Cee-Lo, Christina Aguilera, country music artist Blake Shelton and Maroon 5’s Adam Levine are the judges of The Voice a new American talent competition which puts a new spin on finding a pop star by initially ignoring how they look.

As explained in the trailer for the program, which was a hit for NBC in its first episode this week, contestants are judged purely on the merit of their pipes, with the judges gauging their performances with their backs turned. That’s a risky move for an industry based heavily on image, but perhaps that’s also the point. Plus, the chairs are really freaking cool.

Some ten years after Idol took the world by storm, the on-air singing competition format is starting to look a little tired. Though both Idol and The X-Factor still air in the U.S., The Voice, which is hosted by former TRL man, Carson Daly , may end up take a bigger slice of the ratings pie than expected. Besides, it’s not every show when all of the judges can also sing. Check out their rendition of Gnarls Barkley‘s ‘Crazy’, and now imagine that happening with Randy, Paula and Simon.

If the show survives it’s first season, expect to see it broadcast down under. If it doesn’t, we’re buying one of those chairs at a studio auction.

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