"I came up with Britney, we were very close," Aguilera, 31, said during a press conference in Malibu, Calif., at the home of The Voice producer Mark Burnett on Sunday evening. "Our paths have always crossed. They'll continue to cross. I welcome her to this family of fun and entertainment and finding new talent. Britney's a pro. She's going to give great advice!"
But when it comes to singing competitions, The Voice, which returns to NBC Sept. 10, has "raised the bar," says Aguilera, who cited the talent of her returning costar coaches, Adam Levine, Cee Lo Green and Blake Shelton, as well as this season's chart-topping mentors, Mary J. Blige, Rob Thomas, Billy Joe Armstrong, and Michael Bublé.
From left: Adam Levine, CeeLo Green, Christina Aguilera, Blake Shelton and The Voice host Carson Daly
Mark Seliger / NBC
With all the singing competitions on TV these days and the various ways they sort through talented contestants and pick winners, it's still no guarantee that any of them will launch a superstar like Aguilera or Spears.
"We can provide a certain amount of insurance," says Levine, 33. "But we're not their managers, we're not their record labels. We can't micro-manage everything that happens after their run of the show. We would love to see a star born out of this. However, we're not hinging the relevance of the show on that."
