• Usher's bad luck continues on 'The Voice'

    By Craig Berman, TODAY contributor

    Trae Patton / NBC

    Usher's not having much luck beefing up his team so far.

    Poor Usher. So far in his first season on “The Voice,” he’s having a tough time even getting his second choice of singers, and the ones he did get aren’t making him very happy.

    For the second time in two nights, the coach lost out on a singer he tried to steal. After begging for Sasha Allen only to see her choose Shakira on Monday, he couldn’t convince Caroline Glaser to pick him over Adam Levine on Tuesday. And considering Blake Shelton seemed to be steering her toward Adam, now Usher has reasons to hold a grudge against all three of his fellow coaches, plus host Carson Daly.

    Caroline suffered an agonizing defeat to Danielle Bradbery, as ultimately Blake decided that he would look pretty dumb if he passed up on the teenage Danielle and she wound up being a country star. For those of you in “The Voice” pools, this just in: Blake will almost always pick the country artist if it’s close. And while Caroline’s voice is more unique and, as Adam noted, ethereal, the coffeehouse singer is unlikely to wind up sharing a bill with Blake in Nashville, so there’s less chance of awkward dialogue backstage.

    Caroline's defeat set up some drama among the judges, which viewers had to be thankful for because the rest of the night was a whole lot of dull.

    Adam pulled a veteran coaching move and started his sales pitch before the results were even announced. “Caroline, I’m an imbecile. I actually caught it on TV and saw myself not turning around and said, ‘What is wrong with you, you idiot?’ ”

    Then once Blake picked Danielle, both Adam and Usher pounded their buttons as if the result would be decided by the speed and power of their response. Carson let Adam speak first, causing Usher to stand up on his chair in protest that he’d pushed the button first. Sadly, we did not get the slow-motion replay to determine who, in fact, shot first. You know “American Idol” would have thought of it.

    “What you do just astonishes me,” Adam said. “I don’t know why I didn’t hop to it earlier, but I can promise you that I will do everything in my power to make that up to you if you come to my team. You lost the battle but you definitely haven’t lost the war.”

    Usher was unfazed. “I love your voice. I love the potential of what I can do with you. I understand who you are. I’m willing to set myself on fire.”

    “That was my line! I said that already!” Adam protested.

    “You said it but I mean it,” Usher retorted.

    Blake chimed in with his own thoughts. “Caroline is a singer-songwriter. That’s very important to her. Which one of you can coach her as that type of an artist?”


    Adam took that to mean himself, and apparently so did Caroline. Usher was philosophical in defeat. “I gave it my best shot. I even stole one of Adam’s lines. But it didn’t work out for me.”

    Perhaps Caroline had heard stories about Usher’s coaching and shied away. He’s definitely more intense than the others, trying unique approaches to get the best out of his people, and is not afraid to challenge them in ways viewers haven’t seen from the others this season.

    Jeff Lewis found that out in his battle against Josiah Hawley. Usher wasn’t pleased that the waiter was laughing after a brutal rehearsal of “Roxanne,” and channeled his inner Joe Pesci to ask what was so funny.  Fortunately, tragedy didn’t ensue as it did in “Goodfellas,” but Jeff did lose what was the least impressive battle of the season so far.

    At least Usher has some more time to get his team in shape. And pretty soon, he’ll have more luck stealing people, if only because at this point, he’ll soon be the only one left who won’t have used up both of his opportunities. 

    Did Caroline choose the right coach? Did the right singers win the battles? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page!

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  • Shakira makes some fast steals on 'The Voice'

    Trae Patton / NBC

    New "Voice" coach Shakira wasted no time stealing talent from her opponents.

    By Craig Berman, TODAY contributor

    If you’re ever playing poker against Shakira, take note: She’s not afraid to go all-in before anyone else has had the chance to get comfortable.

    “The Voice” brought back the steal this season, with each coach getting two to use to take an opposing coach's losing singer in a battle. Shakira had used up both of hers by the end of Monday’s episode, so she’ll have to be content with sitting quietly the rest of the way while everyone else gets to swipe talent.

    Or, if she prefers, she can just take Blake Shelton’s advice after she moaned, “I never should have taken this job.”

    “Just drink, like I do,” Blake suggested.

    Shakira got started quickly, convincing Sasha Allen to pick her instead of Usher after Adam Levine declared Amber Carrington the winner of their battle. In the time-honored “What was Adam thinking?” gesture, both coaches pressed their buzzers about three words into Carson Daly’s speech about how the steal still existed.


