“I feel like we’re going to be frenemies.”


Terry Wyatt/Getty Images; Jason Kempin/ACMA2021/Getty Images© Provided by Southern Living

Kelsea Ballerini is sizing up the competition as she prepares to have her own red chair on season 27 of The Voice. Fortunately the singer has an old pro in her corner who knows a thing or two about going toe to toe with Adam Levine.

“I feel very strongly I’m going to have to really fight Adam Levine,” Ballerini said in a recent interview with People. “I know it’s a big deal that he’s coming back but yeah—I feel like we’re going to be frenemies. Just kidding. However, I’ve gotten some pep talks from Blake [Shelton] about how to take him down!”

In addition to Levine, Ballerini will be joined by season 26 coaches Michael Bublé and John Legend. Filming on season 27, which premieres next spring, begins next month in Los Angeles. The “Miss Me More” singer said she’s looking forward to diving in.

“I’m so excited. I’m excited because it’s just such a new adventure,” Ballerini told People. “I’ve gotten to be on set in different capacities over the years. But to really assume that role as a coach. It’s really going to stretch me and it’s going to be a new opportunity.”

The Grammy winner said she’s particularly excited about the opportunity to learn more about her craft.

“I’ve learned so much. But I’m still actively learning and I still have so many goals and stages that I want to get to,” Ballerini explained. “It’s a really interesting place to be in. To be able to be a coach and be like, ‘Hey, I’m still learning alongside you. So I can pour into you what I know. But I am still figuring it out too.’ I really feel like I want to just be the sister more so than the coach.”

This is shaping up to be quite the season already!