My new deal with TODAY.com means that they have first rights on all my red-carpet interviews. As such I have to wait (usually until Wednesday) to see what they choose to publish. I can then shop those to other outlets, like Fanhattan and Starpulse…but then I have to wait again until they publish. So, I’m still doing every interview, but it’s a longer process for you to be able to see them.

Rest assured, no matter how long it takes, I will publish every artist interview I’m given. I remain committed to giving every Voice artist their…erm, voice. However I have to do that and however long it takes.

Recap

• Monday Recap: May 13′s Highlights (Fanhattan)
• End-of-Week Recap: Did Song Choice Eliminate Another Artist? (Starpulse)

Interviews

• Monday Interview: Vedo and Kris Thomas (Fanhattan)
• Monday Interview: The Swon Brothers (Fanhattan)
• Tuesday Interview: Carson Daly and Shakira (TODAY.com)
• Tuesday Interview: Carson Daly (Fanhattan)
• Tuesday Interview: Vedo and Garrett Gardner (TODAY.com)

News

• Adam Levine Honored With BMI President’s Award (Starpulse)

Host Carson Daly opened Wednesday’s The Voice results show by announcing that there had been “inconsistencies” found during the first round of live playoff voting, but assured fans that the situation did not affect the outcome.

Daly brought on stage Jason George, the CEO of Telescope – the company which oversees voting for not only The Voice, but other reality competitions as well. Daly then revealed, “We noticed some inconsistencies in this week’s texting and online voting.”

“For complete fairness, votes cast via text and online were not included in the voting results,” he went on to state, adding that, “Telescope certifies removing those votes did not affect the voting for any team.”

Neither Daly nor George explained specifically what was meant by “inconsistencies,” nor did they offer any details about how the issues were detected.

The admission did not come as a surprise to many The Voice fans, who reached out to the show’s official Facebook and Twitter accounts on Tuesday to speak up about problems voting. As of 11:30 PM PST (an hour and a half after the show’s West Coast airing), both The Voice Facebook app and show website were stating that voting was closed, when in reality it ended at 10 AM EST on Wednesday morning.

Further complicating matters, a Twitter user with the handle @NAIDetectives tweeted on Tuesday that the phone number given to vote for Team Shakira’s Karina Iglesias was wrong. Iglesias was eliminated on Wednesday.

Yet with Daly asserting that the removal of text and online votes made no difference, four artists were dropped from The Voice as scheduled: Iglesias, Caroline Glaser, Justin Rivers and Cathia.

Did the voting issues really not affect Wednesday’s results?

Without knowing the specifics of the tabulation process, it’s hard to say for sure. However, it seems doubtful. With the disqualification of text and online methods, the only votes that counted were from iTunes and phones. Yet at least one phone number may have been wrong.

In addition, iTunes voting was more difficult this week, as the usual link to purchase The Voice singles was missing from the iTunes Store front page. Not to mention that iTunes voting is one of the least popular methods to use, as it requires that a fan must purchase an artist’s single for each vote they want to cast – at $1.29 a pop. If you vote the maximum number of times, that will cost you $12.99.

It’s not implausible to say that there may have been many more votes cast by people who prefer to vote strictly online – people who were not able to vote at all because of the website and Facebook errors.

The Voice has a recent history of complicating voting. Starting in season three, the show introduced a new rule in which an artist’s number of iTunes votes is multiplied by 10 if their song is charting in the iTunes Top 10 at close of voting. This greater emphasis on downloads may have proved which artists sell better, but it also marginalized the other methods. Fans could easily tell which artists would be leaving by inspecting the charts, with eventual winner Cassadee Pope a virtual lock due to her string of iTunes hits. Meanwhile, those unwilling or unable to spend money questioned how much their votes mattered.

Now The Voice has another voting controversy. Despite the reasonable doubt, it’s not hard to see why NBC proceeded with Wednesday’s elimination show. The alternative would have been to allow all 16 artists to perform again next week. But that would also have required adding a week to the season’s schedule, and the network has already set The Voice finale for June 18.

(c)2013 Brittany Frederick/Big Red Chairs. Excerpts appear at Starpulse and Examiner with permission. All rights reserved. No reproduction permitted. Visit my official website and follow me on Twitter at @bigredchairs.

After Team Adam and Team Usher performed on last night’s The Voice, it’s time for Team Blake and Team Shakira. Blake is overjoyed that he has a team of all country artists, restating his dream of bringing a country artist to the grand finale. Shakira, on the other hand, is nervous and comparing herself to a mama bird. Usher and Adam are asked to reflect on how their teams did the night before, and dole out the usual amount of praise, as if Carson expects that one of them is going to go on live television and say something negative about their artists.

Team Blake starts the show, with a clip package of them getting coaching at a karaoke bar. Being taken to a karaoke bar by Blake Shelton has to be one of the most awesome experiences on the planet. Performances of party songs ensue, with the most entertaining of them being Danielle Bradbery laughing her way through “YMCA.” This segues right into Team Blake’s group performance of “Boondocks.” Such a Blake choice, and it sounds exactly like you’d expect it to.

Leading off the individual songs is Team Shakira’s second-chance artist, Garrett Gardner. Shakira has asked him to sing John Lennon’s “Imagine” – an iconic tune if there ever was one – and play the piano. Turns out that Garrett is a Lennon “fanatic,” so that must add a little pressure for him, too. However, he’s got nothing to worry about. His version is pretty darn fantastic, and if he can pass muster with Adam, who is a well-known admirer of that track, he should get through to the next round. On another note, Usher confuses the words “computer” and “piano.”

Usher: I’m happy to see you at a computer…I’m happy to see you at a piano.

Following Garrett is Team Blake’s Holly Tucker, with “How Do I Live” by LeAnn Rimes, best known as the closing theme from the 1997 Nicolas Cage-John Cusack flick Con Air. Blake wants to see her have more fun because she’s so hard on herself. If you’ve ever heard the original version of this song, Holly has the power to give the track the push that it needs. It’s a straightforward country ballad done by a straightforward country artist, and Blake is way too excited about it.

Carson: He’s a proud papa…and he’s been drinking.

In the middle of uniform applause for Holly, there’s this lovely gem:

Adam: You’re better looking and more talented than Blake is.