    And while obviously this is a TV show and the coaches tend to err on the side of creating drama, Usher seemed genuinely upset that Sasha dissed him for the second time. He pushed his button for her both at her blind audition and the battle round, and both times she rejected him.

    “I didn’t see that one coming,” Usher said. He also said he was “flabbergasted” and “mortified,” which means he must not have heard Sasha’s daughter screaming for her mom to pick Shakira.

    After selecting Garrett Gardner to advance past J’Sun in her own battle, Shakira raided Adam’s team again for her second steal, taking advantage of the decision to pit Judith Hill and Karina Iglesias against each other. The two big voices made the most of their time in the ring, bowing to each other at the outset and then doing their best to bring down the light fixtures. It definitely made for an entertaining couple of minutes.

    “That was not a great battle. That was the best battle I’ve ever seen on this show,” Adam said.

    Of course, while it made for good TV, that call also meant Adam got an earful from Blake, whose feedback concluded with, “The only negative thing I'll say is that Adam's really stupid for putting you two together.”

    Shakira also called the matchup “stupid.”

    “And that was all true. I’m a stupid person with bad ideas,” Adam said. But he picked Judith, and Shakira used her final steal of the season to nab Karina.

    Blake got the other steal of the night, swiping ex-gymnast Taylor Beckham after Usher decided she’d lost her matchup against Jess Kellner. Taylor has some potential, but she still has a lot of work to do. Moreover, she’s not a country artist, and Blake used that as his self-proclaimed tie-breaker when picking Holly Tucker and the Swon Brothers as battle-round winners for his squad.

    “The Voice” continues with the battle rounds on Tuesday, and we’ll see if Shakira sits quietly or takes Blake’s advice instead.

    What do you think of Adam's decision to pair Judith and Karina against each other? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page!

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  • Shakira mocks Usher to complete her team on 'The Voice'

    By Craig Berman, TODAY contributor

    Mark Seliger/NBC

    Shakira had a little fun with fellow coach Usher Tuesday night.

    “The Voice” wrapped up its blind auditions on Tuesday, with each of the four coaches having one spot left to fill as the show kicked off. That gave Blake Shelton, Usher, Shakira and Adam Levine a difficult choice: Turn their chairs around early, secure their squad and then sit around bored stiff until everyone else finally got motivated to complete their rosters? Or wait around and hope that the next Justin Bieber walks through the door when each of the other judges had already fired all their bullets?

    Blake took the first approach, turning around in a nanosecond for Jacqui Sandell and then convincing her to pick him over Usher. And wow, was that a mistake. Not necessarily because better singers followed, but because the country star’s too antsy to sit around and twiddle his thumbs until everyone else was finished.

    So he spent the remaining 45 minutes of the episode (and goodness knows how long in real life) trying to convince the other three that whoever was onstage at that moment was the greatest performer ever, so they should turn their chairs around and let him get back home to Miranda Lambert as soon as possible.

    Adam Levine soon rounded out his own team by securing country singer Amber Carrington. With the veteran coaches both set, Shakira and Usher now had two voices urging them onward.

    “Buble! Buble!” Blake whispered to Usher when Dustin Hatzenbuehler took the stage. The hype didn’t work. The R&B star didn’t turn around, perhaps because while Dustin was pleasant enough, he was far from Buble-esque.

    Blake and Adam were moments away from asking to get their seats switched so they could be next to each other and at least play some cards while the newbies finished up, but Luke Edgemon got onstage just in time. He inspired both Usher and Shakira to turn around, and even got Shakira to do her impression of how Usher lounges around in his tilt-a-whirl chair. That broke the tie, and she got the nod.


    Had the rules been different, and had Usher been smart, he could have used being the last coach left with an incomplete roster to his advantage. Imagine if he had stretched things out, forced singer after singer to take the stage as the other three judges started falling asleep. Surely they would have offered their top singers in trade just to end this phase of the competition.

    But instead, Usher caught a break with Jessica Childress, who surely would have caused multiple coaches to fight over her had she come around earlier. Because the hopeful came in so late in the blind auditions, he got her without a fight.

    Now, it’s on to next week’s battle rounds, where a bunch of these finalists will ask themselves the time-honored question: "What on earth was I thinking when I chose this judge anyway?"

    Which coach do you think has the strongest team? Tell us on our Facebook page!

