In a preview of Monday night’s Battle Rounds of the NBC singing competition series shared exclusively with PEOPLE, veteran coachesBlake Shelton,Adam LevineandKelly Clarkson, along with newcomerJohn Legend, each take turns discussing which musicians they chose to serve as their team’s advisors for season 16.
First up is Levine, who says he choseCharlie Puthto help his team because he’s “brilliant musically” and “the perfect advisor.”
“Charlie is amazing,” Levine, 40, says. “I’ve known him for a few years now. We just love talking about music and really are kind of cut from the same cloth as far as our influences and the things that we love.”
He adds of the singer: “This is definitely the closest friendship I’ve had with someone who has been on the show.”
The Voicecoaches Blake Shelton, Kelly Clarkson, John Legend and Adam Levine.Trae Patton/NBC
This isn’t the first time Puth, 27, has appeared on the show — he previously served as the mentor for former coachAlicia Keys‘ team in 2016 and has also performed his songs “Attention” and “Done for Me” live on the show.
As for Clarkson, she didn’t have to look far to find the perfect advisor for her team:Kelsea Ballerini.
Ballerini, 25, is currently opening up for Clarkson, 36, on her Meaning of Life Tour through the end of March, and Clarkson calls her “such a great songwriter, singer [and] entertainer.”
“Kelsea is on tour with me right now and she is so current and fresh,” Clarkson says. “I love that she’s helping me mentor my team.”
Like Puth, Ballerini is no stranger to the show. Last season, she served as the fifth coach for the show’s first-ever comeback stage, which gave artists who didn’t make it past the blind auditions a second chance to compete
Legend, 40, on the other hand, choseVoicenewcomerKhalid,21, to serve as his team’s advisor and says he has “already made such a huge impact.”
“I’ve spent some time with him before in the studio and he’s really talented as a singer and as a songwriter,” Legend explains. “I’ve been watching Khalid since the beginning of his career. His songs have such an emotional honesty to them. I think that’s really powerful.”
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As for Shelton, he chose two advisors to help his team — legendary country duo Kix Brooks, 63, and Ronnie Dunn, 65, ofBrooks & Dunn.
“Brooks & Dunn are part of the reason that I do what I do,” Shelton says. “I wanted to be them, I wanted to sound like them, I wanted to write songs like them.”
Shelton, 42, then goes on to call the two-timeGrammyaward-winning group “iconic.”
“These guys have accomplished everything musically that you can dream of,” he adds.
The VoiceBattle Rounds air March 25 at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.
source: people.com
