The Voice Soars

As the competition heats up, the coaches dish about what it takes to win and what keeps TV’s No. 1 reality show on top PLUS: Must-see season enders—mark your calendars!

- Marisa Roffman

THE VOICE COACHES—MAROON 5 frontman Adam Levine, No Doubt’s Gwen Stefani, country superstar Blake Shelton and multiple-Grammy winner Alicia Keys—may spend a lot of time together when filming their hit singing competition, but absence (during the break between the Knockout rounds and the live playoffs) sure made the heart grow fonder for this fab four. “I was genuinely excited to see everybody again—it’s very rare,” joked Levine as he geared up to reunite with the team for Season 12’s live shows.

Thanks in part to this camaraderie, the NBC juggernaut remains the No. 1 show in its timeslot, beating competitor Dancing With the Stars in viewers age 18–49 and snagging musical luminaries John Legend, Luke Bryan, Celine Dion and Shania Twain to mentor this season’s contestants.

And though all four coaches desperately want to win (Shelton’s team has claimed victory five times in the show’s history, while Levine’s singers have won three times; Stefani and Keys are looking for their first championship), the mood is light as the competition gets more intense. Each of the coaches has a viable contender—Team Adam’s Jesse Larson, Team Alicia’s Chris Blue, Team Blake’s Lauren Duski and Team Gwen’s Hunter Plake appearing to have an early edge. But now is the time anything can happen.

The coaches sat down with us to talk strategy, their off-screen bond and how long they’ll stay in those big red chairs—turns out not very long for Keys.

The live shows are traditionally when things kick into high gear. What do you expect from the competition as you head toward the finale?