Christina Aguilera & Cee Lo Green Taking ‘Voice’ Hiatus, Usher & Shakira Stepping In

Christina Aguilera recently hinted that she needed some time away from The Voice to “be an artist again” (read: promote new album Lotus), and then Us Weekly reported that NBC was in talks for replacements for Aguilera and fellow coach Cee Lo Green. Not to be outdone by Idol‘s shake-up, today (September 18) NBC confirmed that the two stars would be departing the singing competition. But don’t panic, Voice fans, it’s only for spring’s season four, and Usher and Shakira will fill in while they’re away. Read the network’s press release after the jump.

NBC Entertainment chairman Robert Greenblatt released the following statement:

We are thrilled to welcome Usher and Shakira to ‘The Voice.’ The addition of these popular iconic artists continues the tradition established by Christina, Cee Lo, Adam and Blake. 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 Cee Lo. 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.”

You know how it always feels like it’s baseball season? We were worried that would happen once the spring season starts up and Voice fatigue sets in. But perhaps the altered lineup will keep that from happening.

What do you think about the changes? Sound off in the comments below, or let us know on Facebook and Twitter!