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  • 'Voice' coaches get strategic in fight for contestants

    By Craig Berman, TODAY contributor

    With the blind auditions winding down on “The Voice,” coaches Blake Shelton, Adam Levine, Shakira and Usher can’t afford to make a lot of mistakes. As a result, Monday's episode featured even more gamesmanship among the four, with a lot of waiting around to see what everyone else would do before making a commitment.

    Trae Patton/NBC

    Coaches Blake Shelton, Usher, Shakira and Adam Levine consider hopeful Mary Miranda Monday night.

    That meant that top singers had multiple coaches to choose from … and that viewers got to see the difference between a sincere sales pitch and  “Well, I guess I have to say something, since I did flip my chair around.”

    Jeff Lewis got the latter after his audition earned late chair flips from Blake, Shakira and Usher.

    “Let me get my little thing in here because I’m screwed,” Blake began. In other words, you won’t break my heart if you go the other way.  

    After a similarly tepid response from Shakira, it was up to Usher to make the sale to a guy who loved him so much that he sang an Usher song for the blind audition.


    “I’m not gonna say it will be easy. There’s a lot that comes with who I am. I just say it how it is, and I leave it to you to make the decision. If that’s what you’re all about, then come on over here, man,” Usher said.

    How’s that for love?! Well, it was enough for Jeff, who signed on what is likely to be a short stay on Team Usher.

    Next up was Shawna P, who got a chair flip from Shakira ... and what looked like the most reluctant buzzer-push in “Voice” history from Adam. The Maroon 5 frontman gamely (sort of) tried to woo her,  but Shawna bailed him out by choosing Shakira.

    Shakira also won Mary Miranda after token resistance from Blake and Usher. The Cuban native was a natural pick for the superstar, and the two guys looked like they pushed their buttons in order to push Shakira’s. (She mouthed something unkind to them when they joined her facing the stage.) Considering Miranda teared up as soon as Shakira started complimenting her, the choice was never in doubt.

    Other hopefuls caused the coaches to fight harder. Sasha Allen got all four to turn around within about 30 seconds, with Adam staring at her with undisguised longing and fascination. She chose him, causing him to exult in his success at the four-chair turnarounds.

    Blake had better luck with Grace Askew, whom he liked so much that he forgot to use his inside voice and shouted his praise like a guy who forgot there were microphones around. He got his wish, and Askew’s boots walked right over to Team Blake, though Blake was compelled to walk over to Shakira’s chair and give her a hug and a kiss for her vigorous efforts to secure Grace. Likewise picking the country star was Caroline Glaser, who impressed with her “Tiny Dancer” cover.

    Usher came through big on the last singer of the day. Despite the fact that Adam turned his chair around within seconds of Ryan Innes’ first note of gravity, Innes ignored his gut (which apparently wanted Blake), and chose Usher instead.

    “I think part of my winning is that I don’t oversell,” Usher said.

    This came seconds after telling Ryan, “You’re going far, man. You’re going all the way.”

    Then again, “oversell” is a relative term.

    Do you think any of the coaches made mistakes in turning their chairs Monday? Tell us on our Facebook page!

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  • Contestant shoots down Adam Levine on 'The Voice'

    By Craig Berman, TODAY contributor

    Trae Patton / NBC

    Audrey Karrasch wasn't shy about telling coach Adam Levine exactly what was on her mind.

    Blake Shelton went 1-2 on Tuesday night’s blind audition episode of “The Voice,” ending Adam Levine’s one-night run of stealing his country acts, but losing a former model to Usher’s winning smile.

    Ironically, the singer Blake liked first is the one who got away.

    Audrey Karrasch not only had the looks and the voice to succeed, she’s also got the spunk. Three of the four judges turned their chairs around for her, with Blake doing so a nanosecond after her first note. But when Adam, the lone judge to keep his back to her, tried to offer her advice, she shot him down.

    “You didn't even turn around. Why do you care?" she said, instantly becoming a fan favorite. Because who hasn’t wanted to say that to Adam, or any of the other judges, at some point this season?

    Audrey eventually went with Usher, but Blake had better luck with the final singer of the night.

    Savannah Berry got everyone but Usher to turn around with one of the most memorable vocals of a bland night. This time, it was Adam who was instantly smitten while Blake held off until late in the song. But when she cited Miranda Lambert as one of her influences, Adam closed his eyes and banged the back of his head against the chair. Not surprisingly, the 17-year-old who once sang with Sugarland went with Mr. Miranda Lambert.

