The Voice Blind Auditions are over, leaving fans with a talented group of Top 40 artists divided into four teams. As in seasons past, each coach–Chance the Rapper, Kelly Clarkson, Niall Horan and Blake Shelton–will choose pair off artists from their teams to face off against each other.
After the two artists battle it out, their coach chooses a winner, who will move on to the Knockout Round. However, another coach has one steal to use and can nab the loser. But this season, the show has introduced a brand new twist called the “Playoffs Pass.” Previously, each coach could save one contestant on the team from elimination. But the “Playoffs Pass” takes the twist a step further. The artist awarded this special pass will skip the Knockout rounds all together, and head for the next round, The Playoffs. If a coach tries to steal an artist, the Playoffs Pass overrides the attempt.
The Voice 2023: Full Season 23 Schedule
It sounds similar to American Idol’s Platinum Ticket which allows the holder to skip the first round of Hollywood Week. As far as the Playoffs Pass is concerned, it’s a great relief for the artist. They can rest up and plot their Playoffs strategy. But it kind of stinks for fans who are deprived of a performance from the artist.
At the end of the Battle Rounds, a Top 28 will emerge. But only 24 of those contestants will compete in the Knockouts. The format, by the way, is back to two contestants going head to head with a song of their own choosing. Back in the fall, season 22 featured a three way Knockout for the first time in the show’s history. And as of now, the only time!
While the Battles are not featuring celebrity mentors this season, country legend Reba McEntire returns to The Voice to serve as Mega Mentor for the Knockouts.
The Voice 23: Reba McEntire Mega Mentor, Mega Format Changes
Another twist that fans PROBABLY don’t like: The Playoffs will NOT air live as they have in the past. In fact, the round was taped a few months ago. Instead of fans having a say on which artists move on to the finals, the coaches each picked two finalists from their five member teams (Top 20). A Top 8 will compete in a semi-final that probably won’t feature a results show. The voting this season is very limited, it appears. Tuesday episodes end after the April 4 episode, until the grand finale airs on Tuesday May 23.
