What About Ariana Grande Shocked Kelly Clarkson?
The new season of "The Voice" premieres on September 20 and fans are arguably the most excited about seeing Ariana Grande's debut as a judge. The pop star joins Kelly Clarkson, Blake Shelton, and John Legend, and will replace Nick Jonas, who filled her seat on the panel for Season 20. There's no bad blood there, though, as the Jonas Brothers member previously said on "The Kelly Clarkson Show" that Grande is "one of the best singers in the game, and she's gonna be an incredible coach."
Her fellow coaches are also excited to have her on the competition; however, they're well aware that she'll be a threat. During an episode of her talk show, Clarkson asked a viewer to sing for her and then said (via ET Canada), "If you pick Ariana Grande, I will kick your a** ... 'cause she is definitely my biggest competition next season." She added, "They said she was signing on, I was like 'We're all going to lose.' I love her though. I'm excited about it."
All jokes aside, Clarkson is happy to have the singer's "powerful female energy" on the show and even discovered something about Grande's past that she was completely unaware of. Scroll ahead to find out what professional detail she was shocked to find out about Grande.
Kelly Clarkson didn't know how Ariana Grande started her career
During a press conference on September 16, Kelly Clarkson discussed how she feels having Ariana Grande on the judges panel for "The Voice" after being the only female judge on 2020's season. "I love having another female," she told Entertainment Tonight. "I've done it with all the guys, and it's cool ... but I like having the female energy to kind of bounce off of. I'm a girls' girl. I have a lot of girlfriends, so I'm welcoming of that."
As it turns out, there's a lot the "American Idol" alum doesn't know about Grande, including the fact that she got her first big break in 2008 at 15 years old when she landed the role of Charlotte in the Broadway production of "13." Clarkson said, according to People, "You started on Broadway? Wait, how did I just find this out?!" She then noted Grande's experience in Broadway explains why she "does care about your technique and keeping your voice healthy."
Clarkson was clearly impressed, and added, "I feel like I should go to Ariana Grande for vocal [tips]." Although Clarkson views Grande as her "biggest competition," it seems that she's willing to take a tip or two from her.
Clarkson and Grande are really getting along on The Voice
Kelly Clarkson previously opened up about what it's been like to work with Ariana Grande on "The Voice" during an interview on "The Tonight Show." She gushed, "I love [Ariana]! We had actually run into each other a couple of times before, but not really like, you know, been able to talk and she so's funny. Like, very witty."
The singer explained that during the show's early filming, the pop star wasn't really showcasing her true wit or "using a lot of her material." However, she did as the knockout round of the competition approached. "We've already taped everything up to the lives, and she's hysterical," Clarkson continued. "We've never had a coach like her. I've only been there for eight seasons, but in all my seasons, I've never heard a coach talk about vocal health as much, and I'm like, 'I guess we should have mentioned that.' ... No one's ever mentioned it, and she's really into it." She added, "Everybody vibes so well, it's good."
We're happy to see the "powerful female energy" vibing well!