Kelly Clarkson Speaks Up On Controversy Sparked By Her ‘Voice’ Team Member
on Nov 28, 2018
The Voice‘s Many Changes
After 15 seasons on the air, The Voice has undergone a few changes since its first season kicked off in 2011. Some of the biggest and most obvious changes have been in the lineup of coaches, with Blake Shelton and Adam Levine serving as the only constants across all seasons.
In the past, everyone from Usher to Miley Cyrus has served as a coach on The Voice. Season 15 saw the reintroduction of Kelly Clarkson after her debut as a coach in Season 14 and the return of Jennifer Hudson after taking a season off.
It's out of your hands now. 😱
The votes are IN and we meet the #VoiceTop10 TONIGHT. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/DFkPCvyZ2D
— The Voice (@NBCTheVoice) November 27, 2018
Block Button Blues
But while new or returning coach announcements are generally met with excitement, Voice viewers don’t always take so kindly to the show’s changes. One prime example is the block button controversy that sparked during Season 14.
The concept of the block button is that during the blind auditions, each coach can block another from taking an artist they want. So for example, if Levine, Shelton, and Clarkson all turned their chairs for an artist and Shelton used his block button on Levine, that artist could only pick between Shelton or Clarkson.
This addition sparked outrage among many Voice viewers, who felt it was unfair that certain contestants would be kept from picking the coach they truly wanted to work with.
https://twitter.com/floslimabean/status/970854963990720512
Despite the pushback, the block button was carried over into Season 15. Now that viewers are more used to the feature, it didn’t cause as much of an uproar.
The Latest Pushback
But Season 15 hasn’t been without its fair share of controversy over changes made to the show. Early on, The Voice announced that it would be adding its first fifth coach, and that the role would be filled by country star Kelsea Ballerini.
It was revealed that Ballerini would be coaching contestants in an online edition of the show called The Comeback Stage. Ballerini was given the task of mentoring six artists who didn’t turn a chair in the blind auditions, and these six artists competed against each other for a chance to return to the live shows.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1PrxkoZ29I
The two singers who won The Comeback Stage and got to compete live on TV were Ayanna Joni and Lynnea Moorer. During the show, they faced off in the first Instant Save of the season, and fans on Twitter voted for Moorer to continue on in the competition, automatically making her part of the Top 13.
It Gets Even Worse…
But not everyone was happy about Moorer’s addition to the show. Many fans voiced their displeasure over the whole Comeback Stage process, saying it wasn’t fair for Moorer to advance into the Top 13 after being away from the show for so long and never turning a chair in the blinds.
I think #TheVoice should change something next year. There's no reason artists like Zaxai, Funsho, Abby, or Patrique should be sitting at home right now. The comeback stage is a gimmick. They werent good enough to make it past the blinds but yet they're in the lives @NBCTheVoice
— Corey (@The_CoreyP) November 20, 2018
The controversy grew even more after the second week of live shows. Moorer was left to compete in the Instant Save round for the second time, and she was the one who earned the majority of the vote.
Even though fans were the ones who voted Moorer through, many viewers were still upset that she had made it so far in the competition.
Yesss!!! Please let the comeback stage die with this season. Horrible idea!! #TheVoice https://t.co/GzUZ586b7S
— Stephanie DaNell (@StephyPooh82) November 28, 2018
Kelly Speaks Up
After hearing all of the outrage, Mooer’s coach finally chose to address the controversy head-on. Following her performance of the song “Consequences” during week three of lives, Clarkson had this to say about Moorer and her presence on the show:
“I know the ‘Comeback’ thing is iffy with people. . . . But here’s the thing: I’m from a competition and I would’ve chosen anything for any moment, any opportunity and any door…And I’m just super proud…No one sounds like you, you’re just more of like, an artist, artsy person. And it sounds so cool and it’s so relevant for radio right now and I’m just a huge fan of you and I hope people vote for you.”
When the results show came Moorer was thrown into the Instant Save round for the third time. But despite Clarkson’s pleas, America didn’t put their votes behind her. She was eliminated, and now will forever be known for sparking one of the biggest controversies in the show’s history.
But instead, we hope she is remembered more for her gorgeous voice and outstanding talent. Watch one of her best performances in the video below.
What do y’all think about the whole Comeback Stage fiasco?
