"Just felt ready" - The Voice coach Adam Levine explains why he returned to the show

The Voice season 27 premiered on NBC on February 3, introducing a new lineup of rising singing talents. This season marked the return of Adam Levine, who joined the coaching panel alongside returning coach John Legend, Michael Bublé, and first-time coach Kelsea Ballerini.

Adam was one of the founding coaches on The Voice when it first premiered in 2011. He continued in the role for over eight years before leaving the show after his last appearance in season 16.

After a five-year break, Adam was happy to return and take on the role when he was called in for season 27.

In an interview with NBC Insider published on February 3, 2025, Adam discussed his decision to return, stating that it didn’t involve too much overthinking and he simply felt that it was the right time.

"It didn’t involve too much deliberation or overthinking. I kind of just felt ready. I was really happy to come back and experience it again with these three wonderful [coaches]," he said.

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The Voice coach Adam Levine explains why he left the show and why he decided to return

Adam Levine opened up about leaving The Voice during the October 7, 2019, episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, admitting that he did miss being on the show.

While the Maroon 5 singer noted that he was fortunate and blessed to have the opportunity, he explained that he felt like he was "constantly working for so many years" and needed a moment to stop so that he could spend time with his family.

A day later, in an interview with Howard Stern on The Howard Stern Show, published on October 8, 2019, Adam elaborated on his reason for leaving the show and said that he needed a break from it "for a little bit."

The Voice coach added that the decision came naturally to him and he felt that it was the right time to leave the show.

"I was ready to not be doing it anymore ... for a little bit. When it all naturally happened, I was like, 'OK, this feels right.' For better or worse, the moment in which we decided to walk away felt really good. This was the right time for me to go," he said.

Adam explained that for over eight-and-a-half years, he was trying to balance his time and life between his band, Maroon 5, and his commitment to The Voice.

While he admitted that he was fortunate for the life-changing experience of being on the show, he reached a point where his priorities shifted.

The singer noted that after being married and having two children, he wanted to spend more time with his family, which ultimately influenced his decision to leave the show.

"For eight-and-a-half years, I was so busy — [I] had the band, [I] had The Voice. I was beyond fortunate to go through all of it because it was a life-altering experience being on that show ... and then it got to the point where I got married, I had two kids, and I wanted to spend time with them," he said.

After nearly five years away from The Voice, Adam Levine returned for season 27. In a February 3, 2025, interview with NBC Insider, he revealed that the opportunity came at the perfect moment and he was ready to embrace it.

"The only way to sum it up is that just energetically...the opportunity came at the right moment and I was really ready, and we started talking about it and one thing led to another and here I am. It was that simple," Adam told NBC Insider.

Further in the interview, Adam expressed his excitement about returning to the singing show and joining John Legend, Michael Bublé, and Kelsea Ballerini on the coaching panel.

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The Voice season 27 episodes air every Monday on NBC.