Blake’s so happy, he applauds that, too. Maybe we should cut off his supply of Starbucks lattes but that probably wouldn’t help much. Moving on, it’s Team Shakira’s Kris Thomas. Shakira has assigned him Bruno Mars’ “When I Was Your Man” (there’s a lot of Bruno Mars love on the show this season). The two of them sing part of the song together during rehearsal, which throws Kris for an understandable loop. His performance is solid, if a bit nervous, as Adam points out. Blake points out that people should be nervous under these circumstances. Going on to try and describe the difference between male and female singers, he then makes Carson wish they weren’t on live TV.

Carson: It’s clear tonight Blake doesn’t know what a ‘girl place’ is. Thanks for that.

Kris is continuing to work hard every week, and there’s no huge fault with anything he’s done so far. If there’s a question about him, it’s if he might run into some trouble later on in the competition, when he could up splitting the R&B vote with Vedo.

Next to perform are the show’s only remaining duo, Team Blake’s The Swon Brothers. Their take on Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s “Fishing in the Dark” is the usual good time we’ve come to expect from them. Shakira points out how they make her feel at ease and comfortable. Adam is happy that Blake finally has his country moment, and then mentions that an instrument was out of tune. Blake laughs at Adam for not knowing the song, which is ill-advised, as Adam points out in his retort:

Adam: You never know any songs ever. The first song I didn’t know. Leave me alone.

After more Sprint Skybox chatter, Blake and Shakira combine for Lady Antebellum’s “Need You Now.” You wouldn’t expect a Latin superstar to handle a country song so well, but she does. Even though she has a noticeable accent, Shakira enunciates the lyrics better than some American singers out there. Blake, of course, could probably perform this song while asleep. As an added bonus, you can even see Usher clapping and singing along. If you missed that duet, it’s at the end of this recap.

Team Shakira’s Karina Iglesias has to follow that, with her version of Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together.” Hearing that, Adam is disappointed that he let her go. Blake laughs at Adam admitting to his mistake. Everyone thinks Karina did well. Following her is Team Blake’s Justin Rivers, whom Blake has handed Diamond Rio’s “Meet in the Middle.” Usher believes Justin’s performance was cool even though he felt like he was the only person who didn’t know what was going on. Then there’s Adam.

Adam: I like that there’s a country artist that’s genuinely a threat to Blake’s career. That’s kinda awesome.

Shakira takes her team to meet with her choreographer in order to prepare for their performance of “We Are The Champions.” They’re going to have to work hard because the song was already covered well, first by the coaches and then by Season 2′s Tony Vincent. No one can deny they’re trying, but it’s just not the fist-pumping rock anthem this particular song should always be.

NBC has wisely saved two of the stronger artists to the end of the show. The first is Team Blake’s Danielle Bradbery, with the Pam Tillis song “Maybe It Was Memphis,” which Blake correctly predicts a lot of peole won’t know.  Those people certainly know the song now as Danielle continues to perform like someone a lot older and more experienced than she is. After Adam jokes that Blake has never said any wise words, he crowns Danielle one of the best singers in the competition, and reminds us all that she’s just sixteen years old. We can now all look back on what we were doing at sixteen and feel inadequate.

Finishing off the night is Team Shakira’s Sasha Allen, with “Oh! Darling.” Juliet Simms pretty much delivered the definitive version of this song in Season 2, but Sasha hits some crazy notes in her version. Adam suggests she could win the show if she were on Carson’s team. Blake laughs at Adam again and continues to do so up until the point where Shakira starts talking. It’s clear that Sasha has won over the coaches, and she probably made a few new fans, too.

You can vote to save your favorites from Team Blake and Team Shakira until tomorrow morning (voting has closed for Team Adam and Team Blake) on nbc.com, Facebook, and iTunes. Once you’ve done that, don’t forget to tune in to a special results show tomorrow night, when four artists will be sent home, leaving your Top 12.

(c)2013 Brittany Frederick/Big Red Chairs. Excerpts appear at Starpulse and Examiner with permission. All rights reserved. No reproduction permitted. Visit my official website and follow me on Twitter at @bigredchairs.

Starting The Voice live shows – and first to sing for your vote -  are Team Adam and Team Usher. Fans know that anything can happen during live playoffs, especially on the first night. So how did the introductory chapter of season four go?

First of all, Team Usher has their own labeled sweatshirts. Their coach has brought them to the gym in order to get them in gear for their first group performance, which surprises Josiah, who didn’t expect to be working out for a singing competition. He finds out that singing and exercising simultaneously is difficult. Carson makes a slightly corny Floyd Mayweather joke before Team Usher performs “Black and Gold” on an appropriately colored stage. It’s exactly the performance you’d expect from a team coached by an R&B singer.

Team Adam’s Amber Carrington gets the first solo spot. The wardrobe department seems to love dressing her in black. She’s singing “Stay” by Rihanna, which is something simpler and more emotional than what we’ve heard from her before. In keeping with that approach, the setup of her stage is pretty minimal, allowing us to focus on the clarity of her vocals. Adam gives Amber a standing ovation, while Blake thinks she set the bar for the evening pretty high before plugging the official coffee carrier of The Voice.

Blake: Makes me want to thank Starbucks for this latte.

Number two on the set list – after another awkward Sprint Skybox segment – is Team Usher’s Josiah Hawley. His take on “Starlight” by Muse is stronger than the performances we’ve seen from him previously, but it still doesn’t quite reach out and grab you like other artists have done. Carson thinks it sounded great. Shakira thinks it’s Josiah’s best performance so far. Adam approves of Usher’s coaching. Then there’s Blake being Blake.

Blake: Looks like the world’s going to lose a male model. I’m gonna have to fill in.

Following that is Team Adam’s Sarah Simmons, who’s selected Sarah McLachlan’s “Angel.” It’s a song guaranteed to make people cry; ask Javier Colon, who did it in season one. Sarah’s voice has a tone to it that is reminiscent of McLachlan, so it’s a great choice and you can see the emotional connection she has to the lyrics. It’s also worth noting that Sarah almost always enunciates, which is something that’s underappreciated in music. Blake calls her angelic and tells his team to do that, while Usher offers just some mild criticism, before Shakira whips out some more Spanish. And Adam? Oh, just calls her one of the most incredible singers he’s ever heard. No big deal.

