Jake Hoot is back on The Voice. After first winning Season 17 in 2019, Hoot returns for Season 29, The Voice: Battle of Champions, where he beat Season 1 winner Javier Colon. In addition to Hoot and Colon, Renzo, Maelyn Jarmon, Jordan Smith, and Girl Named Tom are part of this season, all competing with new contestants.
Hoot is on Kelly Clarkson‘s team. She joins Adam Levine and John Legend as the three coaches, marking the first time there is not a fourth coach in the show’s history. The returning contestants each compete against each other, with former coach Cee Lo Green determining the winner.
“Coming back to The Voice at this stage of my life feels completely different,” Hoot says. “The first time, everything was new, and there was a lot to prove. This time, I’m walking in with a deeper sense of who I am, both as an artist and as a person. To be invited back by Kelly Clarkson, someone who believed in me from the beginning, means a lot. It’s given me the chance to experience this journey with more perspective, more gratitude, and honestly, a lot more joy in the music.”
When announcing his return, Hoot said he was honored to once again be part of a show that changed everything for him.
“Coming back to The Voice is incredibly special,” says Hoot. “The show changed my life, and it’s an honor to return at a point where I’m clearer than ever about who I am as an artist. I am so grateful to the Lord for the opportunities and open doors He has put before me. This truly feels like a full-circle moment. I am so thankful.”
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What Kelly Clarkson Says About Jake Hoot’s Performance on ‘The Voice’
It was Clarkson who hand-picked Hoot to return to compete on The Voice this season, and his performance of “Desperado” by the Eagles did not disappoint.
“I think not only are you one of the best country singers that’s ever been on this show, but I also think you are a true gentleman, and that’s rare,” Clarkson boasts. “That part that you did at the end, broke me, which is why I’m tearing up a little. The falsetto, man, that move, it’s not just a cool move to do. It’s sincere, and it’s why I love music and love what we get to do.”
Clarkson has been a vocal fan of Hoot. She joins him on his 2021 “I Would’ve Loved You” single.
Hoot has a new song, “The Blade,” out now. A duet with Jamie Floyd, Floyd wrote “The Blade” with Marc Beeson and Allen Shamblin.
The Voice airs on Monday nights at 9:00 PM ET on NBC.