Kelly Clarkson has decided to break away from her long locks. When the “Behind These Hazel Eyes” singer announced that she is returning to The Voice in Spring 2026 for season 29, she also debuted a shorter hairdo, trading her signature blonde waves for a side-swept, darker style. In a July 22 Instagram video alongside fellow returning coaches John Legend and Adam Levine, Kelly rocked the shoulder-length bob while sporting a loose-collared white button shirt, black slacks and matching black pumps.
“This time, we got some tricks up our sleeves,” the 43-year-old teased of the upcoming season. “Y’all get ready.” And while Kelly-who shares kids River Rose, 11, and Remington Alexander, 9, with ex-husband Brandon Blackstock-seems to have ditched her longer ‘do, she isn’t the first member of the NBC family to opt for a chop this summer. Last month, Today with Jenna & Friends namesake Jenna Bush Hager was inspired by guest co-host Leslie Bibb’s signature bob and received a dramatic haircut live on the morning show.
“This is my hair,” Jenna told the White Lotus actress while debuting her final haircut on the June 17 episode of the show. “I feel a little You know that ’90s movie Single White Female, where you try to copy somebody to such an extent? You made this haircut so famous and then I used your hairstylist, who is a star, to get the exact same haircut and I’m feeling a little strange.”
Although the former First Daughter may have felt a bit hesitant at first, Chris McMillan-the hairstylist behind Jenna’s new ‘do, who also created Jennifer Aniston’s iconic Friends haircut “The Rachel”-explained that short hair is the trend of the summer.
“People are, for the summer, going for a chop above the shoulders,” the stylist told E! News last month. “As dramatic as it is, it grows out. It grows out and it’s going to be really healthy. You’ve got a nice perimeter. You get rid of the dead ends. You get rid of some bad color. You even have some layers. It’s sort of like a re-diagnose of the hair.