Universal City, California – NBC has picked up the fourth and fifth cycles of the hit music competition series The Voice for Spring and Fall 2013 in the U.S.

Robert Greenblatt, Chairman, NBC Entertainment, who made the announcement, also added that music stars Usher and Shakira will come on board the show as rotating coaches, joining Blake Shelton and Adam Levine in the fourth series. Current coaches Christina Aguilera, who is releasing a new album and going on tour, and Cee Lo Green, who is developing new music plus a scripted comedy series for NBC based on his life, will take the Spring 2013 cycle off.

The Voice has generated strong ratings at the start of its third season, averaging a 4.5 rating through its first two Mondays in adults 18-49 and a 4.3 on its opening two Tuesdays, while in total viewers, the show has averaged 12.9 million persons on Monday and 12.5 million on Tuesday, according to Nielsen Media Research.

The show’s innovative format features four stages of competition: the first begins with the blind audition, then the battle round, the brand new knockouts and finally, the LIVE performance shows.

The Voice is a presentation of Mark Burnett’s One Three Media, Talpa Media USA Inc. and Warner Horizon Television. The series is created by John de Mol, who executive-produces along with Burnett, Audrey Morrissey, Stijn Bakkers and Lee Metzger.