    “It’s so easy. It’s just so easy,” Blake said. It was especially easy to predict because he hadn’t won a featured contestant yet on the episode, and the credits were about to roll.

    Aside from that, both Shakira and Usher were the lone judges to have faith in a particular contestant. Brandon Rouch won over the never-to-be-underestimated Colombian with his cover of “With a Little Help from My Friends,” while Orlando Dixon’s family sounded like they had already given up by the time Usher turned around his chair at the last minute.

    Memphis, Tenn., native Patrick Dodd went wild and crazy and sang Mark Cohn’s “Walking in Memphis.” His raspy voice compelled both Adam and Shakira to compete for him, with the Maroon 5 frontman taking the honors.

    “Shakira deserves him and you ought to be ashamed of yourself,” Blake told Adam.

    Agina Alvarez wasn’t featured, but longtime fans of the show will remember her from her failed audition a year ago. Her second chance (well, fourth chance if you count the two failed record deals that were discussed last season) paid off, and she’ll be on Team Adam this time around.


    Betsy Barta wasn’t so lucky, as the street musician didn’t inspire anyone to pick her.

    With one more week to go in the auditions, Shakira has nine singers under her wing, with three spots left to fill. Adam and Usher each have eight, while Blake still has room for a lot of Miranda Lambert disciples as he has just seven of his 12 spots taken.

    Which hopeful was your favorite of the night? Tell us on our Facebook page!

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  • Adam Levine happy to watch Blake Shelton suffer on 'The Voice'

    By Craig Berman, TODAY contributor

    Adam Taylor / NBC

    Blake Shelton lost out on a promising country singer to fellow "Voice" coach Adam Levine Monday.

    With the theme of Monday’s audition episode of the “The Voice” being All Country Singers Go to Blake Shelton and the hopelessness of the other judges in trying to stop that trend, it should come as no surprise that the shocking twist at the end of the night is that Blake finally lost one.

    Country-singing firefighter Warren Stone closed the show strong with “Colder Weather,” and Adam Levine turned his chair around right away. Shakira followed soon after, with Blake waiting until the final few seconds. The Maroon 5 frontman used that quickness to his advantage.

    “The second you uttered a couple of notes, I knew. Take that into account. I’m giving it all I got, sitting here racking my brain thinking of ways to get you to be on my team,” Adam said.

    Blake tried his best to get Stone to assimilate into the country Borg, and Shakira made a strong pitch as well, but Stone ultimately went with Adam, who jumped out of his chair in triumph.

    “Warren is my first triumph in the battle of pop versus country. I felt really honored to have him on my team, and I was also really happy to watch Blake suffer,” he said. As if to make that clearer, he later taunted, “How’s that feel, baby! My dream has come true. I finally did it.”

    “Blake and Adam have this thing going between them," Usher pointed out. "Now that he’s gotten that out of the way, they have other things to work out. Couples therapy is what I suggest.”

    “If Adam beat me with a country artist, I would dress like Cee Lo in the peacock outfit that he wore to the Grammys, but I’m not worried about it,” Blake said. Speaking for the rest of the country, Blake, stop making those kinds of boasts. Nobody wants to see that.

    Beyond that, the results were predictable. Blake might have lost one of his faves to Adam, but he picked up the duo known as The Swon Brothers and aspiring country artist Holly Tucker, though he was sheepish at failing to turn his chair for former colleague Julie Roberts.


    Usher picked up former gymnast Taylor Beckham and the intriguingly quirky Michelle Chamuel. The former Usher liked in part because any ex-elite gymnast has demonstrated both discipline and the ability to follow instructions, and embraced the latter’s goal of becoming an alternative electronic pop artist.  

    In addition, Usher also had the biggest ego-deflator of the night, asking mover Landon Medvec, “Why aren’t you a girl?” Fortunately nobody turned the show into a lecture on genetics, but for a guy from Minnesota in what he said was his first real gig, it couldn’t have been the comment he hoped to hear.

    Former “Sabado Gigante” actress Monique Abbadie was such an obvious Shakira pick that none of the other three judges tried hard to woo her.  “I’m not gonna waste everybody’s time. She’s picking Shakira. Shut up,” Blake said.

    Shakira also picked up Garrett Gardner, seconds before he was poised to be shut out at this stage for the second year in a row.

