While I’m 100% sure that a show like The Voice doesn’t need my input on selecting mentors, as a musician who can imagine being a contestant on the show, I know there are certain things I’d want to take away from the experience. Winning may be every contestant’s goal, but only one will make it to the top — and that’s the reality I’m aiming to address with this list. Many worthy and deserving contestants step onto a renowned platform like The Voice, only to leave feeling heartbroken and defeated.
Instead, if the contestants focus on giving their best and drawing inspiration from the coaches and mentors they meet along the way, their career trajectories could change completely. Going viral today is as simple as picking up your phone and singing a few lines that hit the right chord. But it takes more than that to stay relevant. Therefore, understanding how successful musicians think, process, feel, and execute their music is invaluable. And what better way to achieve this than by having one of them as your mentor? As you scroll down and get closer to the top mentions, it’ll become crystal clear what I mean.
Release Date April 26, 2011
Main Genre Reality
Seasons 23
Studio
Creator(s) John de Mol
10 Beyoncé
Genres: R&B, Pop, Hip-Hop, Soul
Image via Parkwood Entertainment Let’s start with the OGs — Beyoncé is an inspiration for millions. Her journey from Destiny’s Child to making her own solo hits, being a wife to Jay-Z, having her own production company, and even having multiple of her films that were based on her world tours — the amount of knowledge and drive that contestants could extract from her in a mentor’s role is unrivaled.
She’s even a mother and just like Taylor Swift, who has already been an All Coaches mentor on The Voice twice and had her Eras Film Tour released last year in theaters, Beyoncé also had her Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé making waves in theaters just last year. The point is that the contestants should have the best to learn from and, therefore, the list had to kick off with Beyoncé!
9 Adele
Genres: Pop, Soul, Blues
Image via BBC The contestants need to have a fire in their hearts and Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep” made it pretty clear what authentic fire in a musician’s heart can get you. This particular artist has seen it all — the highs, and the lows, and has thrown massive hits that have gone on to become a permanent part of pop culture.
Remember the “Hello” bandwagon memes from back in the day? On top of it, the way she can cover and add life to blues and piano-only tracks and kick ass at pop at the same time? Adele needs to appear as a mentor on The Voice !
8 Bruno Mars
Genres: Pop, R&B, Funk, Soul
Image via NBC Bruno Mars drives the current pop culture in more ways than we can consciously imagine. Think “Grenade” or maybe “Just The Way You Are” or perhaps “Uptown Funk”?
No karaoke night is complete without some heartbroken dude singing “When I Was Your Man” with his lungs out and yet nobody is still able to match Mars’s vocal range. Having him as a mentor on The Voice is a free masterclass every human being should rush to attend and, at the end of it, I’m sure they’ll be able to sing, even if they couldn’t before.
7 Justin Timberlake
Genres: Pop, R&B, Dance, Funk
Image via NBC NSYNC heartthrob to solo superstar — Justin Timberlake is a master of reinvention and when something doesn’t work out, he’ll branch out right then.
His transition from boy band fame to a chart-topping solo career with hits like “Cry Me a River,” “SexyBack,” and “Mirrors” shows his ability to stay relevant across decades and that’s a lesson contestants on The Voice desperately need. They even call him the Prince of Pop — not to forget his acting and voice-acting knowledge and stories (Trolls) that he will bring to the table for contestants.
6 Lady Gaga
Genres: Pop, Dance, Electronic, Jazz
Image via Bravo Lady Gaga is also another walking, talking, and belting masterclass in artistic reinvention. From dance-pop anthems like “Poker Face” to the stripped-down jazz of “Cheek to Cheek” with Tony Bennett, Gaga shows that genre-bending isn’t just possible — it’s essential.
If The Voice contestants want to learn how to own the stage, transform vulnerability into power, and remind everyone that playing it safe never made history, the producers need to bring her in as a mentor.
