Those red chairs are about to go for another spin but there are some changes ahead.
Grammy Award-winning superstars and current Coaches of The Voice UK, will.i.am and Kylie Minogue, are set to join The Voice Australia family in 2014.
They will take up their red chairs next to returning Coaches Ricky Martin and Joel Madden in the new season of the hit show on Channel Nine next year.
will.i.am is a seven-time Grammy Award winner. Known for his work with The Black Eyed Peas, he has sold more than 33 million albums and 58 million singles worldwide. Earlier this year will.i.am released #willpower, his solo effort featuring a bold fusion of hip-hop, R&B, and electronic/dance music. The album includes the multi-platinum single Scream & Shout, plus thatPOWER featuring Justin Bieber and Fall Down featuring Miley Cyrus. will.i.am is the first recording artist to send a song to Mars, Reach For The Stars (Mars Edition) which was played back in collaboration with NASA’s Curiosity Mars Space Lab team in 2012.
“It is an honour to join The Voice Australia as a Coach working alongside Kylie Minogue, Ricky Martin and Joel Madden. Australia is a highly creative country and a place with many good memories that have shaped my music career,” will.i.am said.
“Australia is one of the first countries where The Black Eyed Peas enjoyed international success selling out many performances, and the place where I discovered electronic dance music. Having worked with both Kylie Minogue and Ricky Martin on past music projects, it will be fun to collaborate with them on the show.”
Kylie Minogue exploded onto the music scene in 1987 and has since become a chart- topping, multi-award winning global artist over the past two decades. She broke records and made history with her 1988 debut album Kylie, which entered the charts at number one and became the first album by a female solo artist to exceed sales of two million in the UK, ultimately going platinum seven times.
Minogue has dominated the awards circuit, having been nominated for and winning countless awards in the US and internationally, including Grammys, BRIT Awards, MTV Video Music Awards, MTV Asia Awards, MTV Europe Music Awards, MTV Movie Awards and many more. In 2011 she was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame as recognised by the Australian Recording Industry Association for her accomplishments in music. She has always been true to her fans, bringing them spectacular live shows time and again on 10 world tours spanning Europe, Asia, South America, North America and Oceania.
Minogue won the Helpmann Award in 2012 for Best Australian Contemporary Concert for her Kylie Aphrodite Les Folies Tour 2011. She also awed millions of fans with her performance at the Closing Ceremony of the Sydney 2000 Olympics.
‘I am so excited to be coming home and being a coach on The Voice. I look forward to spending time in Australia, getting up close and personal with new talent and working alongside the three amazing artists: Ricky, Joel and will.i.am.’ said Kylie
After his hugely successful season on The Voice and a six-city, high-energy tour which saw him reconnect on stage with his Australian fans, Ricky Martin said: “I am very happy to be returning to Australia once again. Being a Coach on The Voice has been a very fulfilling experience and I look forward to working with my fellow Coaches will.i.am, Kylie Minogue and Joel Madden, and all the amazing talent that Australia has.”
Season one and two’s winning coach, Seal, will take a break from the third season of The Voice to focus on music and material for a new album. “I wish all the Coaches and contestants well. To my Australian fans, sorry to not be back for this upcoming season but I wanted this window of time to focus on a number of exciting career priorities – a new album, a TV and internet project and, most importantly, precious time with my children,” Seal said.
Coach Delta Goodrem will also be taking a season off from the 2014 adult version of The Voice to focus on her own music.
Adrian Swift, Nine Network’s Director of Development, said: “Our coaches are artists with busy careers and the time commitment to do back-to-back seasons is extensive, so we are thrilled we are able to work with Delta in having her be a part of The Voice Kids, while simultaneously supporting her with her music goals.”
In the first Coach announcement for The Voice Kids, Delta Goodrem will join long-time friend and fellow Voice coach Joel Madden in the big red chairs, with more Coach announcements to come for the highly anticipated debut of The Voice Kids Australia.
Goodrem said: “I am so excited to be a part of the debut of The Voice Kids and discovering the next generation of Australian talent. I have so much respect for my fellow coaches joining The Voice Australia family. Being a part of The Voice Kids allows me the time to continue working on the show and to focus on new music. 2014 is shaping up to be such an exciting year #TeamDelta #TheVoiceKids.”
The Voice Kids will showcase the extraordinary vocal talent of kids aged 8 to 14 from around Australia, featuring the same spectacular set with electrifying blind auditions and thrilling battle rounds. It too will culminate in a grand finale where only the best of the best young singers will get their chance to perform for the title of The Kids Voice of Australia.
Adrian Swift said: “2014 will be an exciting time for The Voice, welcoming will.i.am and Kylie to the family as Delta and Seal step out for their respective career commitments. We really value their contribution over the past two years and look forward to working together in the future.
“The production of the first ever The Voice Kids with fan favourites Joel and Delta, to be joined by other big name coaches. The talent we have unearthed for both shows is exceptional and the Australian audience is sure to be blown away by how much musical talent this country has to offer.”
Darren McMullen will return in 2014 to host both The Voice and The Voice Kids.
The Voice Coaches in 2014: will.i.am, Joel Madden, Kylie Minogue and Ricky Martin
The Voice Kids Coaches in 2014: Joel Madden and Delta Goodrem with more Coach announcements to come.