There’s another break in the competition for Carson to chat up Today‘s Savannah Guthrie and Al Roker, in the first installment of NBC cross-promotion. Once that’s over, it’s time for Team Usher’s Cathia and her version of Whitney Houston’s “I Have Nothing,” which has been done by Cheesa in season two and Devyn DeLoera in season three. We learn that the song was Usher’s choice, though, and he probably didn’t know that. While Cathia delivers a good effort, it comes across as more volume than emotion. Shakira doesn’t agree with the song choice. Carson doesn’t care what Adam thinks. Usher is a bit vague, talking more about how he believes in Cathia than anything else.

He takes a break to team with Adam on a cover of “Superstition” complete with horns. It’s pretty darned fun, and it makes you wonder if the show’s going to ask Shakira and Blake to collaborate next (it’d be fair, wouldn’t it?). Once the coaches have left the stage, it’s time for Team Adam’s Caroline Glaser. Adam hands her Ed Sheeran’s “The A Team,” which is a pretty popular song of recent, so that adds to the challenge. She admits to being nervous, but it definitely doesn’t come across on stage. Blake comments on his latte again. Adam nearly facepalms.

Adam: Did they pay you or something?

Team Usher’s Vedo sings Phil Collins’ “Against All Odds,” which was previously done by another R&B vocalist, Jermaine Paul. But it’s another coach’s choice. Vedo doesn’t even know who Phil Collins is. After another emotional performance from Vedo that is pretty impressive for a guy who’d never heard of the original artist before, Shakira makes a comment about the universe and Adam busts out a faux-Italian accent. It’s one of the most random segments of coach feedback in the history of the show.

The spotlight then turns to the entirety of Team Adam, as they visit Adam’s family’s clothing store, meet Adam’s stylist and get some fashion tips before they gather for their group version of Florence and the Machine’s “Shake It Out.” But they do not have matching sweatshirts. As you’d expect from a team of ladies handed an epic song by a female vocalist, they nail their collaboration, particularly Amber and the ever-impressive Judith Hill. If one of them doesn’t win this season, they could always get back together as a group act.

After that comes Team Usher’s Michelle Chamuel, performing Cyndi Lauper’s “True Colors.” Usher thinks it’s a perfect song for Michelle, going so far as to bring out a mirror because he wants her to see how the song applies to her. Her rendition isn’t quite as alive as the one by James Massone in season two, but it has an earnestness to it that makes it likeable. Adam thinks it was a breakout moment for her, and Blake is annoyed that he didn’t get to say that first. The consensus is another great performance.

Last but not least is the woman everyone is waiting for: Team Adam’s Judith Hill. What’s she going to do in order to continue wowing the audience? That would be “Feeling Good” by Nina Simone, which Dez Duron did a fantastic version of last season, but if anyone can bring as much soul as he did, it’s Judith. Adam thinks this is a statement performance for Judith, specifically citing her former teammate Sasha Allen as tough competition. Not to discount Sasha, but Judith has nothing to worry about based on what she does, which is a rendition that wouldn’t be out of place on a Broadway stage. She knows how to command an audience, and considering it’s the audience that’s deciding her fate, that’s a very good thing.

Usher: You came out here and you took us to church.

On that high note, the first live playoff night draws to a close. Tune in tomorrow to see Team Blake and Team Shakira take the stage – and then watch Wednesday to find out which artists won’t make America’s first cut to be named ‘The Voice’ for season four.

(c)2013 Brittany Frederick/Big Red Chairs. Excerpts appear at Starpulse and Examiner with permission. All rights reserved. No reproduction permitted. Visit my official website and follow me on Twitter at @bigredchairs.

Team Blake and Team Usher, it’s your turn! After Team Adam and Team Shakira had their ranks thinned last night on The Voice, now it’s time to see who’s left standing from the other two squads.

It’s Team Blake that goes first, and Blake pairs up early favorite Savannah Berry with the guy who shocked us all in battles, Justin Rivers. This could potentially be disaster for him, as both these artists are not to be trifled with. Savannah decides to sing Justin Bieber’s “As Long As You Love Me.” Blake wonders if Savannah could be his Justin Bieber. Um, what? Justin picks “The Climb” by Miley Cyrus, setting up the battle of country artists singing teen pop. This is not quite as weird as it sounds. Savannah’s arrangement of Bieber turns the song into something totally different, and Justin gets his ballad on pretty well, including a pair of ridiculous notes.

Since this involves Bieber, Carson turns first to Usher, who compliments Savannah’s song choice before being impressed by how long Justin can hold a note. That doesn’t stop him from choosing Savannah, though. Shakira doesn’t offer a choice. Adam reiterates that Justin is the biggest surprise. It’s then time for Blake to make his pick, and in a surprise move for the guy who’s displayed a tendency to go with young country artists, he goes forward with Justin. Did you spot Adam’s mock pout?

Adam: I don’t envy Blake on that one.

Team Usher’s Josiah Hawley must now square off with Jess Kellner. Josiah opts for Amy Winehouse’s “Back to Black,” but he’s got some work to do considering not only how his battle round turned out, but how Bryan Keith told a great story with the song previously. Usher thinks Jess’s choice is pretty interesting: it’s James Morrison’s “You Give Me Something.” In the ring, Josiah can’t actively engage the audience given that he’s behind a guitar and at times, looks like he’s all of an inch from the microphone. Yet the ladies still love him. Jess has more mobility, and proves she has a bit of soul diva in her, but doesn’t get the same reaction from the crowd.

Adam suggests that they should’ve switched songs.  Then there’s a whole conversation about Josiah’s looks.

Shakira: He looks like my boyfriend.
Adam: She’s basically hitting on you right now.
Blake: …It’s weird in here now.

That takes up most of the discussion time. In the end, Usher opts to keep Josiah, sending an emotional Jess home. Given the unique sound we’ve been able to hear from her and how Josiah’s on that line of his singing ability being overshadowed by his looks, that may be Usher’s first major mistake as a Voice coach.

