The Voice‘s blind auditions are in full swing, and the coaches are doing whatever they can to get their favorite contestants to join their teams.
Such was the case in a sneak peek of the show shared by Entertainment Tonight, when coach Kelly Clarkson conspired to snag a country artist out from under Blake Shelton‘s nose.
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“I want a country artist so bad because I love country music,” Clarkson explains in an interview. “But everybody always thinks that Blake is the only option.”
Back at auditions, the “Love So Soft” singer is desperate for a country singer, yelling, “For the love of God, pick me!”
“Calling all country artists, I want to work with you,” she adds, saying of Shelton, “Everyone country picks him.”
Shelton doesn’t seem too fazed by Clarkson’s passion for country music, noting, “Kelly is definitely my main competition when it comes to country artists,” before cracking a joke in classic fashion. “I mean, not really, but she thinks she is.”
The sneak peek finds Shelton nabbing an artist who Clarkson wanted on her own team before the American Idol winner decides to take matters into her own hands with some help from fellow judge Adam Levine.
“I have experienced the pain and torment that Kelly is feeling right now,” he tells the camera. “And I’m right here to support her when she needs me.”
Shelton doesn’t take too kindly to Levine offering Clarkson advice during the blind auditions, noting in an interview, “Now that Adam has retired from pushing his button for country artists, somehow he feels like that’s made him an expert in coaching the other coaches.”
“I’m thinking, ‘Do I want a coach that needs another coach to coach me through a blind audition?’ Sounds like a winning plan,” he cracked.
Clarkson even brought her family connections into things, noting that her husband, Brandon Blackstock, is Shelton’s manager.
Ultimately, the singer succeeded in her quest, with Levine noting that he likes to think the result was due to his help. Clarkson admitted to PEOPLE that Levine is a pro when it comes to getting singers to select him, thanks to one specific trait.
“[Levine] has to have the last word,” Clarkson said. “It’s a nice play. He wins a lot of people over.”
Levine added that having the last word is “a technique we realized over time โ usually whoever has the last word gets the person.”
The Voice airs Mondays and Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.
Photo Credit: NBC