It's a new day for The Voice. Season 17 is the first season without original coach Adam Levine, and there's a new rivalry brewing between Blake Shelton and Kelly Clarkson.
In an interview with E! News' Will Marfuggi, the two bickered like old friends as Shelton ribbed Clarkson for her many, many jobs.
"I am humbled by how busy you are," Shelton said about the coach and new host of The Kelly Clarkson Show. So, is he taking it easy on her because he knows just how hard she's working?
"No. No, no, no. I still don't have any respect for her as a coach. Just as a human being, I love her. Bust as a coach? I don't care," Shelton said much to the delight of Clarkson.
Along with those two, John Legend returns to the spinning red chair and Gwen Stefani takes a seat for the first time since season 12 in 2017. The return of Stefani to the series is bringing out a new side to Shelton, Clarkson said.
"Gwen lightens you a bit," Clarkson said. Shelton laughed he didn't want his girlfriend to see the dark side that comes out during the competition. Couldn't she have seen it over his 16 other seasons? "She doesn't watch this show," Shelton laughed.
Clarkson said the dynamic between the four of them, the first time they've all worked together on the NBC series, is "really fun."
Stefani said, "it's hard for me to digest the whole thing" about being back on The Voice and being a softening presence of sorts for Shelton.
"Every season I've been on it, I've been in a different, like, weird phase of my life. The first season I literally just had a baby, the second season my life blew up in my face, the third season I was falling in love with Blake and now here we are…I was worried, I didn't know how we were going to handle being competitive. It's just so far into the relationship that it's just a different phase. But it was super natural, super amazing," she said.
Legend said they compete well, and Stefani agreed, noting now that she's been back to work, adjusted in her new life and done the show before, she think she's a better coach.
"I'm just more tapped in to everything that I've done and what the show is, so it's been super fun," she told E! News.
So, can The Voice couple leave the show behind at home? They talk about it, Shelton admitted.
Click play on the video above to hear more from The Voice coaches, including the emotions that go along with contestants exiting and what it's like being there without Levine.
The Voice season 17 premieres Monday, Sept. 23 at 8 p.m. on NBC.
(E! and NBC are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)