    In addition to his victory over Blake with Warren Stone, Adam also wound up with children’s voice teacher Karina Iglesias, a powerful singer in search of a niche who looked to be going home empty-handed before both Adam and Blake turned around at the last minute.

    Do you think Warren made the right choice picking Adam Levine to be his coach? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page!

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  • Blake Shelton gets no love on 'The Voice'

    By Rebecca Ford, The Hollywood Reporter

    Adam Taylor / NBC

    "Voice" coach Blake Shelton wasn't picked by any of the hopefuls Tuesday.

    After raking in stellar ratings on Monday night, "The Voice" returns for the second installment of its two-night premiere.

    The four coaches -- Shakira, Usher, Blake Shelton and Adam Levine -- continue to turn their chairs for big voices and surprising talent.

    Photos from THR: 'The Voice' teams: Season 4's performers

    Tawnya Reynolds
    Song: “Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys”
    Coaches who turned their chairs: Levine, Usher, Shakira
    This aspiring country singer couldn't get Shelton to turn his chair, but she got all three other coaches to notice her. She went with Shakira, despite Shelton's encouragement for her to choose Usher.

    Josiah Hawley
    Song: "Sunday Morning"
    Coaches who turned their chairs: Shelton, Usher, Levine
    He wants to be known as much more than a pretty face, but look at that face! The religious, married model sings "Sunday Morning," a Maroon 5 song. It's a risky move, but he gets Shelton, Usher, and yes, Levine, to turn for him. Surprisingly, he chooses Usher for his coach! Bold move. Usher serves up some even bolder dance moves in celebration.

    Midas Whale
    Song: "Folsom Prison Blues"
    Coaches who turned their chairs: All four
    This geeky, goofy folk duet belts out "Folsom Prison Blues" onstage. The first coach to turn his chair is, surprisingly, Usher, followed quickly by Shelton, Levine and Shakira. "I hope ya'll don't screw up the rest of your lives by going with one of these other coaches," says Shelton. Shakira has a long chat with them in Spanish, which is totally adorable. But the pair chooses Levine, making them his first duo ever.

    More from THR: 'Voice' gamble pays off with Usher and Shakira

    Abraham McDonald
    Song: "Best Thing I Never Had"
    Coaches who turned their chairs: None
    The 35-year-old grew up shy, but was pushed into the spotlight by his sister, who got him to compete in a karaoke contest for Oprah Winfrey. He has a voice as big as his stature, but his raspy voice doesn't turn any chairs.


    Cathia
    Song: "No Me Doy Per Vencido"
    Coaches who turned their chairs: Usher, Shakira, Shelton
    Studying music business, Cathia is looking for a mentor on the show. She takes a risk by singing in Spanish, her first language. Usher turns first, but we all know that everyone is looking towards Shakira, who turns her chair second. Shelton doesn't understand a word she's saying but he also turns his chair. The three coaches also give her a standing ovation. Shelton tries to play the veteran card, but Shakira name drops Gloria Estefan -- her own mentor. Cathia goes with Shakira, naturally.

    Sarah Simmons
    Song: "One of Us"
    Coaches who turned their chairs: All four
    After having her dad fall in and out of her life because of addiction issues, Sarah has finally rebuilt that relationship and is ready to perform for the coaches. She hits just the right note early on in her song and Shakira and Levine quickly hit their buttons. Her cool, unique, powerful voice gets Shelton and Usher to turn too. "I think you can win this thing and you may be in my top three singers I have ever heard audition for 'The Voice,' " says Shelton. But Adam's charm wins out again, and Sarah joins the Maroon 5 frontman's team.

    So Shakira and Levine add two new members to their teams, Usher adds one and Shelton fails to add a single member to Team Blake.

    Which act impressed you the most Tuesday? Tell us on our Facebook page!

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  • Usher gets a geography lesson on 'Voice' premiere

    By Ashley Lee, The Hollywood Reporter

    Adam Taylor/NBC

    New "Voice" coach Usher made a bit of a geography boo-boo on his first night of the show.

    Returning champion coaches Blake Shelton and Adam Levine welcomed single-name superstars Usher and Shakira to "The Voice" on Monday night, as season four began the Blind Auditions with banter, bribery and tear-jerking backstories.

