The Biggest Complaints About The Voice Season 30 So Far

When Season 30 of NBC's "The Voice" started on September 21, 2026, change was afoot. Between Adam Levine's unusual use of the show's infamous big red chair, the judges' newfound fondness for cursing, and the lack of a mobile app that made the show even more fun for viewers, there were a lot of changes to the anonymous singing show. However, like "The Real Housewives of New York" losing viewers or "The Office" going off the deep end critically after Steve Carell left, those changes weren't totally appreciated by the long-serving viewership.

On the other hand, others were frustrated that the competition remained too similar from one season to the next. Kelly Clarkson and your dangerously low-cut outfit, we're looking at you. It's hard for the makers of a long-running legacy show like "The Voice" to know whether to stick or twist. "[T]he way that the world has changed, the way that television has evolved and content has changed and it's been spread out, there's so many more options," said the show's host and producer Carson Daly when speaking to Gold Derby. "It almost makes your batting average even harder to have a show that has such longevity."

Their batting average is still pretty good, as per Variety, with Season 30 having the biggest premiere audience since Season 27. But let's push that big red button, spin around, and look over the biggest complaints about the season so far.

"Yeah it is. I was more entertained watching the Aussie Voice this Summer. Riley [Green] is boring, def. not an improvement over Blake [Shelton]," wrote a user on Reddit. Many agreed. However, the source of the boredom had various diagnoses. Some have blamed the coaches, while others have thought the contestants are the real issue.

"Kelly [Clarkson] is low energy and looks like she rolled out of bed — she's making uninspired song choices too. Riley is handsome — and SUPER dull and has nothing to say," said another user on the aforementioned Reddit thread. "Adam [Levine] is a nicer guy than he used to be — but looks like your farting cousin with a meth problem, just outta jail." Interestingly, the fourth coach, Queen Latifah, who only joined the judging panel on Season 30, has had the most rave reviews from fans. By the way, here's how Blake Shelton really feels about leaving "The Voice" behind. "The contestants are all good singers but I wouldnt pay to go see any of them cuz they're not really great PERFORMERS," argued another fan on Reddit.

One thing's for sure: Something off-pitch and out of tune at "The Voice" is causing these complaints.

According to The U.S. Sun, the official "The Voice" app had it all: polls, an option to replay performances, and even a feature that allowed viewers to be virtual coaches by selecting the singers they wanted to turn around for and put on their personal rosters. Essentially, it was a bridge between the audience and the show. So, it beggars fans' belief that, when Season 30 rolled around, the app was forgotten by the makers behind the show and is not available to download.

"I hate this," exclaimed one user on Reddit. "Miss building my team, seeing the coaches team and even playing the trivia. Think it will be downhill from here for The Voice!" That sentiment echoed across social media. "I cannot express enough my frustration at the lack of the Voice app," said another "The Voice" viewer over on Facebook. "It is hard to keep track of who the performers are, who is on whose team, who is left to perform, influencing future steals, and the lack of ability to form my own team," they added. "I hope that changes next season."

To make matters worse, the bigwigs at NBC haven't given any reason as to why the app has been phased out. It's been radio (read: social media) silence. Ironically, for a show called "The Voice," that's exactly what they've taken away from their fans.

In the Battle Round of "The Voice" Season 30, where two songsters on the same team duke it out between falsettos and glass-breaking high notes, the result of an intra-team playoff between coach Riley Green's Brandy Neelly and duo Ferryn and Brinkley put fans' noses out of joint.

On the one hand, fans weren't happy that this was an asymmetrical two-against-one battle, feeling that it was unfair. As per Lyndsey Parker's Reality Rocks newsletter, in such cases, one half of the battle often ends up defaulting into a backing singer role while the other half steals the spotlight. That's exactly what happened here, with Neelly becoming the de facto support act and therefore booted from the competition. Others complained that losing Neelly was down to the show's format and rules. "The Voice allows duo singers to compete," wrote one user on Facebook. "Don't be upset with Riley; be upset with The Voice for the rules," they added. "Not [Green's] fault, thats the system... only duet that auditioned.. so who DO you pair with," added another Facebooker on the same post.

Hopefully we see Neelly again, somewhere. Heck, she's in good company. Here's where the most successful stars from "The Voice" are today.

