Michael Bublé Says He Found Himself by ‘Impersonating’ His ‘Favorite Artists’ on ‘The Voice’

To Michael Bublé, jazz is everything.

In a compilation clip shared exclusively with PEOPLE from The Voice, the Canadian crooner opened up about his love for the music genre — and the impact it has on his life.

“The greatest gift America has ever given to the arts, in my opinion, is jazz,” Bublé, 49, says.

“The first thing that brought me toward jazz and swing was the musicality. Right away, I just loved the musicianship, the arrangements, the greatness that came with each chart,” he continues. “Then you add upon that these incredible singers who are technically gifted.”

The “Sway” singer went on the explain his role in the genre — and how it was never his intention to modernize it.

“I just wanted to make it mine and I did. Through emulating and copying my favorite artists I found myself,” he says, adding that he spent “so much time impersonating my favorite artists.”

“I was as into the Beastie Boys and to Michael Jackson as I was into Dean Martin or Bobby Darin and naturally I took some of the things that I loved about music and infused them with my love of American songbook or jazz. Thankfully, people accepted it and it worked,” he says.

Reflecting on the work he’s done thus far, Bublé is grateful that he’s been trusted to carry on the legacy that jazz and swing icons started decades ago.

“I was trusted in holding on and carrying on one of the greatest things America has ever given to the arts and it’s funny, I know Lady Gaga and I, we’re both friends and we both feel protective,” he says of Gaga, who released two collaborative albums with the late Tony Bennett.

He adds, “I look over at her and it makes me so happy that it’s in those hands. I know why Tony chose her and I just love that we’re lucky enough to be some of the chosen few that have been able to introduce it to a new generation of kids and keep it alive.”

For Bublé, it’s clear why “we’re still singing these songs a hundred years later.”

He concludes, “It doesn’t matter who you are, where you’re from, these are things that we all can relate to.”

The “Home” singer is a first-time coach on season 26 of the singing competition show alongside Gwen Stefani, Reba McEntire and Snoop Dogg.

During an appearance on Today on Sept. 23, he revealed he was approached to do the show over 15 times before he finally said yes.

Part of the reason he turned it down was because he didn’t want the pressure of judging other vocalists. “But thank God we’re not judges. The other shows have judges — we are coaches,” he said.

“And the reason I say that is because most of the singers are better than me, and I have no place ever judging anyone,” he added. “So, to get to coach them and live the fantasy of having this career that I’ve had and then get to have the fulfillment of helping someone else get that? That’s the cool part.”

The next episode of The Voice airs Monday, Oct. 6, at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.