The Voice Season 24: Too Many 4-Chair Turns Lower the Stakes
The coaches must have forgotten the fundamental rule of scarcity.
When The Voice premiered on American television in 2011, it became an instant hit and has since grown into a staple of US television. Airing twice a year, the singing competition has spanned an impressive twenty-four seasons, the most recent of which has aired six episodes.
For the first time in twelve years, The Voice's 24th season does not feature Blake Shelton as one of the four coaches. Reba McEntire, also known as the Queen of Country, has been brought in as his replacement, joining John Legend, Gwen Stefani, and Niall Horan. Six episodes into season 24, the show has seen a plethora of talented performers. In fact, there have been a remarkable eighteen four-chair turns so far. However, this is not necessarily as good as it may sound.
Four Chairs Inflation
Seeing how popular The Voice is, you're probably familiar with the show's format. Each season begins with several rounds of blind auditions, during which coaches listen to contestants perform with their backs turned. If a coach likes the performance, they turn their chair, indicating that the contestant is welcome to join their team. If several coaches turn their chairs, they must compete for the artist.
In this sense, four-chair turns used to be a rare event that also served as a kind of reward for an exceptional performance. Given that season 24 of The Voice has had eighteen four-chair turns, many viewers feel that this form of encouragement and praise has lost its value.
It's like when the Fed pumps too much money into the economy, the value of each individual dollar goes down. And because the coaches have been excessively generous with four-chair turns this season, a four-chair turn is no longer seen as a sign of an outstanding performance.
Who Got Four Chairs in Season 24?
Here's a chronological list of every contestant who had all four coaches turn their chairs for them this season.
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Jordan Rainer
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Alexa Wildish
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Mara Justine
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Ruby Leigh
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Ephraim Owens
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Stee
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Chechi Sarai
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Mac Royals
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Rudi
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Laura Williams
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Kaylee Shimizu
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Jacquie Roar
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Lila Forde
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JaRae Womack
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Brandon Montel
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Nini Iris
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Willie Gomez
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Caleb Sasser
While it's exciting to see Reba, John, Niall, and Gwen constantly competing for contestants this season, we hope the coaches ease up on four-chair turns, reserving them only for truly exceptional performances in the future.
Episode 7 of The Voice 24 airs on NBC on October 16.