Back to Team Blake. It’s Holly Tucker versus Luke “where did he come from?” Edgemon. Holly confuses Blake for a second by selecting Tim McGraw’s “Live Like You Were Dying.” Her coach tells her that she has to have more confidence in herself. Having the support of Blake Shelton ought to help with that. Luke, who came over to Team Blake from Team Shakira, makes Blake more confused by saying he wants to do Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream.” Blake compares Luke’s voice to a fist with this gem of a sentence:

Blake: I don’t want you to put me in the hospital. I just want you to beat me up.

There’s no wrong choice in this battle for Blake. Holly clearly has the capacity to be a strong female country singer, with a certain maturity to her performance, like a Martina McBride or even – dare we say – Reba McEntire. Like Savannah before him, Luke takes his song somewhere else entirely, and motivates Adam to immediately start giving Adam unsolicited advice.

Adam: He’s amazing. Don’t be stupid. I’m not playing games.

Usher doesn’t get Luke’s song choice, but Shakira does and so does Adam. Blake doesn’t discount Luke’s performance, but he thinks Holly took more chances than Luke, and ultimately that’s what gets her through to the next round. Adam and Shakira promptly get out of their chairs and continue to argue the point with Blake.

Adam: Let me explain why you’re an idiot. He’s a whole unique thing. He’s original. He’s different.
Blake: All I’m telling you is, you’re miscalculating her.

That doesn’t placate Adam’s disbelief. Moving on, it’s time for more of Team Usher. Audrey Karrasch and Michelle Chamuel are the next singers up, with Usher looking for an “epic performance” between them. Will it be Audrey’s version of “How to Love” by Lil Wayne? Her coach calls it “a little bit all over the place” in rehearsal, so he decides to get up close while she tries it again. That’s not the most unorthodox tactic he tries. As Michelle works on Pink’s “Raise Your Glass,” he suggests she jump rope. She counters with push-ups. It’s a singing competition and physical fitness!

Audrey still sounds like she’s straining a little bit during her performance. Michelle doesn’t quite have the attitude that Pink brought to the original version of her song, which is also a big part of what makes that track work so well. Both artists have room for improvement. During Shakira’s comments, Adam doesn’t think Blake should talk about anyone’s dance moves or lack thereof.

Adam: Blake doesn’t move when he’s on stage. He just stands in one place the whole time.

Adam likes Michelle. Blake thinks that it’s like someone told Michelle that she won the lottery just before she went on stage, and he wanted to buy a boat with her. While Adam laughs at that description, Usher names Michelle the winner of the knockout round.

After that, Blake puts together a cute but deadly battle: the much-adored Danielle Bradbery with Taylor Beckham. He thinks both of them have confidence issues and wants to see who can overcome that. Danielle wants to perform Carrie Underwood’s “Jesus Take The Wheel,” which another country artist named Jeff Jenkins did in season one. Former Team Usher member Taylor picks Rihanna’s “Russian Roulette.” Danielle gives her best performance yet, rivaling Jeff’s version in terms of sheer power, not to mention that she looks much more grown-up than we’ve seen her before. There’s nothing technically wrong with Taylor’s performance, but there’s also not that same connection with the audience.

Usher doesn’t think Taylor’s song selection gave her enough space, and believes that Danielle won the matchup. Shakira is once again surprised by Danielle’s apparent lack of nerves. Adam agrees that Taylor wasn’t bad, but lacked some confidence, and calls Danielle almost perfect. The decision is pretty clear, and it’s Danielle. Once again, song choice breaks an artist’s chances.

Team Usher’s C. Perkins must now take on Vedo, as Usher decides to start spelling things. C. opts for a Chris Brown song, “She Ain’t You,” but admits to his new coach that he’s not confident in his ability to hit the high note. Don’t worry, C., Usher has some tips for you. He also approves of Vedo’s song choice, “Everything I Do (I Do It For You)” by Bryan Adams, which Vedo dedicates to his late mother. But can he control the tremendous emotion that comes with that? C. definitely knows how to work the crowd, and there’s no doubt he can sing, but he seems to miss that aforementioned note – where as Vedo hits a huge one in his heart-melting ballad.

What do the coaches think? Shakira thinks C. shouldn’t quite have worked the crowd so much. Adam thinks Vedo’s song choice showed another side of him. Blake gets C. to tell us that his full first name is Craig, after which Adam suggests that Blake might consider going by his first initial too.

Adam: Maybe you should try that. You need to try something.
Blake: Kiss my ass, Adam.
Adam: That’s a lot of smart talk coming from a guy whose initials are, in fact, BS.

Hilarious banter aside, it’s decision time for Usher, and he keeps Vedo on his team for the live rounds.

Blake’s last pairing is all country: it’s Grace Askew against The Swon Brothers in what he says is a classic country showdown. His description might be slightly flawed, as Grace chooses a song that is not country: Tina Turner’s “I Can’t Stand The Rain.” Blake advises her to enunciate, which he should also tell about half of today’s musical artists. The brothers opt for the Dobie Gray classic “Drift Away.” They show that same ability to connect with the audience that they had when they performed “American Girl” in the blinds. Usher’s even singing along!

When it comes time for comments, he thinks Grace’s choice to play the guitar was a distraction, and gives the round to the duo. Shakira advises Blake that if he wants something different, he needs to go for Grace’s more original sound. Adam sees positives on both sides. So what will Blake do? Joke about how Colton Swon can hit high harmonies.

Blake: There’s no question why his guitar is placed where it is.

Ultimately, though, he gives his final live round spot  to the Swon Brothers. We have our first duo in the live shows since season one! Let’s take a moment to celebrate that, while we also note that Team Blake is, erm, entirely country. Will that lack of diversity be a detriment in the next phase?

Closing out the night and this round of competition are Team Usher’s Ryan Innes and Cathia. Cathia has picked “Mr. Know It All” by Kelly Clarkson, and Usher wants to see serious stage presence from the ex-Team Shakira artist. Four-chair singer Ryan arrives with Gavin DeGraw’s “I Don’t Want To Be,” which or might be awesome if he can give it enough bite. So essentially, these two have the same challenge in front of them. Cathia impresses Blake and Shakira with her sass. Ryan needs to do with his song what Nakia did with Adam Lambert’s “Whataya Want From Me” and he certainly tries his best.

Shakira makes up a new word. Adam naturally compares Ryan to Gavin DeGraw’s original, because as has been previously established, he knows Gavin and so he has a certain knowledge of that song. Blake is impressed by Cathia. Usher deliberates, before awarding the last slot in live shows to Cathia.

