Less than two years after leaving “The Voice,” where he spent 23 seasons coaching talented hopefuls on the show, country star Blake Shelton dropped a bombshell on November 11, 2024.
The country star has teamed up with “Yellowstone” creator Taylor Sheridan to create and launch a new singing competition, “The Road,” for CBS. In a press release about the new series, set to debut in the fall of 2025, Sheridan took aim at shows like “The Voice” and “American Idol,” by stating that this new competition will be more raw and real, touring the nation with rising country music stars.
“No more shiny floors and studio audiences,” he said.
‘The Road’ Will Challenge Rising Country Stars to Stay on Tour With Headliner
Heavy/GettyBlake Shelton, Taylor Sheridan
CBS said “The Road” will feature a “docu-follow format” as cameras chronicle the experiences of still-to-be-announced “headlining superstar” who’s trying to discover the next big music act.
“Singers will join the headliner on tour, performing as opening acts in venues across the country,” the press release said. If they win over the local fanbase in a city, they’ll get to stay on the tour and move on to the next city.
The show is a collaboration between Sheridan and his production partner, David Glassner, and Shelton with his production partner Lee Metzger, with whom he runs Lucky Horseshoe Productions. Together, Shelton and Metzger are also behind the USA Network reality competition “Barmageddon,” per the Tennessean. That show is filmed at Shelton’s Ole Red Nashville bar co-starring himself, “The Voice” host Carson Daly and former World Wrestling Entertainment star Nikki Garcia.
“I’m a big fan of Taylor’s incredible work, and I’m excited to team with him and my long-time collaborator, Lee, on ‘The Road,’” Shelton said in a press statement. “I know a thing or two about singing competitions and what it’s like to chase a music dream and live life on tour. I’m looking forward to discovering new talent and giving them this platform.”
Sheridan said, “There is a revolution taking place in country music. Building a platform with Blake for the next leaders of that revolution is an incredibly exciting venture. No more shiny floors and studio audiences. This is where the rubber meets the road – literally. Get in the van, go to the next town and win the crowd. Do it enough, and you become the next leader. Simple as that.”
CBS is the only major network that hasn’t had a hit singing competition over the last decade. “The Voice” airs on NBC, “American Idol” is on ABC, and “The Masked Singer” is on FOX.
Blake Shelton Said He Felt Himself ‘Going Through the Motions’ on ‘The Voice’
GettyBlake Shelton speaks with wife Gwen Stefani by his side, as she received her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on October 19, 2023.
In April, Shelton told Entertainment Tonight that though he missed the people he worked with at “The Voice,” the formula of the show after 23 seasons began to feel monotonous, saying that he didn’t “miss the job at all.”
“I totally needed a break from that, because if I wasn’t into it then it wasn’t good for whoever was on my team,” Shelton said. “I don’t want to be someone who’s just going through the motions. Those artists need somebody fighting for them.”
He continued, “The second I started feeling like, ‘Oh my gosh, I don’t even remember what season this is anymore. Who are the coaches on this season?’ [I knew that] I needed [to get] away from here.”
But his wife, Gwen Stefani, has remained part of the show since his departure. She’s currently serving as a coach on her eight season of “The Voice,” which is midway through season 26. Stefani joined the show during season 7 and returned intermittently for seasons 9, 12, 17, 19, 22 and 24, per Deadline.
She and Shelton famously met and fell in love on the show after their marriages to other stars — Shelton to Miranda Lambert and Stefani to Gavin Rossdale — both ended in divorce in 2015, per Billboard.
Shelton did return to “The Voice” in May to commemorate the show’s 25th season along with other past coaches. In September, he surprised fans by leaving his longtime record label and signing with BBR Music Group, the company that works with winners and finalists from “American Idol.”
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