‘The Voice’ is making a change to its blind auditions

Fans of “The Voice” know the show’s routines. In the blind auditions, the show’s four coaches choose vocalists — usually individuals, but the occasional duo appears on stage for the blinds — to compete on their teams. During the blinds, Adam Levine and Blake Shelton engage in mock (?) arguments that are funny but sometimes turn awkward. (It’s all part of their love-hate bromance. But that’s another story.)

The show then moves into the battle rounds, which pair singers for a song as a duo but pits them against one another. If there’s a duo in the battle rounds, the coaches usually turn the song into a trio of sorts, and the results can be amazing.

Perhaps this is why fans of the show will start seeing trios in the blind auditions when “The Voice” returns for its next season on Feb. 25.

Country Living reports that “The Voice UK” also just began allowing trios to audition for the show’s next season. In other countries that have the show, however — such as Germany and the Netherlands — trios are nothing new.

In this past season, which wrapped up in December and saw teen singer Chevel Shepherd win, duo OneUp turned three chairs in the blind auditions and chose Kelly Clarkson as their coach. Here’s their audition:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_OGLaCqSKo

Country duo the Swon Brothers came in third under the mentorship of Shelton in season four, but most duos don’t make it nearly as far on the show, and a duo has never won.

However, the novelty of a trio might have an appeal to the coaches. Jennifer Hudson, who will be a coach on “The Voice UK” season beginning this January, told the Express of the change, “It keeps it suspenseful for us. What are we listening to?” (J. Hud superfans: Sorry, but John Legend will be taking her seat on the show in the U.S. for the next season.)

We’ll see how many trios make it through the blind auditions when season 16 begins on Feb. 25.