From 48, you now have your Voice Top 16. If you missed any action, NBC has a handy recap show airing tomorrow night – otherwise, tune in Monday for live shows, when it’s now your turn to decide who ultimately will become The Voice.

(c)2013 Brittany Frederick/Big Red Chairs. Excerpts appear at Starpulse and Examiner with permission. All rights reserved. No reproduction permitted. Visit my official website and follow me on Twitter at @bigredchairs.

It’s now time for knockout rounds on The Voice: that last step before live shows, where 32 hopefuls will be narrowed down to the 16 artists who will represent the four teams for America’s vote. The first two rosters to get cleaved in half are Team Adam and Team Shakira.

Team Adam begins the night, with Adam assigning Amber Carrington to face off against Midas Whale. The knockouts allow the artists to choose their own music, and Amber selects Avril Lavigne’s “I’m With You” for her performance, which Adam approves of. He’s well aware of just how surprising she can be. The quirky dudes known as Midas Whale pick Stevie Wonder’s “Higher Ground” in order to move out of their folk parameters. Amber – who is rocking yet another amazing new look – sings her heart out again. You’d think the light fixtures were going to explode at some moment; that’s how good she is. The guys look just a smidge intimidated before they start, but they’re still as entertaining as ever.

Blake: I like Amber as much as I can’t stand Adam, and that’s a lot.

Blake and Shakira side with Amber, while Usher takes Midas Whale. The only opinion that matters, though, is Adam’s and he hands the first live show spot of Season 4 to an emotional Amber Carrington. It’s bro-hugs all around for the folk duo, who are still good-natured even as they’re leaving. Between the defeat of The Morgan Twins in battles and now Midas Whale in knockouts, the four-chair artists are beginning to fall.

We switch over to Team Shakira, where it’s Garrett Gardner versus Tawyna Reynolds. Shakira wants to see which of these unique voices can best convey that originality in their performance. Garrett picks “Too Close” by Alex Clare, which his coach advises him to infuse with a little more attitude. Tawyna opts for the Pistol Annies song “Hell on Heels,” befitting her country background. Shakira tells her to stick with the yodels. It’s a battle of artists with guitars in the ring, with both of them giving pretty straightforward renditions of their chosen pieces.

Shakira: Coach Shakira wants to disappear right now.
Adam: You want to disappear-a?

Adam praises Garrett, while Blake likes Tawyna’s song choice but criticizes the yodels. Shakira admits that she asked for more of those and defends them. Usher interrupts to say that he was actually going to compliment the yodels. So basically, Shakira gets almost no help from her fellow coaches. She must agree with Adam on some level, because she selects Garrett to move forward, which blows his mind and understandably so. To go from rejected in the blind auditions before to all the way through to live shows? Way to go, Garrett!

Back to Team Adam. Amy Whitcomb tangles with Caroline Glaser, Adam’s steal from Team Blake. Amy’s song choice is “House of the Rising Sun,” which Pip performed in season two. Adam corrects some minor issues with her before ultimately giving his seal of approval. Caroline, who admits to some nerves given the strength of her new team, picks “Little Talks” by Of Monsters and Men, which we heard last year as a duet version by Terry McDermott and eventual winner Cassadee Pope. Amy’s rendition of her song is full of sass and ends in a big way. That’s a tough act to follow for Caroline, who nonetheless does her best, the unique sound of her voice definitely coming through in a track that works for her but isn’t so dynamic.

Blake thinks Caroline played it safer, but was more consistent, and so awards the win to Caroline. Usher disagrees. Carson bypasses Shakira so Adam can feel horrible about separating two good friends. He thinks both artists did better in their rehearsals, which he admits is not a good thing. He still has to pick, though, and he goes with Caroline. Then Adam makes his sad face while the girls hug it out backstage.

Team Shakira’s Kris Thomas and Mary Miranda get the next call. Kris picks a true classic, “What A Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong. Shakira warns him not to overdo things. On the other side of things, Mary elects to go with “Every Breath You Take” by The Police, which will be her first English-language performance on The Voice. Her coach admits via voice-over that she might not have picked that song. Is that going to be Mary’s first – and last – mistake?

Kris can’t possibly give a better performance than he does. You can just feel everyone going to their happy place during his stage time. Mary tries a slightly different version of her track, and it’s not necessarily bad, but it doesn’t have the same intangible magic. Adam picks Mary for trying something outside of her comfort zone, while Blake tries to figure out why Shakira put these two together in the first place, calling them Shakira’s “pets.” This incites laughter.

Blake: Everything I say is offensive, isn’t it?
Adam: Just today.

After Usher compliments both singers, Shakira has to make her decision. After mentioning Mary’s lack of experience, she ultimately decides to go forward with Kris.

Adam’s next draw – while he looks like he’s seriously depressed at this entire process – is Judith Hill and former Team Usher member Orlando Dixon. All eyes are once again on Judith, who picks Willie Nelson’s “Always On My Mind.” Hearing her sing, Adam declares that he quits, because he can only come up with one note for her. Orlando comes with K-Ci and Jojo’s “All My Life.” In his awesome nerd glasses, Adam advises Orlando to bring it back a little bit. Yet will Orlando be able to outsing the so far unstoppable Judith? From the look on his face as she performs, even he’s not sure. Then again, Judith looks similarly impressed when she hears him.

Blake picks Judith, though he’s annoyed that she both spurned him and did a Willie Nelson song.

Blake: Why don’t you just come down here and punch me in the face?
Carson: Go ahead. Please On behalf of us all.
Adam: I would really enjoy that.

Usher likewise loves Judith, and Shakira echoes that, adding that she doesn’t think this was Orlando’s best performance. It’s really no surprise how this is going to go down, but Adam takes a moment to compliment Orlando for being not just a solid singer but also a great guy. He then surprises no one by taking Judith to the live shows. More free hugs!

Shakira decides to put her Team Adam steal Karina Iglesias with Monique Abbadie. A rocker through and through, Karina opts for Lenny Kravitz’s “Are You Gonna Go My Way.” Paging Jamar Rogers. Four-chair artist Monique opts for Celine Dion’s “The Power of Love,” which season two’s Chris Mann and another Monique – Benabou – absolutely owned.  (Yet bafflingly, it’s one of the rare clips from that season that’s not somewhere on YouTube.) After Karina proves her rock and roll chops once again, Monique and her incredibly bright hair give us the ballad to end all ballads.

