Among the many exciting rule changes for Season 28 of The Voice, there’s an all-new opportunity open to Artists during Knockouts, and they don’t have to win — or even make it to the Live Shows — in order to get it!

“We have a new thing called the Mic Drop button, and each Coach gets to select one of their Artists,” Coach Reba McEntire said about the new feature.

“Someone could really step up from the Battles and really tear the roof off, and then it’s undeniable and you have to use your Mic Drop,” added Coach Niall Horan.

“And then we turn them over to the voters of America, and they pick who’s gonna get to perform at the Rose [Parade],” finished McEntire.

Basically, over the course of the Knockouts, each Coach gets to select one performance that went above and beyond, and among those four, America will vote for which Artist gets to sing in the New Year’s Day Rose Parade, a huge opportunity for any up-and-coming singer!

How the Coaches choose their Mic Drops on The Voice

Aaron Nichols performs on The Voice Season 28 Episode 6.

Photo: Griffin Nagel/NBC

Like so much on The Voice, a Mic Drop is triggered by pushing the big red button. And it will probably come down to gut instinct and hearing something unexpected on stage. “I’m anxious to see who’s gonna get that top notch performance that deserves it,” said Coach Snoop Dogg, adding, “Because I got a couple people that could get it, but they just gotta prove it.”

Coach Michael Bublé said simply, “My Mic Drop will be used for the most incredible performance on my team.” When Horan expressed nerves about choosing his Mic Drop winner, Bublé offered to give him a thumbs-up or thumbs-down about when he should or shouldn’t press the button.

During the Knockouts, the Artists will also have the benefit of extra guidance from the Season 28 Mega Mentors, Zac Brown of Zac Brown Band and Joe Walsh of the Eagles! Walsh will be assisting Team Reba and Team Niall, while Brown is helping out with Team Snoop and Team Bublé.

Both are rock stars with years of experience in the business and have played venues and events as big as (and bigger than) the Rose Parade. So they can help the Artists prepare for audiences of any size.

Being on The Voice is the biggest opportunity of all

Lauren Anderson performs on The Voice Season 28 Episode 9.

Photo: Griffin Nagel/NBC

It’s not just the winner who gets a huge boost from The Voice. After his first season as a Coach, Bublé realized even the Artists he’d sent home were thriving thanks to the amount of exposure the show brings. “Their lives had changed…their careers had started. They started to create a business that could go on…Their socials have grown…just from being on this massive television program that has seven to 11 million people watching all over the planet,” he reflected. “I didn’t realize at the time because I had thought of this as an end-goal thing.”

“There was literally not one negative part,” Bublé added. “This is about the Artists, for the Artists. It’s not about us. We love being here. We love being part of the process. There’s a reason why we’ve come and gone, and the people in the red seats change, but the show stays successful. It’s because they’ve made sure they are so protective of the Artists. And that’s the legacy of the show.”