It's not uncommon for coaches on "The Voice" to either alternate seasons or only stay on for a couple, and both were true in Usher's case. The R&B legend first joined for Season 4, but he left ahead of Season 5. An Us Weekly source dished on the news, saying, "Usher is doing a movie, so he couldn't do season 5 if they wanted him to." A year after this announcement, Usher's movie, "Muppets Most Wanted," premiered, though it hasn't been confirmed that this was the exact film he was working on while "The Voice" was shooting.
"The Voice" producers clearly wanted Usher back, because he returned to his spinning chair for Season 6. After that, however, Usher gave up his full-time coaching status permanently, only returning as an advisor in Seasons 8, 17, and 19.
Usher enjoyed his time as a coach, and he saw value in what "The Voice" can do for musicians. As he said in an interview with "Extra," "You make an investment in these artists with talent, and there's something that can happen positive." After leaving the competition series, Usher worked on music with a variety of other artists, including Ella Mai and City Girls, and he announced his months-long 2023 residency in Las Vegas at Park MGM.
