Riley Green Picks Carly Pearce for a Special Role on The Voice — and Says Their Friendship Made Her the ‘Obvious Choice’

Riley Green and Carly Pearce already had country fans talking after turning their longtime friendship into a memorable duet — now they’re bringing that chemistry to The Voice.

Pearce is joining Green’s team as a mentor, helping the contestants under his guidance navigate one of television’s biggest singing competitions.

For Green, there apparently wasn’t much debate over whom he wanted beside him.

He has admired Pearce’s talent since before he even had a record deal, and after years of friendship followed by their collaboration on “If I Don’t Leave I’m Gonna Stay,” choosing her for his team felt natural.

“She was just a really obvious choice for me,” Green said.

Riley Green and Carly Pearce’s Friendship Comes to The Voice

Green and Pearce have developed a close friendship while building two successful careers in country music.

That relationship eventually became a musical partnership when Pearce joined Green for “If I Don’t Leave I’m Gonna Stay.”

The collaboration attracted plenty of attention, especially after its steamy music video cast the pair as a couple caught in an intense and complicated relationship.

Now they’re working together again in a completely different setting.

Green has joined the long list of country stars to occupy one of The Voice‘s famous red chairs, following previous coaches including Blake Shelton and Reba McEntire.

And Pearce will be there to help him.

Why Riley Chose Carly

Green explained that his admiration for Pearce’s music goes back much further than their recent duet.

“I’ve been a huge fan of her long before I even had a record deal and came to [Nashville],” he said.

Their friendship and subsequent collaboration only made the decision easier.

“Then, obviously we had the duet together and I just think we were kind of having such a moment with that and the music video,” Green continued. “When this came up, she was just a really obvious choice for me.”

Pearce will work with members of Green’s team during rehearsals, offering another perspective as contestants prepare for their performances.

Carly Wants the Singers to Find What Makes Them Different

Pearce isn’t approaching the role simply as someone tasked with pointing out mistakes.

With several country singers competing on Green’s team, she wants to help each contestant identify the qualities capable of separating them from everyone else.

That means offering constructive criticism on vocals, song choices and stagecraft while encouraging the artists to embrace their individual strengths.

It’s an approach shaped by her own experience navigating the country music industry.

And Pearce already knows what working behind the scenes on The Voice requires.

This Isn’t Carly Pearce’s First Time Mentoring on The Voice

Pearce previously appeared on the competition in 2024, serving as a playoff advisor alongside coach Michael Bublé.

This time, she’ll be working with someone she knows extremely well.

Pearce is set to appear across multiple episodes, including installments airing October 6, October 12–13, October 19 and October 26.

She also joins a substantial list of country stars who have helped contestants on the show over the years.

Darius Rucker, Keith Urban, Tim McGraw, Dierks Bentley and Brad Paisley are among the artists who have previously brought their experience to the competition in mentoring or advisory roles.

From Duet Partners to The Voice Teammates

Green and Pearce’s partnership arrives at an interesting moment for both artists.

Their recent duet demonstrated how naturally their musical styles could work together, while its music video showed a playful willingness to lean into the chemistry fans already enjoyed seeing between them.

The Voice now gives audiences a different look at that relationship.

Instead of performing together, they’ll be trying to help another group of singers discover how to make their own mark.

And Green’s reason for choosing Pearce suggests this partnership is rooted in something much longer-lasting than one successful collaboration.

He was a Carly Pearce fan before he had a Nashville record deal. Years later, they’re friends, duet partners and now teammates on The Voice — with Green trusting her to help shape the singers fighting to keep their dreams alive.