As per an analysis by the Action Network of 1,100 songs and 1,700 performances on "The Voice," the song with the most chair turns, 15 in five performances, is the 1930s jazz standard "Dream a Little Dream of Me." The tunes of Adele, Bruno Mars, and Sam Smith each have 39 chair turns, respectively. That is all to say that it's pretty clear what kind of song goes down well on the NBC show: classics and modern pop hits.

So, it's perhaps a little surprising that the show's coaches or up-and-coming singers can't make good song choices. "So bland and boring," said one Reddit user of the song selections on the show. "Maybe I'm getting old but these new pop songs are so forgettable," they added. "And I realize they do this every season, but it feels like it's even more so this season." Another user on a separate Reddit thread added, "I was just saying how [Riley Green's] song choices are never very good at showcasing their abilities."

Maybe former coach Niall Horan's assessment of what makes a good "The Voice" song is right, then? "It's important that the people at home, everybody that's watching the show, knows the songs," he told NBC Insider. "I don't think we need deep cuts, I think we need songs that everyone knows." So, Season 30 coaches, time to dust off The Great American Songbook.

Kelly Clarkson has had a stunning transformation. The "Since U Been Gone" songstress rose to fame as the inaugural winner of the TV singing competition "American Idol" and became a certified superstar afterward. To be frank, far more of a star than any winner of "The Voice" has become. Heck, given she hosts an eponymous talk show on NBC too, it would be a shock if you tuned in to the network and didn't see the "Stronger" singer. But fans of singing-based competitions are now suffering a certain level of Clarkson fatigue.

"I find Kelly so annoying and immature," said one user on a Facebook fan forum. "Be quiet and listen! I have to fast forward when she talks, so I miss a lot." That poster wasn't the only one. "Me too," replied a commenter under the post. "She's obnoxious, Riley [Green] may have to change seats with Adam [Levine]!" Given that Clarkson has been on "The Voice" for 11 seasons, including Season 30, we can maybe forgive fans for thinking she has outstayed her welcome. Or maybe she could take a pop-star-coded hiatus again? Here's why Clarkson took a break from "The Voice" before.

Kelly Clarkson has had many a controversial moment over the years. Another one of those moments came in 2026, just as Season 30 of "The Voice" was getting going. In October of that year, the coach went all Karen and took a Brooklyn-based novelty shop to task for their customer service (or lack thereof). "[Y]'all should go check out Art of Play in Brooklyn if you enjoy being treated like Julia Roberts character in Pretty Woman," the singer-slash-talk show host wrote on X, saying the staff acted like she couldn't afford a $15,000 automated dancing bird. Yes, really. However, said store clapped back, noting the eye-catching item was never for sale. Clarkson then called the shop liars.

The internet was divided. Some blamed the store. Others blamed Clarkson. Some could care less. Those on the anti-Clarkson side of the line even set up a petition to have her removed from "The Voice." "Art of Play is left dealing with the fallout while Kelly continues collecting her television paychecks," reads the petition's statement on Change.org. "So, we're asking NBC to consider giving Kelly a little time away from the big red chair. Perhaps she could use the break to reflect," it continues. "Demand accountability." The petition has gained over 300 signatures as of this writing, with other similar petitions also popping up online.

Whether such a punishment fits the customer service complaint, we're not so sure.

Any budding pop star on "The Voice" would dream of having a career like Ella Langley's. In 2026, the Alabama native's track "Choosin' Texas" became the longest-running Billboard No. in history, and she scooped up a whopping seven awards at the 2026 Academy of Country Music Awards (making her one of the most decorated stars in the history of the ceremony).

Although old pics of Langley show she's had tweaks done, one aspect of her rise to fame we didn't know about is the massive influence of "The Voice" coach Riley Green on her career. According to Green himself, that is. "There's a girl that reminded me a lot of y'all," said the "When She Comes Home Tonight" singer when attempting to secure sister duo Ferryn and Brinkley to his team on "The Voice" (via X). "I took her on tour with me. Her name is Ella Langley," he added. "She's doing pretty well." Subsequently, Langley took to Instagram Live to, literally, roll her eyes and kick back against Green's claims. "Well, that man took credit? No, didn't want that," said Langley, as per a fan account of hers on X, in response to a viewer asking about the coach's comments. "But typical. Typical. Pretty typical," she added.

