Reba McEntire is ready to usher in a new season of singers.
The country music legend will join Season 24 of “The Voice” as one of its four coaches after serving as a “Mega Mentor” on Season 23, which wraps this month. NBC announced Monday that McEntire will join returning coaches John Legend, Niall Horan and Gwen Stefani when “The Voice” returns in the fall.
As a coach, the “Survivor” singer will assemble her team of rising musicians and determine who has what it takes to win the crown. Season 24 won’t be McEntire’s first time at the “Voice” rodeo.
This season, in her role as Mega Mentor, McEntire helped guide singers who made it to the later stage of the competition. Previous Mega Mentors on “The Voice” have included Ed Sheeran, Snoop Dogg, Mariah Carey, Taylor Swift and Usher.
The Country Music Hall of Fame inductee first appeared on “The Voice” more than a decade ago, when she was an advisor during its first season in 2011.
NBC announced McEntire’s “The Voice” promotion as Blake Shelton’s time as a coach nears its end. In October, Shelton announced that he will conclude his reign as the show’s longest-serving coach after Season 23.
“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 next season,” he wrote on Instagram. “This show has changed my life in every way for the better and it will always feel like home to me.”
During his tenure, Shelton has nurtured a handful of rising stars, starting with New York singer Jermaine Paul, who won the series’ sophomore season in 2012 under the country singer’s tutelage. Also emerging victorious under Shelton’s coaching were Cassadee Pope, Danielle Bradbery, Craig Wayne Boyd, Sundance Head, Chloe Kohanski and Todd Tilghman. Cam Anthony was the most recent musician to win “The Voice” under Shelton.
Given that track record, the “Reba” star has quite the shoes to fill.
Season 23 of “The Voice,” which airs on NBC at 8 p.m. Pacific, will conclude with a two-part finale on May 23.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Originally published