The Voice, The Knockouts Premiere, April 8, 2024, NBC

On Monday, April 8, 2024, NBC will air “The Knockouts Premiere” episode of The Voice as part of its 25th season. The episode marks the beginning of the Knockout Rounds, an intense stage of the competition where the remaining artists fight for their chance to advance to the playoffs.

Each coach—Chance the Rapper, Dan + Shay, John Legend, and Reba McEntire—will pit two of their artists against each other, with the artists choosing their songs to perform individually. The pressure is on as each coach will make a crucial decision, selecting the winner to advance, while the losing artist is available to be stolen by another coach. This season, each coach has one steal to use strategically during the Knockouts.

Adding to the excitement, country music superstar Keith Urban joins The Voice as the Mega Mentor for the Knockout Rounds. Urban, a Grammy-winning artist, will lend his expertise and guidance to the artists across all teams, helping them navigate this challenging phase of the competition. Urban is no stranger to The Voice, having previously served as a coach on the Australian version and as an advisor to Blake Shelton during season 15.

The Knockout Rounds follow the Battle Rounds, where the coaches prepared their artists for head-to-head competitions, with the winners advancing to the next round. The coaches also had the opportunity to steal artists from other teams during the Battles, strengthening their rosters.

Season 25 of The Voice premiered on February 26, 2024, with a fresh lineup of coaches. John Legend and Reba McEntire returned for their ninth and second seasons, respectively, while Chance the Rapper rejoined after a one-season hiatus. The season introduced the first-ever coaching duo, Dan + Shay, marking a unique twist in the show’s history.

The Blind Auditions, which aired from February 26 to March 12, saw each coach building their teams, with each artist performing for the coaches, who sat with their backs turned to the stage. If a coach liked what they heard, they could turn their chair, and the artist would join their team. Each coach also had a “block” to prevent another coach from getting an artist they desired.

The ninth episode of The Voice’s 25th season, which aired on April 1, 2024, deviated from the usual format by featuring no new performances. Instead, viewers were treated to a “best-of” recap of the Blind Auditions and Battles from earlier in the season. The episode included highlights from the coaches’ perspectives and never-before-seen footage.

With the Battle Rounds coming to an end, the coaches—Chance the Rapper, Dan + Shay, John Legend, and Reba McEntire—prepared their artists for the upcoming Knockouts. Each coach had one steal and one Playoff Pass at their disposal, allowing them to advance an artist straight to the Playoffs.

The episode served as a reminder of the season’s most memorable moments thus far, building anticipation for the Knockouts, which were set to begin the following week.

As the Knockout Rounds commence, the competition intensifies, and the artists will need to bring their best performances to impress not only the coaches but also the Mega Mentor, Keith Urban. With his extensive experience and success in the music industry, Urban will provide invaluable insights and feedback to the artists, helping them raise their game and make it through this challenging round.

The Voice airs Monday April 8, 2024 at 8.00pm on NBC.