The Voice Season Four • Top 10 Perform

As we prepare to hear The Voice Season 4 Top 10 take to the stage, I also look back at last week, when the voters sent VEDO and Garrett Gardner home. They were certainly among the weakest of the performance show, but I think Garrett has been handcuffed by song selection two weeks in a row, something that is tough to beat when you are going against artists who have picked, either themselves or by the coaches, songs that were perfect for them. I really thought Garrett stood a chance of making it further, but alas, it didn't happen. Like last week, the bottom two vote totals will be eliminated, no matter the team. As both Usher and Shakira lost an artist, both are in danger of being bounced out of the competition, so they should give special attention to the songs and performances this week. Speaking of which, it is time for the show!

Left to right: Adam Levine, Usher, Blake Shelton and Shakira.

Carson Daly greets us once again, and reminds us the two lowest vote totals will be sent packing, but first, this week begins with a performance by the band featuring one of the judges. Yes, it is Maroon Five and Adam Levine, on stage to perform the latest single, "Love Somebody".

Adam was in great voice, and the song sounded like a fun Pop song. And the boys were all dressed in white, looking amazing. You can find the single on iTunes and Amazon. We are told the coaches brought some help, with their advisor's returning. Only Shakira's gets the help of former (and future) judge Cee Lo Green. The first singer will be from Team Blake, who is worried about the people of Oklahoma. Blake picked "How Great Thou Art", a Christian hymn written in the 19th Century. Holly Tucker is up first, and feels Gospel is a big part of her, and so glad she doesn't want to hide it. She has a strong voice, but I feel very little depth to it. I heard no richness, just volume. Usher was somewhat vague, but nice. Shakira loved it, and Adam thought it showed off her pristine vocals. Blake loved it, and thought it was her most important performance to date. He thought it was also a wonderful, and perfect timing with the tornadoes in Oklahoma. Next up, Adam chose "The Way You Make Me Feel" by Michael Jackson for Judith Hill. She is unsure, for she worries about what might be said about her relationship with the King of Pop. Adam tells her to worry less, and just do the song to pay respect to someone who was important to her.

The opening bars are given a smooth Jazz feel, and her vocals are flawless. Then the tempo picks up, and she delivers a wonderful Pop performance. Her vocals is so strong, and her delivery so tight, it is wonderful to watch week to week. Blake can't find a single fault with her performance, and Usher thought it just reminded him about The King of Pop, and how much he missed him. Adam was just so proud of her, and what she did on that stage. Team Blake is back, with The Swon Brothers singing "How Country Feels" by Randy Houser. In rehearsal, Blake and Cheryl Crow offered some suggestions, but really love they way the boys have grown. This is definitely a Country song, but while I love the Swon Brothers, I thought this performance lacked a bit of energy, a bit of zip. Shakira loved it, and thinks they always just make her feel better. Adam thinks it was great fun, and he is a bigger fan after each song. Blake is so proud, and feels they keep picking up momentum. As we go away to commercial, Carson reminds up they are the only duo or group to make it this far in the four seasons of The Voice, a true credit to their talent. Adam is back with adviser Hillary Scott, as he has picked Kelly Clarkson's "Breakaway" for Amber Carrigton. Adam sees her has an artists who could sing either Country or Pop, and this is a great song for her. Hillary has faith in her, sure she is a talent bound for the finals. But first, here is Kelly Clarkson singing "Breakaway".

The opening bars are a little light, a bit low for her, but the song quickly builds to the strength of her voice. Once it does, she oars with the chorus, and delivers a great performance. With the wind blowing, she was so comfortable, it was great. Blake loved it, and loves her. Usher was blown away, and loved her. Shakira thought it was a great choice, really in Amber's wheelhouse. Adam thinks that is great, for Kelly has one of the best voices in the business, showing how strong a competitor Amber is this season. The first of Shakira's two remaining contestants, Sasha Allen will sing "Next To Me" by Emeli Sandé. Shakira brings in Cee Lo Green to assist her. Cee Lo loves Sasha, and thinks this is a great song for her. Sasha comes out looking fantastic, and sounding even better. That was a great performance. I thought Sasha just killed it, It was my favorite of the night so far. Adam loved it, and was so glad she was singing something contemporary. Blake agreed, and thought it was a great job, and the vocals were amazing, as they always are. Usher thought she was amazing, and showed everything he needed to see. Shakira was giddy, and so proud and thrilled by the outstanding job done. Usher and Pharrell are back to give their time to Josiah Hawley, who will be singing "Clocks" by Coldplay.

