My family took a few years off from watching The Voice but picked it back up this season. I like singing competitions for two reasons: the judges and the chance to hear new songs or interesting takes on songs I already like.

One reason I never watched American Idol (is it still on? I’m not sure) is my complete lack of interest in Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul. The parade of weirdos they brought into to replace the departing judges never piqued my interest either.

In contrast, The Sing-Off has offered up the brilliant musical savant Ben Folds, along with the endearing Shawn Stockman and refreshing Sara Bareilles (later replaced by the equally appealing Jewel).

Oddly, The Sing-Off, a show dedicated to a capella groups, has produced the closest thing to a bona fide reality show star act since the early days of Idol in Pentatonix.

The Voice, through six seasons, has yet to develop a true star. But that’s not why people watch it. We watch for the Adam Levine-Blake Shelton bromance, the healthy competition between the teams, the novelty of the blind auditions. The show isn’t about producing a new musical sensation, it’s primarily an entertainment in itself.

And as Levine has pointed out, if this national exposure helps each contestant’s musical career along to the point that they can make a living performing at some level, they’ve more than fulfilled their mission.

This year Pharrell Williams and Gwen Stefani filled the middle seats alternately occupied by Cee-Lo Green, Christina Aguilera, Shakira and Usher (the “blond woman and black guy” roles, if you will). Both are encouraging and entertaining in the way a Voice judge needs to be — softie music critics crossed with self-empowerment speakers.

Stefani has fared the worst as an actual coach. As I write this, her team is down to two members but one of them (Ryan Sill) has survived only through an audience save two weeks in a row. Her best singer, Taylor John Williams, is an Emo Phillips lookalike who has his moments but seems destined for semi-finalist status.

This week I’ll feature five performances from this season of The Voice, starting with this rendition of Vance Joy’s ‘Riptide’ by Team Gwen. I’d never heard this song before seeing this performance, and it has since become a favorite in my house.