    The new quartet of coaches began with a performance of The Beatles’ “Come Together,” further reiterating that this singing competition touts working musicians who each play instruments as mentors. As the only female coach on the show, Shakira knows she’s got big shoes to fill -- so if you miss Christina Aguilera belting on Cee Lo Green’s “Crazy” by Gnarls Barkley, Shakira makes up for it with...a harmonica.

    Meet the first additions to "The Voice’s" fourth season (and the ones who almost made the cut):

    The Morgan Twins
    Song: “Fallin’”

    Coaches Who Turned Their Chairs: All four. How else would the show kick off the blinds?

    The coaches had no idea that a pair of blonde bombshells in red cocktail dresses were standing behind them. But after one sister nailed Alicia Keys'signature opening, Shelton and Usher immediately hit their buttons, with the other two coaches following suit. “This is a dream come true for most...men,” jokes Shelton. “Like a damn Doublemint commercial!” Looks like being a two-time champion is a nice selling point -- the duo opts for Team Blake, even if it does get him in trouble with wife Miranda Lambert.

    Jess Kellner
    Song: “Can’t Help Falling in Love”

    Coaches Who Turned Their Chairs: Usher and Shakira

    Using music to heal emotional scars from an alcoholic mother, Kellner’s brassy tone and patient phrasing departed from typical "Voice" auditions. Shakira took a nurturing approach -- praising the “haunting” timbre of her voice -- but Usher simply smiled with his leg up on that rotating chair and let his sex appeal ooze out. Clearly, the latter approach works, as Team Usher gained a first contestant.


    Mark Andrew
    Song: “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door”

    Coaches Who Turned Their Chairs: Levine, Shakira

    Andrew -- a vocal blend of "Voice" alumni Tony Lucca and Nicholas David -- was hesitant to give music a second try, after two of his former band members recently passed away. After Shakira pointing out that Levine only won with a beginner’s luck that she now has (“Don’t be blinded by lust, my friend!” pleaded Levine), the “Hips Don’t Lie” singer successfully recruited Andrew. Looks like sex appeal won again, even when she’s pregnant!

    Janetza Miranda
    Song: “Titanium”

    Coaches Who Turned Their Chairs: none

    The Bachata singer who rocks bird call wanted Shakira to coach her to a bilingual musical career. After a shaky, nervous performance, the pitchy powerhouse is consoled with hugs from a compassionate Levine.

    Danielle Bradbery
    Song: “Mean”

    Coaches Who Turned Their Chairs: Shelton, Usher, Levine

    Bullied as a kid for having bad teeth, the 16-year-old stuck it to haters with the Taylor Swift song, and turned three chairs. While Usher tried bribing her with Justin Bieber meet-and-greets, he accidentally referred to the city of Nashville as a state -- a geography flub that must have cost him. Bradbery chose Team Blake, probably with hopes of following last season’s winner Cassadee Pope into the country music scene.

    Vedo
    Song: “Boyfriend”

    Coaches Who Turned Their Chairs: Usher

    With experiences of homelessness and a mother with stage-IV lung cancer, this R&B singer sang through the whispers of the Justin Bieber hit and received a standing ovation -- and his first-choice coach.

    Christian Porter

    Song: “Sexy and I Know It”

    Coaches Who Turned Their Chairs: Shakira, Shelton, Usher

    The bar musician (aka a champion of covers) took a creative risk and put a blues twist on the LMFAO hit that displayed his vocal range and got Shakira all hot and bothered. “The women were going so crazy, I really thought I was gonna turn to a stripshow!” said Usher, and Shelton scolded an audience member who shouted for Porter to choose Shakira. Looks like intimidation worked -- Porter then chose Shelton.

    Leah Lewis
    Song: “Blown Away”

    Coaches Who Turned Their Chairs: none

    Lewis was adopted from China as an infant and hopes to break the country music stereotype as an Asian American. Though the 15-year-old blew raw and untrained notes throughout the performance, there’s no doubt "The Voice" will be seeing her again. “if you’re 99 percent amazing and you’re fifteen, you have nothing to worry about, sweetheart,” said Levine as she left.

    Kris Thomas
    Song: “Saving All My Love For You”

    Coaches Who Turned Their Chairs: Shakira

    This pastor’s son fell into depression and alcoholism after losing a record deal, and got a wake-up call when he found himself drunk at the wheel. Only Shakira picked up on Thomas’ feminine timbre and controlled falsettos, while the other three coaches were surprised to see a man standing before them. “I wish I knew you were a guy!” shouted Levine with regret; “Women go crazy over a guy with falsetto; they love that,” Usher (who discovered Bieber) told Shakira.