Adam sides with Karina, even though he doesn’t think she picked the best song for her voice. Blake also agrees that Karina didn’t have the greatest performance and uses that logic to pick Monique. Usher doesn’t think Karina could’ve picked a more energetic song. So everyone basically agrees to disagree. That brings things back to Shakira, who opts for Karina, although she makes a point of stopping Carson so that she can encourage Monique to keep going. Hopefully Karina will learn from this close call and be more careful with her song choice, because selection has broken many an artist in the live rounds.

Adam’s last knockout is between Warren Stone and Sarah Simmons. Warren takes Cutting Crew’s “I Just Died In Your Arms Tonight,” which shocks Adam given that Warren is a country artist. Warren has big plans for the song. He’ll need them to be big if he wants to beat Sarah, who’s singing “Wild Horses” by the Rolling Stones (which Adam and Alicia Keys once performed beautifully). Warren puts on a strong show, and dude deserves a round of applause for it. But then there’s Sarah. She just enraptures the entire room. It’s kind of stupefying, really. Watch as Adam hangs his head in mock self-loathing.

Adam: There’s life beyond country, bro.
Blake: No, there’s not.

Blake, Usher and Shakira all vote for Sarah, although Blake and Shakira also praise Warren for being great in his own right. It’s another no-brainer for Adam. Sarah Simmons moves on. Team Adam has an all-female – and very strong – final four.

By process of elimination, Sasha Allen and Shawna P are our final knockout of the night. Ex-Team Adam artist Sasha elects to sing the Etta James classic “At Last,” while Shawna chooses The Beatles’ “Baby I’m Amazed,” which has previously been tackled by both season two’s Jordis Unga and season three’s Terry McDermott, the latter actually during knockouts. Sasha gets her diva on in fine fashion and incites goosebumps (twice), while Shawna reveals a new side of herself. Carson makes the mistake of asking Adam for his input on Sasha’s performance.

Adam: First thing I thought was, ‘Man, am I a dumb idiot.’
Blake: And we agree.

Adam takes Sasha, though he loves Shawna, too. Blake thinks Sasha is a frontrunner after that performance. Usher is still frustrated that he didn’t steal Sasha. Shakira agonizes for a moment before she makes her final cut, handing her last spot in the live shows to Sasha Allen. Adam points out it’s like there are six members of Team Adam still out there.

Even with their numbers cut in half, with these knockout performances, Team Adam proves they’re still the team to beat in season four, with Team Shakira having both hits and misses amongst the field. Stay tuned tomorrow night to see who survives from Team Blake and Team Usher. (Be aware that, in order to accommodate this part of the competition, tomorrow is a two-hour episode as opposed to the usual one hour.) For more on The Voice and its artists, you can visit BFTV’s dedicated The Voice blog, Big Red Chairs.

(c)2013 Brittany Frederick/Big Red Chairs. Excerpts appear at Starpulse and Examiner with permission. All rights reserved. No reproduction permitted. Visit my official website and follow me on Twitter at @bigredchairs.

Tony Lucca announced on Monday a slate of new tour dates that will have the talented singer-songwriter on the road from late July to mid-August.

Lucca, who was the finalist for Team Adam on season two of NBC’s The Voice, subsequently signed with coach Adam Levine’s 222 Records and is currently preparing his first post-show album.

It’s not the first big move for Lucca, who’s been working hard since his time on national TV ended. He previously embarked upon the nationwide “Chapter Two” tour last fall, released a new music video for his song “Like Love” in November, and returned to The Voice as a spectator in December.

Here’s the complete list of shows for Lucca’s new “Whole World Watching” tour:

7/29 – Spring Lake, MI @ Seven Steps Up
7/30 – Chicago, IL @ City Winery
7/31 – Indianapolis, IN @ The Rathskeller
8/1 – St. Louis, MO @ Old Rock House
8/2 – Oklahoma City, OK @ The Blue Door
8/4 – Dallas, TX @ House Of Blues/Cambridge Room
8/6 – Nashville, TN @ 12th & Porter
8/8 – Birmingham, AL @ WorkPlay Theatre
8/9 – Decatur, GA @ Eddie’s Attic
8/10 – Tampa, FL @ Jaeb Theater
8/11 – Orlando, FL @ The Social
8/14 – Vienna, VA @ Jammin Java (early and late shows)
8/15 – New York, NY @ Rockwood Music Hall Stage 2 (early and late shows)
8/16 – Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall
8/17 – Philadelphia, PA @ Tin Angel
8/18 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Club Café (early and late shows)

Lucca will be joined by the band Honor by August for select dates. You can view the official video announcement with this article, and for more information, visit Lucca’s website at tonylucca.com.

For more on The Voice and its artists, you can visit BFTV’s dedicated The Voice blog, Big Red Chairs.

(c)2013 Brittany Frederick/Big Red Chairs. Excerpts appear at Starpulse and Examiner with permission. All rights reserved. No reproduction permitted. Visit my official website and follow me on Twitter at @bigredchairs.

On The Voice, Team Adam has established itself as the team to beat. Before they head into knockout rounds, BFTV caught up with three of Adam’s strong female artists – the phenomenal Sarah Simmons (pictured), surprising Amber Carrington and not-as-yet-unleashed Amy Whitcomb – to get to know them a little bit better.

Sarah told us that her four-chair blind audition “just completely wrecked my soul in a beautiful way. It was deeply humbling, overwhelming, and I know I’m only 23, but it’s been a hard life for me in ways growing up, and [I] just can’t believe this is happening. [I'm] blown away by the one above me opening doors to shine through, and to use all my pains and be able to pour them out through music.”

Her battle with Duncan Kamakana was one of the best in Season 4, and we asked her how the two of them gelled together so well in such a short period of time. “I love my buddy Duncan!” Sarah gushed. “Why we looked so uncomfortable in our band rehearsal is because it was a song that we weren’t used to singing, and also our voices are completely different, and we hadn’t had much time to rehearse it. Also, I believe why we started to gel even more is because our goal together was not to think about the outcome of the battle at all, but to put on an incredible performance and feel every note, every lyric together – [to] escape into the song and display it together.

