There’s a new kid on the block at “The Voice,” and she’s bringing the fuego.
Camila Cabello officially joined the NBC reality singing competition as its newest coach for its Season 22 premiere Monday night, rounding out the lineup with returning coaches Gwen Stefani, John Legend and Blake Shelton.
Cabello previously appeared on the show last season as Legend’s celebrity adviser.
Cabello, whose musical career began with a stint on the “The X Factor” in 2012, is looking forward to nurturing the next generation of talent.
“It feels very full circle ‘cause I started on a singing competition show,” said Cabello in a prerecorded interview. “I hope these people become better artists and get to live their dreams.”
But not everyone is jazzed with Cabello’s arrival, especially Shelton.
“I don’t want to help her in any way,” Shelton told host Carson Daly jokingly when asked if he’d given Cabello any advice. “Because so far I’m not impressed.”
However, Cabello wasn’t fazed by Shelton’s prickly welcome.
“That’s what a very threatened person would say,” Cabello shot back. “You’re just trying to intimidate me. It’s not working.”
The first vocalist to captivate the coaches this season was Nashville singer Morgan Myles, whose raspy vocals and soulful rendition of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” prompted all four judges to turn around in their chairs.
“We don’t get a lot of people singing that song because it’s so intimidating,” Legend told Myles. “It was exquisite: one of the best blind auditions I’ve seen in quite a long time.”
Shelton attempted to sway Myles – and keep the spotlight on himself – with a “heart-to-heart talk” that referenced their shared struggling musician backgrounds. The country singer hit a button on his chair that lit up his spot onstage, leaving his fellow coaches in the dark.
“When I moved to Nashville, I was 17 years old, and I started singing demos for songwriters,” Shelton said. “Your gift is that you can make people really believe what you’re singing about, and you just need somebody to help you along that journey.”
Camila Cabello took a more diplomatic approach to persuade Myles to join her team.
“I want what’s best for you and if what you want is Blake’s support and help to be a country artist, absolutely,” Cabello said.
“If what you want is to (find) your own lane – you’re not a country artist, you’re not a pop artist, you’re just Morgan – then I would be really excited to work with you.”
