Blake Shelton may have left The Voice coaching panel years ago, but Adam Levine and Kelly Clarkson clearly haven’t run out of ways to joke about their former co-star — and newcomer Riley Green just handed them another perfect opportunity.
The teasing actually began before Season 30 premiered, when the coaches discussed Green becoming the newest country star sitting in one of the famous red chairs.
Levine pointed out that the show now had a “new cowboy,” immediately inviting comparisons between Green and Shelton, who spent 23 seasons on The Voice and developed a famously competitive friendship with Adam.
Clarkson quickly joined the joke, describing Riley as a younger and cooler version of Blake while also playfully calling him the “hot one.”
Adam took things even further, joking that Riley was better looking, cooler and more talented than his longtime friend.
Kelly made sure Blake knew exactly who was being targeted, enthusiastically giving their former fellow coach a shout-out as everyone laughed.
But the joke resurfaced during the Blind Auditions when Anna McElroy, a 26-year-old Alabama country singer, performed Maren Morris’ “80s Mercedes.”
Kelly turned early, Queen Latifah also entered the competition for Anna, and then Riley joined the battle — immediately making Clarkson nervous about losing a country artist to the panel’s actual country star.
With no traditional Block available to protect her advantage, Kelly literally got out of her chair and tried to stand between Riley and Anna while the coaches made their pitches.
Adam hadn’t turned for Anna, so he was free to join the chaos. He pointed out that choosing a Maren Morris song showed Anna didn’t necessarily need to follow the most obvious country route, before jokingly referring to Riley as “Blake 2.0.”
Riley immediately fired back that he should at least be considered “Blake 4.0.” That was all Adam needed. Levine enthusiastically agreed and continued piling on the playful comparisons, praising Riley as younger, more talented and even better in a cowboy hat.
Riley still had a strong argument of his own, emphasizing that he and Anna were both from Alabama and suggesting that if country music was where she wanted her future to go, they could be an ideal team. Kelly countered with her experience and reminded Anna that she knew how to win The Voice.
In the end, all of Kelly’s campaigning worked. Anna chose Team Kelly, leaving Riley without the singer — but giving Adam and Kelly another hilarious opportunity to keep their old Blake Shelton rivalry alive through the show’s newest cowboy.
