Ariana Grande joined The Voice and the internet basically imploded. It was 2021. Season 21. Fans expected a total takeover. With over 200 million Instagram followers at the time, the "7 Rings" singer wasn't just another coach; she was a gravitational force. People thought she’d bring in record-breaking ratings and cruise to an easy victory.
Honestly? It didn’t go down like that.
While her debut was flashy, the actual season was a rollercoaster of technical vocal geekery, surprisingly low TV ratings, and a finale that left Team Ariana fans pretty devastated. She didn't win. In fact, she didn't even have an artist in the finale. But if you think her time in the big red chair was a "fail," you’re missing the point of why she was there in the first place.
The $25 Million Chair: Was She Worth the Hype?
NBC didn't just invite Ariana; they paid her a reported $25 million. That made her the highest-paid coach in the history of the show. To put that in perspective, Blake Shelton and John Legend were reportedly making closer to $13 million. The network was betting big on the "Ariana Effect." They wanted the Gen Z audience to ditch TikTok for a few hours and watch linear television.
The results were... mixed.
The premiere pulled in about 7.2 million viewers. Sounds huge, right? Well, it was actually lower than the Season 20 premiere. Some industry experts pointed to the "YouTube effect." Basically, younger fans didn't want to sit through commercials on cable; they just waited for the clips to drop on social media ten minutes later.
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Vocal Health Kits and 3 AM Texts
What most people get wrong about Ariana Grande on The Voice is that they think she was just there for the paycheck or the fashion. She was actually a massive nerd about it. Like, a total vocal health obsessive.
Kelly Clarkson even joked on The Tonight Show that she’d been a coach for years and never once mentioned vocal health until Ariana showed up. Ariana didn't just give feedback. She gave her contestants:
- Custom vocal health kits with tea and Lozenges.
- Literal spreadsheets for their rehearsals.
- Late-night DMs checking in on their mental health.
She treated her team like family. She even invited them over for Thanksgiving! That’s not "celebrity mentor" behavior; that’s "I’m actually invested in you" behavior. She prioritized proper technique—breath support, placement, and longevity—over just "singing loud."
The Team Ariana Roster
Her team was eclectic. You had the father-daughter duo Jim & Sasha Allen, who became her sentimental favorites. Then there was Ryleigh Plank, who brought Ariana to tears during the Blinds with a Demi Lovato cover.
Despite the talent, she hit a snag. Ariana was the first debuting coach to never land a four-chair turn on her team. Every other new coach—from Shakira to Nick Jonas—had snagged at least one "perfect" contestant in their first outing. Ari? She had to build her squad the hard way.
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Why Team Ariana "Lost" the Competition
It was a bloodbath. By the time the Semi-Finals rolled around, things looked grim. Jim & Sasha Allen were her last standing artists. When they were eliminated just before the finale, it marked a historic moment: Ariana Grande would be sitting out the final episode without a horse in the race.
So, what happened?
Some say she was too nice. In a show where Blake Shelton is a tactical genius at picking "The Voice-friendly" country songs, Ariana picked songs that her artists loved, which didn't always translate to the voting demographic. The audience for The Voice skew older. They like classic rock, country, and soul. Ariana brought a pop and indie sensibility that maybe didn't resonate with the folks at home holding the remote.
But look at the chemistry. Her "feud" with Blake Shelton was comedy gold. He joked that she "stabbed him in the back" for supporting Kelly Clarkson. She had a "thank u, next" button to mute the other coaches. It was peak entertainment, even if the scoreboard didn't reflect it.
The Fashion Show We Didn't Deserve
We have to talk about the outfits. If the singing was the main course, the wardrobe was a five-star dessert. Working with stylist Mimi Cuttrell, Ariana turned every episode into a runway.
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She wore:
- A custom Versace look that paid homage to Jennifer Garner in 13 Going on 30.
- Blumarine during the Blind Auditions.
- A stunning yellow Valentino Haute Couture gown for the finale performance.
- Sustainable Vivienne Westwood vegan leather.
It wasn't just about looking good. It was about branding. She was leaning into a "Positions" era aesthetic—sophisticated, vintage-inspired, and very high-fashion.
The Legacy of Her Single Season
Ariana hasn't returned to the chair since 2021. Since then, she’s been busy filming Wicked and releasing eternal sunshine. But her impact on the show's format is still felt. She shifted the conversation toward technical proficiency. She proved that a global superstar could be vulnerable on camera—honestly, she cried almost every week when she had to let someone go.
If you're an aspiring singer or just a fan, there are real takeaways from her stint:
- Vocal health is non-negotiable. If you’re pushing your voice without the "tea and kits," you’re going to burn out.
- Connectivity matters. The fans stayed for the relationship between her and the artists, not just the high notes.
- Be a student. Even at the top of her game, Ariana was constantly talking about what she was learning from the other coaches.
To really understand the technical side of what she was teaching, you should look into vocal placement and LaxVox therapy—two things she reportedly swore by during filming. If you want to replicate her The Voice era vocal prep, start by tracking your vocal rest periods just like she did with her team.
Next time you watch a singing competition, look past the "four-chair turns." Look for the coach who is actually talking about the mechanics of the throat. That’s the Ariana Grande blueprint.