Posted by Andrew Unterberger on 08/13/2012 at 4:08 PM News

The Popdust Files: adam levine, christina aguilera, the voice

It wasn’t all that long ago that we put Season Two of The Voice to bed, when Jermaine Paul was very briefly a famous person and Adam and Christina seemed one or two episodes away from pulling each others’ weaves out, but it’s already time to start gearing up for Season Three. NBC held a press junket out at producer Mark Burnett’s estate on the West Coast for the show’s third season, which begins September 10th (less than a month away!), with the show’s four celebrity coaches all in attendance. Vulture, in attendance, learned the following:

• Christina Aguilera might not be around for Season Four. Xtina has a new single in the pipeline, and has hinted that when the show returns for S4 next Spring, her own musical career might have to take priority. “I just know I can only be great as a coach if I keep on re-inspiring myself,” admitted Aguilera. “[I have to] keep going out, making albums, recording, and gaining new stories and experiences from the road so I can share with my team.” Field research! We hope that’s the name of the new album.
• Adam Levine sees himself and his co-stars as the OGs of the pop star judging thing. “When I see other people gravitating toward [doing a music competition show] or deciding it would be a good idea for them, really accomplished people, I wear it as a badge of pride,” says Adam. “We made this cool.” What, so Paula Abdul wasn’t cool, Adam? JC Chasez wasn’t cool? Ben fucking Folds wasn’t cool? Get over yourself, brah.
• MOOOOOORE BUTTON-PUSHING. “Coaches will be able to twice rescue a losing battle round contestant from another’s reject pile,” Vulture explains of the show’s procedural change. “In a clip NBC previewed for reporters, Adam, Christina, and Blake all hit their buttons to jockey for the singer Green chose not to move forward.” Ugh, if you guys love buttons so much, why don’t you marry them? Just change the name of the show to The Button already.
• Adam’s not sweating that people have already forgotten all about Jermaine Paul and Javier Colon. “There are a lot of elements that need to magically fall in to place in order for that to happen,” protests Adam of the franchise’s inability to produce a star outside of the show thusfar. “We would love to see a star born out of this show, we’re positive it will happen, but we’re not hinging the validity or relevance of this show on that because that’s just ridiculous.” Well…it does kinda validate the idea that you need more than just a good voice to become pop-famous, doesn’t it? Maybe not the thesis of the program, but a relevant finding nonetheless.
• Christina’s new song is pretty good (supposedly)! “I heard that song and I hate you because it’s so good,” said Adam of Xtina’s upcoming single. Great, the third season hasn’t even started, and already the hate-speak has begun. Get a room celebrity boxing ring, you two!

[Vulture]