    James Irwin
    Song: “The Man Who Can’t Be Moved”

    Coaches Who Turned Their Chairs: none

    A carpenter whose twin daughters died only minutes after a premature birth, Irwin’s subdued performance didn’t turn any chairs. “Life, thank God, is full of second and third chances,” said Shakira to Irwin. “You should try it again, because you deserve to come back.”

    Judith Hill
    Song: “What a Girl Wants”

    Coaches Who Turned Their Chairs: All four

    The female duet singer and background singer set for Michael Jackson’s This Is It tour spent two months rehearsing with the legend before he passed away. Though offers poured in after she sang at Jackson’s memorial service, Hill said “it seemed like poor taste” and instead opted to try "The Voice" and put a soulful spin on coach Aguilera’s early hit. “You’re the first person who’s ever done a Christina song, and done it as well as Christina Aguilera,” says Levine. After plenty of four-way banter, Hill became Levine’s first contestant of season four.

    But all of this is only half the story -- the two-night premiere of "The Voice" continues Tuesday night at 8 p.m. on NBC.

    How do you think the new judges did on their first night? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page!

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  • Blake Shelton: Usher is a 'thorn in my side' on 'The Voice'

    By Susan C. Young, TODAY contributor

    Mark Seliger / NBC

    Blake Shelton and new "Voice" coach Usher.

    Blake Shelton says he’s not going to BS  – “The Voice” is going to be different when it comes back Monday night.

    Gone are fellow coaches Cee Lo Green and Christina Aguilera. Their revolving red thrones will now be occupied by one-name wonders Shakira and Usher.

    “It’s different with different personalities and a different chemistry,” Shelton shared at NBC's party at the TV Critic's winter press tour.

    For one thing, he and fellow returning coach Adam Levine will be competing with smooth operator Usher and international superstar Shakira for the best competitors on the “The Voice.”

    Right away, he knew Usher would be a fierce competitor.

    “This is the guy who found Justin Bieber,” Shelton said. “That's what we are trying to do on this show, and he’s already done it.”

    The country superstar knew a lot about Usher, but less about Shakira before the show started.

    “The most intimidating thing came later. I had heard of Shakira, but one day I Googled her and Wikipediaed her,” Shelton said. “And I saw where she had sold over a 100 million records and I was like, ‘What the (expletive)?!’ ”

    He said that’s when he and Levine looked at each other and said, “Hey, we’ve been worrying about the wrong person.”

    The pre-voting shows have already been recorded, and although Shelton has won the last two battles with his team representative, he said he often gets shut down when he and other judges turn for the same contestant – and have to woo the singer to their respective teams.

    “The thorn in my side many times was Usher,” Shelton said. “Adam always takes artists away from me and I’m used to that. But when Usher would turn around, especially if it was a girl, they would just melt when they saw that guy. So yeah, he was a problem.”

    Not that it was so easy with Shakira, though.

    “This is a girl who knows how to affect an audience, and she does it worldwide, ” Shelton said. “I’m excited when I leave Oklahoma and somebody knows who I am.”

    But does he engage in a little nose rubbing when it comes to his past wins?


    “I don’t mention it unless I’m around Adam, knowing how competitive he is and what a baby he can be,” Shelton said with an impish grin.

    For fans eager to watch how well the new judges mesh with the vets, there will be a spectacular joint performance.

    “I’m not going to say which song because somebody will be bitching at me,” Shelton said. “I will say the only thing that compares to it was the first season when we did Cee Lo’s ‘Crazy.’ I felt we were truly a band.”

    "The Voice" airs Mondays and Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on NBC.

    How do you think the new group of coaches will do this season? Tell us on our Facebook page!

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  • 'The Voice' season premiere promises to be 'best episode' ever

    By Ree Hines, TODAY contributor

    Get ready for some chair-spinning action -- "The Voice" returns for an all-new season of the talent competition Monday night. But this time, the would-be contestants won't be the only new part of the show.

    Coaches Usher and Shakira are joining the act, filling the spots vacated by Christina Aguilera and Cee Lo Green -- not that the shakeup should concern faithful fans. According to host Carson Daly, the new additions just add to the appeal.


    "You're looking at a guy that could have been on any one of these (TV  talent) shows," Daly said, gesturing toward Usher, who joined him on TODAY Monday morning. "But him and Shakira, they were fans of 'The Voice,' and that was a great place to start."

