Last night, "The Voice" Season 3 premiered, and perhaps a moment too soon. After all, it'd only been four months since Season 2 of "The Voice" wrapped. And with the series airing in the fall for the first time, up against some other major network shows, it had its lowest-rated season premiere ever. But will that stop my Yahoo! colleague/fellow pop-culture junkie Matt Whitfield and I from talking about it today? Heck no! We admit that we still missed "The Voice"...and from Xtina's ill-advised trapeze-aerialist leotard to a slew of new standout contestants, there is still plenty to discuss today.

photo: Ian DittbrennerSeason 8 "American Idol" champ Kris Allen has been tirelessly touring in support of his recently released third album, Thank You Camellia, playing everywhere from a rained-out ball game at Boston's Fenway Park (he jammed in a warm-and-dry stairwell instead), to Pet-A-Palooza, to even a guerrilla gig at the Santa Monica Pier that got busted up by an overzealous patrolman. So Kris fans probably think they've seen it all from this guy...but now they're in for yet another musical configuration, as showcased in a series of intimate new performances shot at Yahoo!'s studios in Los Angeles.

Well, it's only been four months since Jermaine What's-His-Name won "The Voice" Season 2, and already Adam Levine, Christina Aguilera, Blake Shelton, and Cee Lo Green are back on NBC, searching for yet another singer who won't sell any records. Oh snap. Okay, yes, that sounds a little harsh and jaded. To be fair, Jermaine Paul hasn't even released an album yet--but that's precisely my point. Isn't it too soon for "The Voice" to be coming back? How can we miss it if it won't go away?

Well, like it or not, "The Voice" is back, and, to be honest, I did miss it just a bit. (Most of all, though, I missed Cee Lo's feline mascot, Purrfect, who apparently has been replaced by a considerably less cuddly pink cocktaoo.) "The Voice" is the TV talent show with arguably the widest and most impressive range of singing talent, even if that talent is too often overshadowed by the show's superstar judges, and Season 3's Monday premiere did not disappoint in that department.