Kelly Clarkson Debuts a Choppy Bob as She Returns to 'The Voice' with a New Look
Clarkson, 43, sported a new side-parted wispy bob haircut in a promo video shared on Instagram for the upcoming season 29 of the show on Wednesday, July 23. "This time, we've got some tricks up our sleeve. Y'all get ready," Clarkson says in the clip while wearing a bold red lip paired with a black and white menswear-inspired outfit.
The musician's new hairstyle marks a departure from her usual long blonde tresses, which she was seen sporting most recently as a few days ago when she performed in Las Vegas during her residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace.
The "Stronger" singer is back to coaching on the upcoming season 29 of NBC's The Voice — dubbed The Voice: Battle of Champions and set to air in spring 2026 — after previously stepping away to move her hit talk show The Kelly Clarkson Show to New York City. Clarkson, who last coached on season 23, will film the upcoming season of The Voice concurrently with her show.
John Legend and Adam Levine will also return to coaching on the show in the upcoming season. The series will include a revamped format — now, coaches will enter the competition with 10 artists per team — and it will feature four rounds, each featuring a Voice first, per a press release.
In the Blinds, coaches will compete in the Triple Turn Competition with the winner "gaining a special advantage in the next round."
In the Battles, the coach with the most three-chair turns automatically earns a Super Steal, which can only be used once and trumps any other coach's attempt to steal.
In the Knockouts, each coach will bring back two fan-favorite artists from their teams in previous seasons to compete in an "in-season all-star competition."
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"All-stars represent their former coaches as they battle in head-to-head sing-offs. The coach with the most sing-off wins is guaranteed a second finalist in the finale," the press release continues. "For this special episode, coaches call upon original Voice coach CeeLo Green to sit in on the competition and determine the winner of each All-Star Showdown."
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Meanwhile, the semi-final will kick off with the Top 9 and only four contestants will make it to the finale.
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"For the first time in show history, a new voting block comprised of super fans and past Voice artists will have the opportunity to get in on the fun firsthand, experiencing the competition as part of the in-studio audience voting for their favorites in real time during the semi-finals and finale," the release added.
New episodes of The Voice will air on NBC in spring 2026.
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