The *Real* Reason This Voice Coach Left After One Season Revealed

Was he a one-season wonder? Since his exit after just one season, viewers have had questions over why Chance the Rapper left The Voice and the real reason he didn’t return for a second season.

Chance the Rapper, whose real name is Chancelor Jonathan Bennett, joined as a coach on The Voice for Season 23, along Blake Shelton, Kelly Clarkson, and Niall Horan. Shelton had been a coach since Season 1; Clarkson joined in Season 14; while Horan, like Chance, was also a new coach for Season 23. Chance came in fourth place on The Voice Season 23 with contestant Sorelle. The winner was contestant Gina Miles from Team Niall.

“I wanted to be a coach on The Voice because I like giving platforms to young artists—especially people who are already seasoned in their trade and know what they’re doing but just need the right spotlight. I wanted to be a part of the process,” Chance told NBC Insider before Season 23 about the reason he joined as a coach on The Voice.

He continued, “I think my biggest competition amongst the Coaches is probably Kelly, ’cause she’s a seasoned vet, she’s won a bunch of times, and people just gravitative towards her ‘cause they know she’s been in a competition. She’s mega famous. But imma still win though.”

He also revealed the one piece of advice that he gave contestants on Season 23. “My advice to the artists who are ‘gonna audition is be yourself, y’know what I mean? Remind yourself that you’re gonna be on TV regardless, so sing out and sing loud. Do exactly what you came in to do. Carry that confidence that got you to this point. I’m sure we’ll see you in the next round,” he said.

So why did Chance the Rapper leave The Voice and what was the real reason he didn’t come back for Season 24? Read on for what we know.

Why did Chance the Rapper leave The Voice?

Why did Chance the Rapper leave The Voice? Chance left The Voice after one season in 2023. He was replaced by returning coach John Legend and Gwen Stefani, as well as new coach Reba McEntire. Chance was one of three coaches to leave after The Voice Season 23, along with Kelly Clarkson and Blake Shelton, who had been a coach since Season 1.

So why did Chance the Rapper leave The Voice? While Chance hasn’t confirmed why he didn’t return to The Voice for Season 24, he did note on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in March 2023 that he was busy working on his second studio album, Star Line Gallery, so it’s possible that he didn’t come back to have time to work on the record. Chance also revealed on The Tonight Show Starring which will have a gallery of 16 original pieces of artwork as its cover. “What I’ve been trying to do, and learning to do, is collaborate with visual artists in the process of making my songs,” he said at the time. “[I’m] having each individual song have its own visible, like physical, tangible, piece of art that goes along with it.”

The title of Star Line Gallery is inspired by Chance’s Black Line Star Festival, which he held in Ghana in January 2023. “The Black Star Line Festival is more than just a celebration of Black culture and music, it’s a chance for the Diaspora to come together as a community and remind ourselves of the power that lies within us,” Chance said in a statement to Billboard at the time. “It’s an opportunity to honor the legacy of those who came before us, and to inspire and uplift each other.”

While Chance didn’t return for The Voice Season 24, he did tell the podcast “Audacy Check” in 2023 about why he enjoyed his experience on the NBC show more than his last singing competition show. (Chance was also a judge on Netflix’s Rhythm and Flow in 2019 with rappers Cardi B and Tip “T.I.” Harris.)

“Being honest, I didn’t know that you got to be with the artists like this,” he admitted. “Because I did a show before and, you know, it was amazing because there’s so much original music but you don’t [spend time with the contestants],” Chance said. “In [The Voice], they call them coaches as opposed to judges,” he said. “You really are like, coaching these artists and working with them and finding out their inspirations and music they grew up listening to.”

He continued, “It’s like a real connection that you have, that was different. So getting to work with them on, like, new pieces of music and, like, arranging songs and really just, like, getting to enjoy music, like having fun and jamming? It’s like a thing that I grew up doing!”

Will Chance the Rapper come back to The Voice?

Will Chance the Rapper come back to The Voice? It’s possible. Chance told news station WTHR in 2023 that he didn’t expect being a coach on The Voice to be “so cool.” “It was pretty surreal. I didn’t expect it,” he said. “And once I started doing the show, I didn’t expect it [to] be so fun and so cool. Blake is hilarious, and Kelly’s always been cool. Niall [Horan] is awesome.”

He also told the station that he would “love” to return to the show, according to Entertainment Tonight. For Chance’s return, he told the news station that he would bring several of his famous friends to join him, including Justin Bieber and Quavo, a member of the rap group Migos.

When asked by “Audacy Check” in 2023 about what song he would audition for The Voice with, Chance laughed and answered “The Thong Song” by Sisqo.“ You have to do something you know the words to, you know what I’m saying?” he said.

The Voice Season 25 airs Mondays and Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on NBC.