Queen Latifah and Riley Green Join Kelly Clarkson and Adam Levine for The Voice Season 30
By Alexus Mosley
The Voice just unveiled its season 30 coaching lineup, and NBC clearly decided subtlety was overrated. Queen Latifah and country star Riley Green are officially joining the long-running singing competition alongside returning coaches Kelly Clarkson and Adam Levine for the milestone season premiering this fall. The announcement marks the coaching debuts for both Latifah and Green, and yes, the combination feels a little like someone has shuffled genres in the world’s most chaotic Spotify playlist.
Still, it’s hard to deny the star power. Queen Latifah enters the series with one of the most unexpectedly stacked résumés in entertainment: Grammy-winning rapper, Oscar-nominated actress, producer, record label founder, and now The Voice coach. NBC says the Chicago and The Equalizer star will bring her experience as both a musician and entertainment mogul to the red chair.
Meanwhile, Riley Green’s addition signals The Voice continuing its love affair with country music. The ACM-winning singer has previously performed on the show and built a devoted fanbase through hits like “There Was This Girl” and “Different ‘Round Here.” And then there’s the returning chaos agents. Kelly Clarkson is back for her 10th season after recently announcing the end of The Kelly Clarkson Show, while Adam Levine returns fresh off a season 29 victory with contestant Alexia Jayy.
The season also marks a major shift after season 29 experimented with a three-coach format and pre-taped voting. According to reports, season 30 is expected to feel much bigger and more celebratory as the series hits its milestone year.
The idea of Queen Latifah mentoring aspiring singers while Adam Levine and Kelly Clarkson fight over contestants already sounds like peak reality television. And somewhere, Blake Shelton is probably watching this unfold from a ranch in amused confusion.