Pop star and longtime coach of "The Voice" will return to the season finale of the show's 23rd season and Blake Shelton's last.
Shelton and Levine were both coaches in the inaugural season — alongside Christina Aguilera and CeeLo Green — and their rivalry spanned a total of 16 seasons before Levine departed.
According to a release shared to NBC.com, Levine and his band, Maroon 5, will appear on the show to perform their new single, "Middle Ground," which comes out on May 19. The Season 23 finale of "The Voice" airs on NBC on Tuesday, May 23 at 9 p.m. ET.
Shelton revealed in October 2022 that this season of "The Voice" will be his last.
“I’ve been wrestling with this for a while and I’ve decided that it’s time for me to step away from ‘The Voice’ after Season 23,” he said in a post to Instagram.
“This show has changed my life in every way for the better and it will always feel like home to me. It’s been a hell of a ride over these 12 years of chair turns and I want to thank everyone at ‘The Voice’ from NBC, every producer, the writers, musicians, crew and catering people, you are the best.”
Later on the show, Shelton said he'd debated leaving before COVID-19 but after the pandemic, he didn't want to leave everyone "in a bind" so he returned until things were "normal again."
“When I came on as a coach on this show, I mean, everything in my life was turned upside down,” Shelton said at the time. “And in a good way, you know? This has been incredible, but it’s time, you know. It’s time for not even what’s next. A little bit of nothing would be nice.”
The country star has won a record of nine times, including last season. He's the only coach that has appeared on all 23 seasons of the show since its premiere in 2011.
He also famously met his now-wife Gwen Stefani as a coach on the show, something he acknowledged when discussing his departure.
“I met my wife on this show,” he said. “It’s changed my life in every way it possibly can, from a personal standpoint.”
Despite their spirited on-camera banter, Levine and Shelton have long acknowledged that they are great friends behind the scenes.
When Levine announced he was departing the show in May 2019, he gave Shelton a special shoutout.
“I couldn’t hide my love for you if I tried. Seriously. I tried. Can’t do it,” Levine said in a post at the time. “Our friendship is and always will be one for the books. Whatever this whole surreal experience was, I'm just happy I got to experience it with you. You’re my brother for life.”
