MUMBAI: Blake Shelton is not too happy that The Voice producers might soon tell him "thank u, next."

Unverified rumors spread this week that the NBC singing competition is looking to permanently replace Shelton with someone younger, due to the popularity of this season's newbie, Ariana Grande.

But the longtime coach isn't going out without a fight and actually picked one with Grande after the reports surfaced. According to a photo dump that Grande posted on Instagram on Sept. 24, Shelton gave her his unfiltered reaction to the potentially demoralizing news.

Her text screenshot showed Shelton sharing a link to one article, which claimed, "Producers at 'The Voice' May Replace Blake Shelton After Ariana Grande Brings a 'Fresh' Energy." The country singer texted her, "Thanks a lot Ari... Thanks a f--kin' lot."

Grande hearted both of his texts, suggesting there's not actually any bad blood between the co-stars. We'll have to stay tuned to see how their hilarious dynamic plays out on TV.

Aside from Shelton's sassy messages, Grande seems to be thoroughly enjoying her first few days on The Voice. "that's a wrap on week one," she wrote alongside pics with fellow coaches Shelton, Kelly Clarkson and John Legend. "i ….. love this show and these souls and i…. just can't wait for it all."