: Meet the Battle Advisors for Blake Shelton, Camila Cabello, Gwen Stefani, and John Legend
The Voice Season 22 premiere is less than a month away! The coaches are already hard at work getting their teams ready for the live shows later this year. Part of that preparation includes working with celebrity guests in the Battle Rounds, which pits two members of the same team against each other as they sing a duet. Who are the Battle Advisors for Blake Shelton, Camila Cabello, Gwen Stefani, and John Legend on The Voice Season 22? Here’s what to know.
Blake Shelton picks Jimmie Allen to be his Battle Advisor for ‘The Voice’ Season 22
Working with Team Blake Shelton this year is country singer Jimmie Allen. Allen is no stranger to singing competitions, as he appeared on American Idol Season 10 in 2011. He was eliminated before the live rounds, but Allen later had the chance to tour with the season’s winner, Scotty McCreery. Allen received a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist earlier this year, and he released his third album, Tulip Drive, in June.
The Voices coaches often choose artists they’ve previously worked with or befriended as their Battle Advisors, but that’s not the case for Shelton on The Voice Season 22. In fact, Shelton told Access Hollywood that he never really spoke to Allen before inviting him to the show. Still, he liked what he saw in Allen.
“I’ve watched him, I’ve watched his career develop, I’ve seen him on all the award shows and stuff. He’s just an incredible performer and he’s so focused on what he does,” Shelton said. “And he’s clearly just a huge fan of music.”
Camila Cabello selects Charlie Puth as her first-ever Battle Advisor
The Voice Season 22 marks Camila Cabello’s first time on the coaching panel. And who is better to join her in the Battles than four-time Grammy nominee Charlie Puth, who has served as an advisor before? Puth had his breakout moment in 2015 when he released “Marvin Gaye” alongside Meghan Trainor. Since then, he’s dropped several other hits, including “Attention,” “See You Again” with Wiz Khalifa, and “We Don’t Talk Anymore” with Selena Gomez. A fun fact about Charlie Puth: He has perfect pitch.
Cabello admitted to Extra (as seen above) that she asked Puth to join her on The Voice at the last minute. She “texted his people” about the offer so that Puth wouldn’t feel pressured if he wanted to say no. Thankfully, the “Light Switch” singer was completely on board. And so far, he’s very impressed with Cabello’s coaching skills.
“I’ve been listening to [Cabello] offer such wonderful advice [to her Contestants],” he shared with Extra (via NBC Insider). “Nobody on Team Camila is nervous. Everyone walks in and they’re so relaxed because [Cabello] is almost motherly, in a way.”
Gwen Stefani returns to ‘The Voice’ with Sean Paul
Gwen Stefani has served as a coach off-and-on since The Voice Season 7. She’s back again in season 22, and she’s bringing Sean Paul with her to the Battles. Like Stefani, Sean Paul was an iconic artist in the ’90s and early 2000s, and his success has continued to this day. As NBC Insider notes, the Jamaican rapper is considered one of the “most prolific artists” in his genre. His second album, Dutty Rock, won Reggae Album of the Year at the Grammys.
Stefani and Paul collaborated on his song, “Light My Fire,” which came as part of his Scorcha album in May. Speaking to Entertainment Tonight, Stefani said she knew Paul would be “perfect” for The Voice.
“I grew up loving ska music, which was, at the time, like, super underground,” she added. “[There were] a lot of English groups like Madness, The Specials, and The Selecter, which led me into reggae music … And then, it’s just crazy to think that all these years later, I’m standing with a legend.”
John Legend’s Battle Advisor for ‘The Voice’ Season 22 is Jazmine Sullivan
Finally, longtime coach John Legend has chosen Jazmine Sullivan as his Battle Advisor this season. The R&B singer-songwriter made her debut in 2008 with her Fearless album, which later went platinum. The album included hit singles “Bust Your Windows” and “Need U Back.” Sullivan has since released two additional albums, Love Me Back and Reality Show. Her first EP, Heaux Tales, received a 2022 Grammy for Best R&B album, while the single “Pick Up Your Feelings” won Best R&B Performance.
Legend and Sullivan sat down for an interview with E! News, where Legend said he was “so excited” for his team to have Sullivan because they look up to her. Meanwhile, Sullivan shared some of her advice to artists.
“It’s just about perseverance. Just keep going,” she said. “You never know when that moment is going to happen for you, but you gotta be true to yourself, keep doing your thing, know who you are, not change that. And then eventually … people will start to come to you.”
The Voice Season 22 premieres on Monday, Sept. 19, at 8 p.m. on NBC.
