During her participation in The Voice, it seemed like Ariana Grande still had some tears left to cry. The first live results show of The Voice Season 21 took place on November 9, 2021, and it was dramatic. It marked the show's biggest elimination, with nearly half of the remaining 20 contestants being cut to reveal the final 13. During the episode, which was also Ariana's first-ever live results show as a judge, things started heating up during the competition. Notably, the singer didn't come prepared for the pressure. Ariana had to decide which one of her pop diva contestants to save after viewers gave the top two votes to father/son duo Jim and Sasha Allen and powerhouse Holly Forbes.
As the only newcomer judge on this season of The Voice, it's safe to say that Ariana isn't as used to making hard elimination choices as much as veteran judges John Legend, Kelly Clarkson, and Blake Shelton. So when host Carson Daly asked Ariana to save one of her team members: Ryleigh Plank, Bella DeNapoli, or Raquel Trinidad, Ariana burst into tears. This was a tough choice for Ariana as a mentor and team leader. Was Ariana not ready to be a judge on The Voice? Did she actually hate her experience on the show? Here are all the details.
Ariana Grande's Bittersweet Experience On 'The Voice'
After crying and apologizing to the other contestants, Ariana ultimately chose to save Ryleigh, who seriously wowed audiences with her Whitney Houston's I'm Your Baby Tonight performance. But Team Ariana got one more chance as Bella was selected to sing for the instant save, and little did she know that there was a big surprise waiting ahead.
Ariana received good news when she discovered that for this season's 13th wild card spot, previously eliminated Season 21 contestant, Vaughn Mugol, had been given another chance to compete. He was voted in through a public Twitter vote and sang with a Sam Smith's Lay Me Down cover during the playoffs. But unfortunately for him, he and Team Ariana didn't win that save.
The night ended with Kelly Clarkson gaining a great advantage, with four remaining contestants compared to the other judges' three. It might've been a difficult night for Ariana, but there's no denying that she served up some major looks on The Voice. Fans loved her Color Block dress, which was inspired by Jennifer Garner's signature look in 13 Going on 30. Ariana looked stunning in the dress, part of Versace's Spring 2003 collection.
Although Ariana isn't the most experienced coach on The Voice, fans love her sweetness and authenticity. But the whole experience was bittersweet for her, as she burst into tears when contestants had to be eliminated. The pop star previously admitted that being a Voice coach is harder than it looks. As she told E! News, "You watch it on TV, and you think you know, 'OK, I'm going get in there, and it's going to be easy whatever.' But it's so hard. [The other coaches] are so seasoned and so great at it."
Is Ariana Grande The Highest Paid Coach On The Voice?
When Ariana isn't traveling the globe on a world tour or in the midst of dropping the next smash hit single, the singer is finding new ways to make a pretty penny. The biggest proof of that is when she announced that she would be the next coach on NBC's successful singing competition show, The Voice.
The artist shared that she would be taking Nick Jonas's spot in the hot seat. Ariana helped find the next big superstar, but she also became the judge with the biggest paycheck on the show. The 7 Rings singer is rumored to be the highest-paid coach the series has ever had.
According to Rob Shuter from iHeartRadio's Naughty But Nice podcast, Ariana is reportedly the highest-paid coach to swivel the infamous musical coaching chair in the show's history. Rob reported, "Sources say Ariana is getting a whopping 20 to 25 million dollars for the show, putting her in the same category as Katy Perry on American Idol." For reference, sources claimed that Kelly got about $15 million when she joined The Voice, and both John and Blake received around $13 million per season. Rob pointed out, "the women on the show are making the most."
What's Next For Ariana Grande?
While fans aren't sure if Ariana will be returning for The Voice Season 22, which is expected to air on September 19 or September 26, 2022, there is another huge project waiting for her.
Wicked is easily one of the most iconic musicals of all time, initially brought to life by Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth. And who better to lead the much-anticipated film adaptation than powerhouse performers Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo? Fans agree that the casting for this project was pretty spot-on, with Ariana set to play Glinda and Cynthia set to play Elphaba.