    It's especially great for fellow fans, who have high hopes for season four.

    "(Monday night) is the best episode of 'The Voice' ever," Daly added, "and it's in large part to Usher and Shakira, Blake (Shelton) and Adam (Levine)."

    As for Usher, he offered a sneak peek of the talent reviews to come by evaluating TODAY's Matt Lauer -- who didn't even sing.

    "Well, the first thing that I have to make you aware of is that you were incredible -- an incredible talent," the singer said with a smile before demonstrating how he would persuade Lauer to join his team. "In my opinion, I think that you need a coach that really understands how to nurture your talent. Now you've heard from the rest of them, you need to rock with the best of them."

    See just how the actual auditioners handle the evaluations when the "The Voice" returns Monday at 8 p.m. on NBC.

    Are you looking forward to seeing what Usher and fellow new coach Shakira bring to "The Voice"? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page.

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  • Alleged Manti Te'o hoax mastermind auditioned for 'The Voice'

    By Courtney Hazlett, TODAY

    The man who has emerged as a central figure in the Manti Te'o hoax auditioned for "The Voice," TODAY.com can confirm.

    Ronaiah Tuiasosopo, reportedly a friend of Te'o's, tried out to be a contestant on the singing competition show, which is broadcast on NBC.

    Deadspin, which broke the news about the truth behind the inspirational story that was being told about the Notre Dame footballer, identified Tuiasosopo as a "high-school quarterback turned religious musician." Tuiasosopo's music career is not well established, but he's posted a number of songs that feature singing and keyboard playing on YouTube. "Saved Again," below, is one of them; Tuiasosopo calls it "an original."

    On many of the YouTube postings, Tuiasosopo urges people to follow him at the Twitter account @iworship, which is also the account he was using when Te'o and Tuiasosopo communicated via the social network. However, the account has since been deactivated and reclaimed. Although the profile summary uses the name "Ronaiah," it's not clear who owns it now.

    According to Deadspin, Tuiasosopo is the alleged mastermind behind Te'o's fabricated online girlfriend, Lennay Kekua, who supposedly died after battling cancer.

    Te'o has maintained that he was the victim of an elaborate hoax.


    "This is incredibly embarrassing to talk about, but over an extended period of time, I developed an emotional relationship with a woman I met online. We maintained what I thought to be an authentic relationship by communicating frequently online and on the phone, and I grew to care deeply about her," he said in a statement released to the press. "To realize that I was the victim of what was apparently someone’s sick joke and constant lies was, and is, painful and humiliating."

    Tuiasosopo has not commented on the situation. However, Alema Te'o, Manti's great uncle, did not mince words when talking about Tuiasosopo's connection to Manti and the hoax during a radio interview on Thursday.

    "Ronaiah Tuiasosopo is a liar, he concocted the whole thing, he misrepresented whatever program that he was trying to get across to Manti, and shoot, he lied every step of the way. I don’t feel it’s beyond him to hire somebody or bring somebody in to play the role of Lennay to get Manti to buy into this deal."

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  • Did Shakira give birth to her baby, or did daddy Gerard Pique just prank fans?

    Scott Heavey / Getty Images

    Shakira and Gerard Pique.

    Based on his recent Twitter feed, FC Barcelona soccer star Gerard Pique has become a dad -- which means his girlfriend, singer and "Voice" mentor Shakira has become a mom. 

    But not so fast. Eagle-eyed fans will note that he made his announcement on Dec. 27 -- and Dec. 28 is a day reserved in some countries (such as Spain and Latin America) for jokes and pranks, like April Fool's Day.

    Check out the two posts Pique made:

     

    Initially the first tweet caused waves of interest from news outlets, but when Shakira herself failed to also tweet the good news -- and Pique went silent for the next 11 hours with no follow up -- it appeared that the news might be a bit premature. His most recent post, actually noting the "prank" day, seems to confirm that he was just joking.

    Still, a baby is definitely on the way; the couple, who met while Shakira was filming a video for the South Africa World Cup, announced via Facebook in September that they were expecting a child.


    "Gerard and I are very happy awaiting the arrival of our first baby," said the 35-year-old singer and new mentor on "The Voice." "At this time, we have decided to give priority to this unique moment in our lives and postpone all the promotional activities planned over the next few days."

    Looks like they'll have to extend those postponements a little longer.

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