“We were already by then good buddies, but became real, true friends following that from just being able to hang out here in California, and through practices [and] jam sessions. [I'm] so blessed to know Duncan, he’s a really a great guy, and a good friend,” she continued.

Would she consider recording with Duncan in the future? “Gosh, we would love that actually!” Sarah enthused. “We’ve been talking about doing that sometime after all of this. That’s what is so great about this show, is that not only is it an incredible opportunity, but you meet incredible souls and those friendships just are so appointed in such a beautiful way! [I] can’t wait to make music with a couple people here.”

Another person Sarah has affection for is her coach, Adam Levine. “Adam is such an awesome soul!” she told us. “Seriously, he genuinely cares for us, and wants the best for us. That’s real rare to find in today’s world, especially coming from an accomplished, successful, well-known artist like him. He gives so much time to us, and I am so grateful for that. A couple of my favorite times with Adam are listening to his advice, encouragement, and just being able to be really goofy with him. You would think being around someone well-known would make you feel nervous or something, but I feel completely comfortable like I’m just hanging out with a brother.”

If Sarah were in Adam’s position, who would she push her button for? “Good question!” she replied. “I would turn my chair for Patrick Dodd, Amber Carrington, Garrett Gardner, Karina Iglesias, Shawna P, Brandon Roush and Judith Hill. I love everyone – but man, do those voices I wrote move my soul!”

Amber Carrington shocked The Voice fans when she upset another four-chair artist, Sasha Allen, in the battle rounds. Who is this talented artist and how did she put on such a great performance? She told us how she went from Adam’s last pick to a true contender.

“Going into my blind audition I had no clue how many spots were left,” she explained, “but right after I was chosen by Adam and I walked backstage, one of the producers told me that Adam gave me his last spot on his team and I was totally shocked! I never imagined Adam turning for me at all. He was the last person I thought would turn, actually. He tends to be very picky and like voices that are very unique, and in my eyes I didn’t compare to the people on his team in the past. Come to find out, he really liked what he heard! I really feel like I am right where I am supposed to be and wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Even though Amber sees herself as a country artist, she definitely believes that she picked the right coach. “Adam has so much knowledge about so many little things that make what we do work,” she continued. “I don’t think it matters that he is not a country artist because he has helped me in many other ways, such as my confidence and believing in who I am, and not worrying about what everyone else sounds like. He is very into what makes everyone individual and that definitely shows with the artists who are on his very diverse team.

“He has definitely gotten me out of my comfort zone which is something I have needed,” she said. “I think I am really finding who I am while on his team because I am experimenting with songs and genres that I never used to even try. Whereas if I were to be on Blake’s team, as a fellow country artist, I would probably be doing the same songs I have done for years.”

Besides, Adam’s choice of advisor did give Amber a little bit of country: “What I thought was so perfect was when I walked into the room for our piano rehearsal and Hillary Scott was who Adam chose to be our mentor,” she added. “That couldn’t have worked out better for me!”

Her battle matchup did prompt a little bit of doubt, but that didn’t last long. “When I was paired with Sasha, at first I did think that this was Adam’s way of just getting me eliminated because my opponent was everything I was not,” Amber admitted. “I kept trying to keep in mind, though, that Adam paired me with her because he saw something in me that could put up a good fight.

“I worked so hard on our battle song and I really tried to make sure and focus on who I am and not get too intimidated by Sasha’s big voice. My confidence definitely shot up after making it on Adam’s team, and I brought a totally new me to the stage the night of the battles – and it sure paid off!”

“Being paired with Sasha was a huge shocker for me – and actually my whole team. We all thought she would go against another one of the best on our team, Judith,” Amber reflected. “Being paired with Sasha though, win or lose, I don’t think I would have traded it for anything. I learned a lot from her and the whole situation. If you are around people who are worse than you, then you tend to just stay the same that you ar,e but if you are around people who are better than you, then you strive to be more. I was very intimidated by Sasha and her powerhouse voic,e but I also admire her for her strong personality and confidence.

“I feel like being paired with her pushed me to work harder and after I won that battle my mind was going insane!” she said. “I really and truly couldn’t believe it at first, I was just taken over by excitement because I knew that meant I was going on to the next round. Then I walked backstage and realized that I beat Sasha Allen in our battle, and I started to cry because I had worked so hard for this. Confidence is definitely rising throughout the show, because you work so hard for so many hours on just a short cut of a song and you stress yourself out over it all. When it finally pays off and you succeed, it is the best feeling in the world. You become proud of something that you created and you achieved for yourself.”

Now that she’s shown us what she can really do, “I really want to continue on the path that I have started,” Amber told us. “I feel as if I have kept climbing up a ladder with every performance I do. Something the coaches have kept saying is that I surprise them every time I am up on that stage and I don’t intend for that to stop. I want to keep learning new things from Adam and continue to stay out of my comfort zone, because I believe that is where I work best.

“Overall, my one huge goal is to just do songs that mean something to me and have something to say,” she continued. “[To be] connecting with America and speaking to at least one person that needs to either hear my story or the words in a song. I want to inspire others to never look back and to just live and chase after your dreams.”

One of the artists who’s deserved much more screen time than she’s gotten is Amy Whitcomb, who suffered from being montaged both during her blind audition and her battle round. Fans of singing competitions know that Amy was one of the members of all-girl a cappella group Delilah during the last season of NBC’s The Sing-Off. But how did she get from there to performing as a solo artist on The Voice?

“The Sing-Off definitely gave me a lot of contacts and enough exposure to really start branching off and pursuing my solo career,” she said. “I’ve been recording, performing, and teaching voice like crazy in between experiences, all preparing more for this solo opportunity.

“The shows are similar because they’re both reality TV, so I wasn’t blindsided by that aspect,” continued Amy, who said that her Sing-Off experience “definitely” helped her this time around. “I really wasn’t phased by the cameras, the lights, the rush, so I was really able to focus more on improving my voice and my stage presence. But being on stage without a group behind me has been a huge growing experience and has challenged me beyond expectations! It was tough. But I’ve come a long way!”