When you're watching a reality show, there's nothing quite like rooting for the underdogs, the little guys, or the girls next door. It's a tale as old as time, whether it's Jeff Kent on "Survivor" or Susan Boyle on "Britain's Got Talent." Yet, thanks to the will of the coaches, viewers of "The Voice" Season 30 have been robbed of that particular pleasure.

This year's underdog? That was Saade, a 24-year-old Iranian immigrant who, according to the Yara Leadership Society, was banned from singing in her home country and used to have to use a VPN to watch "The Voice." However, after acing her audition and getting three coaches to spin their chairs, Saade was pitted against 13-year-old Brianna Cameron in the Battle Round. It was a heavyweight battle between two vocal titans, but Cameron came out victorious. Many were hoping that Saade would get stolen. However, none of the coaches came to the rescue.

"Saade deserved to be STOLEN," said one of her supporters on Instagram. "Her talent, voice, and star power were undeniable. I genuinely believe another coach would've recognized her true potential and taken her all the way." Another Instagrammer pleaded, "Can we start a petition to bring her back?!" Well, petitions haven't done much to get Kelly Clarkson kicked off "The Voice," so we doubt that would help.

Unlike "American Idol" or "America's Got Talent," "The Voice" contestants are backed up by a live house band. That band beats the pigskins, shreds the guitars, and tickles the ivories to help contestants give their best performance. However, some viewers of Season 30 of "The Voice" believe the backing band is getting too much star energy. Or, at least, they're getting the sound of the star.

"Is it me? Or does the 'sound man' need [to be] FIRED for yet another episode of The Voice where all you can hear is the background music and the audience," said one disgruntled fan on Facebook. "Its such a shame that [someone] gets paid in production that supposed to Highlight a singers talent and nobody can hear the damn singer!!!" They weren't the only ones. "I wouldn't mind if the blinds had them with no accompaniment except if it's an instrument the contestant is playing," agreed another commenter under the post.

But maybe there's a little too much scrutiny here on the band and the production staff. They've got a darn tough job, after all. "We have to be perfect, you know," the show's musical director and keyboard wizard, Paul Mirkovich, told NPR. "[B]ecause nobody remembers the 6,000 songs that we play if we make a mistake on one of them."

"What is Kelly Clarkson's use of curse words on The Voice?" asked one of the show's fans on Facebook. "[N]ot very happy with Kelly and the fact she feels she needs to add curse words in her comments," they added. "[H]ave been watching this show for years ... I don't understand why the coaches are using so much profanity this year," complained another user on Facebook in a separate post. "It's not necessary."

Given the hullabaloo over comedian Shane Gillis accidentally dropping a profanity during a sketch on "Saturday Night Live," "The Voice" isn't the only NBC show to receive an expletive-based backlash in 2026. But laws against swearing come right from the very top, not the fans or viewers. According to the U.S. government's Federal Communications Commission, obscene language is a total no-no across radio and television.

However, the FCC also acknowledges that you only know an obscenity when you hear it. It seems, then, that some "The Voice" viewers hear it more than others. "I think she may say hell yeah or something but she is fine," wrote one user under an aforementioned Facebook post. "She has a big personality and she is funny." Another user added, "They beeped her so no offense right?"

If a star's been on the air for a long time, fans will be sure to pick up on any small changes and sense when something is a little off.

Indeed, it's the reason for one of the more bizarre complaints about Season 30 of "The Voice." "Can someone please tell Adam Levine to take his foot off of his chair?!" queried one fan on Facebook. "Is there a reason why Adam Levine can't put 2 feet on the floor?" asked another Facebook user. "He needs to wear big boy pants and sit like a big boy." Indeed, the Maroon 5 frontman's unorthodox sitting style of keeping one foot firmly on his seat at almost all times has caused something of a civil war among "The Voice" fans during Season 30 of the show. "It's really not a big deal if he wants to be comfortable," replied a Facebook user. "Don't watch if it's that big of a problem," added another.

If we were the show's producers, we'd be pretty happy that this is a major issue for fans. If one of the audience's biggest complaints is about the way a coach sits, you must be doing something right.