5 Rihanna
Genres: Pop, R&B, Dancehall, Reggae
Image via STX Entertainment Rihanna is a force of nature who has dominated pop culture with her chart-topping hits and charisma since forever, and I’m not sure how she hasn’t made it to The Voice as a mentor or coach yet.
Most contestants on music shows come from different backgrounds, careers, and side hustles and Rihanna is not only a genre-bending musician but an entrepreneur. Having to talk to, network with, and learn from someone like Rihanna can never go wrong.
4 John Mayer
Genres: Blues, Rock, Pop, Country
Image via NBC Very few mainstream musicians in 2024 truly value the delicacy of real stringed instruments and John Mayer is one of them. He knows how to make his guitar sing for him and any musician who sings and plays a piano or a guitar will value him on The Voice as a mentor. He’s all about making sure his live performances are better than recorded studio versions and that’s a skill inspiration lesson that will come in handy for every contestant!
Apart from his exceptional guitar-playing skills in the world of electronic music and autotune, Mayer’s songwriting is on another level. While there’s enough content of him on the internet about breaking free from creative blocks and how writing more is the key to becoming a great songwriter, having him around and learning from him will go a long way for the contestants, especially those who still value the beauty of playing real instruments.
3 Selena Gomez
Genres: Pop, Dance, Latin
Image via Hulu Selena Gomez — we’ve all seen her grow from our favorite teen TV star to a pop star, and eventually the quintessential modern star she has become now. Her career trajectory could’ve gone sideways. But it didn’t and there’s a reason for it. “Bad Liar,” “Lose You to Love Me,” “We Don’t Talk Anymore,” and “Wolves,” she’s proven that staying relevant is all about authenticity and perseverance, and it’s safe to say that in 2025, she’s the perfect artist to mentor contestants. She has been in the industry for decades and knows the nitty-gritty like no one other. When it comes to genres — Selena has also dipped into multiple, and even has touched base on her Latin influences with songs like “Baila Conmigo” and “De Una Vez.”
Needless to say, she’s the perfect person to teach contestants how to connect deeply with their audience and tell their stories through music. She understands what it takes to maintain a career through personal and professional challenges. She’s the perfect person to teach musicians how to turn vulnerability into strength and how to find one’s own artistic identity. There’s so much that she brings to the table and the fact that she resonates with people from multiple generations would make her an invaluable mentor-figure.
2 Shawn Mendes
Genres: Pop, Folk, Acoustic, Rock
Image via Netflix Shawn Mendes is a sweetheart and, although he has not had a chart-topping hit in a while, everybody is privy to his humble beginnings. For starters, most contestants that appear on The Voice, have already kicked things off in some way on social media. And Mendes? He started the same. He sat down in front of the camera with his guitar and piano and did cover songs until they went viral on Vine and YouTbue. He’s walking proof that an authentic, heartfelt song can take you all the way to the top. At the same time, he can show them firsthand how life comes in the way of things and why taking breaks is important.
One of Shawn’s greatest strengths is his ability to write songs that resonate on a personal level. His lyrics often touch on themes of love, anxiety, and self-discovery — topics that are universally relatable and come from a place of peak authenticity that most musicians of today lack. For contestants on The Voice, having Shawn as a mentor would be a lesson in emotional honesty and simplicity. He could teach them how to strip a song down to its core and let the raw emotion shine through. Not to forget, he could teach them how important it is to continue to make music, regardless of the size of their audience.
1 Billie Eilish
Genres: Pop, Alternative, Electropop
Image via NBC At this point, it won’t be wrong to call Billie Eilish the face of English music. She is the definition of breaking the mold. At just 22 years old, she’s already a Grammy, Golden Globe, and Oscar winner, and she’s redefined what it means to be a pop star in the modern era.
Hits like “Bad Guy,” “Bury A Friend,” and “Happier Than Ever,” show that you don’t need to follow the industry’s playbook to succeed. She’s the present and future of music and having her as a mentor or even a coach on the show would be a huge deal for both the audiences and the contestants.
The Voice is available to stream on Peacock in the US.
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