Fans have complained about artists being montaged numerous times, but how much does it really affect the artists? “My exposure has definitely been less, some of the least among the contestants, but my fans have been paying close attention to my seconds of screen time, supporting me on iTunes and spreading the word!” said Amy. “My fan base keeps growing. Sure, [it] could have been growing at a faster pace if people actually got to hear me sing, but I have to believe that in the long run, this won’t be anything that will hold me back. Plus, there is so much talent on this season and I’m grateful that my fellow artists – and now some of my closest friends – have gotten the screen time they need and deserve.”

What does she want to accomplish with her time on The Voice? “I want to fine-tune my gift and my whole package,” she said. “This experience has been about branding myself, establishing a sure direction, and tweaking what I need to in order to establish a professional status as a solo act.”

Is there anything that she’d be afraid of tackling in the next round? “I’m up for anything,” Amy assured us. “Ballads definitely scare me – it’s tough to sing in that vulnerable place of my voice under the nerves and pressure – but bring it on! I welcome all challenges.”

You can watch Sarah, Amber and Amy continue on as The Voice begins its knockout rounds tonight at 8 PM ET/PT on NBC. For more on The Voice and its artists, you can visit BFTV’s dedicated The Voice blog, Big Red Chairs.

(c)2013 Brittany Frederick/Big Red Chairs. Excerpts appear at Starpulse and Examiner with permission. All rights reserved. No reproduction permitted. Visit my official website and follow me on Twitter at @bigredchairs.

Can you believe we’re halfway through The Voice already? After tonight, only knockout rounds and live shows remain. But first, it’s time for some more abbreviated battles.

Team Shakira leads off the night, teaming up Brandon Roush with Shawna P in a battle of youth versus experience. Shakira has selected the Janis Joplin hit “Piece of My Heart,” and she and advisor Joel Madden meet the pair, who were somewhat expecting to compete against each other. Shakira’s looking for the artist who most connects with the sentiment in the song, which seems at first like it might be easier for Shawna, but Brandon finds his place in the song by the second rehearsal.

The eclectically styled duo arrive at the studio for their battle. Shawna has the expected command of the stage that comes with her much longer resume, while Brandon certainly doesn’t sing like a teenager. In fact, maybe these two should consider collaborating together when it’s not a competition.

Adam calls the battle fun, then tells Brandon that Blake used to have the same haircut – but seriously now, he says the 19-year-old rose to Shawna’s level. Usher compliments both artists. Nobody asks for Blake’s opinion, so it’s back to Shakira, who is pleased with both of her artists but ultimately elects Shawna as her winner. The only person left with a steal after last night’s action is Usher, and he chooses not to use it on Brandon.

Next to battle are Team Adam’s Duncan Kamakana and Sarah Simmons. It’s the battle of the guy who got twenty seconds in blind auditions against the girl that turned all four chairs. Duncan and Sarah get handed the Lady Antebellum song “Wanted You More,” which is great and/or slightly intimidating considering that Adam’s advisor is Lady Antebellum’s Hillary Scott. Hillary is impressed by Duncan’s first crack at the song.

Hillary: I envisioned him serenading some girl and her just, you know, drooling over him.

But can Duncan and Sarah come together as a team? At their second rehearsal, Adam thinks they don’t even sound like they’re in the same room. The pair obviously did their homework, though, because when they’re in the ring, this battle is anything but one-sided. It’s like watching the sudden disintegration of a relationship on stage. Their rendition is beautiful, painful, and definitely did Hillary Scott proud.

Blake praises the performance and calls Sarah one of his favorite singers he’s ever heard, which is a pretty big nod in her direction. Usher points out how Duncan drives women crazy, but also compliments Sarah. Carson skips clear over Shakira to get back to Adam, who looks like he’d rather have a root canal than make this decision, yet he takes the obvious road and stays with Sarah, who Duncan believes could win the whole thing. It’s utterly disappointing that Usher doesn’t steal Duncan, because he proved with his battle performance that he was so much stronger than the twenty seconds Voice fans saw of him during blind auditions. We may have just missed out on someone amazing.

Now for the most unfortunate montage yet. Team Usher’s Michelle Chamuel beats Chelsea M. in their battle, while Amy Whitcomb knocks out Agina Alvarez in a Team Adam contest, and Team Blake’s Justin Rivers surprisingly eliminates four-chair duo The Morgan Twins. That’s twice in a row Amy’s gotten the cut-down treatment, even though she was good enough for The Sing-Off. And audiences truly lost not getting to see the Justin-Morgan Twins matchup, because Justin delivered a shockingly great performance that proved he’s got some serious chops. He left it all on the stage, and that deserved to be heard.

Team Shakira’s pair of young Latin singers, Cathia and Mary Miranda, get the last full slot on the show. Shakira chooses one of her own songs, “Antes de las Seis,” for them, setting up The Voice‘s first foreign-language battle. Never mind the intimidation factor that comes with having to perform one of your coach’s tracks in front of them.

Shakira: If you’re going to go change my melody, you better be sure about it.

The language barrier makes this performance a little harder to understand unless you know the song, but that’s not this battle’s biggest concern. The two ladies, while both good at what they do, are pretty similar to each other. Neither performance really stands out. With the singing over, it’s time for the jokes about everyone else’s lack of comprehension.

Adam: That was beautiful. Didn’t understand a word of it obviously.

Blake: What on Earth does that mean, Carson?
Carson: That means you barely speak English.

With her fellow coaches splitting the decision, Shakira decides that Mary wins the battle. If you haven’t figured it out yet by process of elimination, Usher chooses now to finally hit his button for the second time, and picks up Cathia. It’s a serviceable but somewhat underwhelming end to the battle rounds.

For those of you keeping score, Team Shakira’s Cathia received Usher’s final steal, while Brandon Roush, Duncan Kamakana, Chelsea M., Agina Alvarez, and The Morgan Twins all went home tonight.

The Voice returns Monday for knockouts, and be aware that it’s a three-night event: there are new episodes Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday next week, all starting at 8 PM ET/PT.

For more on The Voice and its artists, you can visit BFTV’s dedicated The Voice blog, Big Red Chairs.

(c)2013 Brittany Frederick/Big Red Chairs. Excerpts appear at Starpulse and Examiner with permission. All rights reserved. No reproduction permitted. Visit my official website and follow me on Twitter at @bigredchairs.