Why Adam Levine is Temporarily Returning to The Voice 4 Years After His Exit

Adam Levine is ready to take center stage on The Voice one more time.

Four years after exiting the singing competition show as a coach, the Maroon 5 frontman will return for the season 23 finale on May 23, where he and the band will perform their new single "Middle Ground." The new music will release May 19, just days before they play it live for the first time—and release the accompanying music video. And what can fans expect from the group's new track?

"'Middle Ground' came together in a flurry of inspiration," Maroon 5 said in a press release. "It rallies around a message of fragility and humanity on both a personal and universal scale."

The group added that the song may remind listeners of their earlier work, like their beloved debut album Songs About Jane, but "with a whole era of wisdom and experience behind it."

The timing of Adam's return on The Voice—where he was a coach for 16 seasons—is especially poignant as it comes as his fellow original coach, Blake Shelton, leaves the red rotating chair behind.

The famed country singer, who confirmed his departure in April, is the only remaining original coach from the singing show's 2011 debut, giving him a whopping total of 23 seasons under his belt.

However, Blake's tenure on the show continued longer than even he anticipated.

"I think I was close to calling it a day right when COVID hit," he told Today in February. "And then, because of COVID, I didn't want to walk away from the show and leave everybody in a bind."

For the 46-year-old, leaving is bittersweet. "I met my wife on this show," Blake, who wed former coach Gwen Stefani in 2021, continued. "It's changed my life in every way it possibly can."

And in addition to bringing Blake and Gwen together, it also formed a sweet friendship between him and Adam—who constantly traded playful barbs. While they played up their frenemies dynamic on the show together, when Adam's departure was announced, Blake admitted he would miss his rival.

"Having a hard time wrapping my head around @adamlevine not being at @NBCTheVoice anymore," Blake tweeted at the time. "After 16 seasons that changed both of ours lives."

He added, "Gonna miss working with that idiot."

Check out some of the duo's best bromance moments here!

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