[Matt]

NBC is sadly pushing ahead with its plan to air two seasons of The Voice a year and has signed Usher and Shakira to replace Cee Lo Green and Christina Aguilera in its Spring season next year

However, Adam Levine and Blake Shelton will remain, and Cee Lo and Christina will be back in the future

On the heels of its potent debut last week, NBC’s “The Voice” welcomes music superstars Usher and Shakira to the family as two new celebrity musician coaches when it returns next spring for its fourth cycle. Christina Aguilera, who is releasing a new album and going on tour, and CeeLo Green, who is developing new music plus a scripted comedy series for NBC based on his life, will take the next cycle off, it was announced today by Robert Greenblatt, Chairman, NBC Entertainment.

Current celebrity musician coaches Adam Levine and Blake Shelton will remain through season four.

“We are thrilled to welcome Usher and Shakira to 'The Voice.' The addition of these popular iconic artists continues the tradition established by Christina, CeeLo, Adam and Blake,” said Greenblatt. “Doing two back-to-back cycles of this show requires a tremendous amount of time, and we are happy to accommodate the commitments made by Christina and CeeLo. The participants on our show benefit from our coaches’ expertise and their continued success in the music business allows for significant new contributions to the contestants when they return.”

“‘The Voice’ has always been known for pairing incredible up-and-coming talent with superstar coaches who are top-level current artists," said executive producer Mark Burnett. "Having award-winning artists as coaches means they need to be able to tour. Whether in the red chair or on tour, our coaches have their chairs for life. This is exactly why, after three seasons, we needed to allow them to rotate out so they can get on the road amongst their fans. Meanwhile, we’re incredibly excited to have singular artists like Usher and Shakira joining the fold.”