This seems like it should be a good choice for him, but he struggles a bit on the high end of the chorus, and that is such a shame, for he is sounding fantastic on the rest. Couldn't they come up with a fix for that? As he was performing, you could see he knew it was problematic. I thought it was wonderful, but fell short. Shakira thought it was a tough to take on Coldplay, and while he did well, it was not great. Adam agreed, noting there were moments when he had command of the song, and times he was so not comfortable. The inconsistency was a problem for him, but he really likes Josiah. Blake thought it was musically good, but failed to tell the story, which is a problem for him. Usher can't agree with everything said, and instead reaffirms how much faith he has in the handsome man. After the break, it was time for Blake to offer some coaching for Danielle Bradbery, who will be singing "Heads Carolina, Tails California" by JoDee Messina, with Sheryl Crow. Crow loves the talented young lady, but wants the young lady to connect with the audience, and share her journey with them. She comes out and sings bold and strong, but I actually thought this was her weakest thus far. There were a few moments that were problematic with breath control, but I thought the biggest thing was the lack of connection Sheryl was looking for. Usher thought it was great, and she made Country cool again. Adam thought she was a superstar, and was still a shining example of the teenager. Blake could not be more proud of Danielle, and thinks she will once again rule iTunes sales tonight. After another long commercial break, The Voice returns for Team Shakira. Kris Thomas will be singing "Adorn" by Miguel, only Cee Lo wants to change it up a little bit, and give Kris some swag. But first, here is Miguel with "Adorn.

While his voice sounds sweet on the song, he does not feel comfortable with the upbeat tempo. He also has more problems with breath control, and his falsetto is a bit timid because of it. However, at the end of the song, when he starts to freestyle, he does come back to life a bit. Adam thought it was great vocally, but he would like to see Kris relax a bit more, have some fun. Usher thought it was a strong performance, but that it was not a great song choice. Shakira stood up to say he showed everything you needed with that song, and while he might have a few nerves, he has the vocals and talent to make it in the music business. Other judges tried to interrupt her, but she had none of it, defending her artist. Soon it was time for Adam and Hillary to check in with Sarah Simmons, who will be singing "Mamma Knows Best" by Jessie J. This is a shocking pick for me, as it is going against what we have heard from her so far. The song is bold and bluesy, not light and ethereal.

Sarah really connects to the song, and the lyrics, so she really wants to lay it down. Hillary just wants her to remember control, and to not let the song get ahead of her. She starts well, but after a few bars of the song, she is being drowned out by the band. I don't know if it is the mix or what, but I am straining to hear her, and losing half the song. I fear the song won that battle, not Sarah. Blake thought she radiated sexy, and showed a new side of her. Usher thought it was an incredible performance. Adam loved it, and thought she was so awesome. Adam thought it was the performance of the night, so it must have been an issue with my television... Finally, the last performer of the night is Michelle Chamuel. Usher and Pharrell are there to help her in rehearsal with Pink's "Just Give Me A Reason". It seems like it was a perfect song for her, combining the edgy Rock with the Pop impulses that make Michelle so amazing. Pharrell really believes in her, as does Coach Usher. She starts off the performance much better, and it grows from there. She is on fire tonight, and this was her night. This is easily the best of the night for me, and there were a couple of really good performances. I loved it. Adam just loved it, and said he is such a fan of her. Blake just loves her style. Usher thought it was the best of the night, and tells her so. They are running late, so they are in a hurry to get done. Carson reminds Oklahoma the thoughts and prayers of all on the show are with them, and the results are coming tomorrow. For me, there are a couple who should be worried. Holly, Kris, Sarah, and Josiah were not at their best. I hope Josiah can make it through, but you can never tell when it is all in the hands of voters. Speaking of votes, to learn how you can place your vote, visit the official website. In brief, you can vote via a toll-free phone number, online at NBC.com, with the special NBC App, or Facebook. Unlike some shows, The Voice limits the amount of votes people can place per method. You can vote 10 times per phone, or 10 times via Facebook, or 10 times via NBC App between now and 10AM Tuesday morning. The phone number is (877)553-37XX, filling in the 'XX' with the artist number. Those numbers would be Holly Tucker 01, Judith Hill 02, The Swon Brothers 03, Amber Carrington 04, Sasha Allen 05, Josiah Hawley 06, Danielle Bradbery 07, Kris Thomas 08, Sarah Simmons 09, and Michelle Chamuel 10. Don't forget, your iTunes purchase also counts as a vote, if you are so inclined. There is a link to all the songs on the iTunes front page.

American Idol 12 • Top 4 Sing One Hit Wonders & More

The Top 4 of American Idol Season 12 take to the stage tonight, the first time since Season 3 that the remaining four are all women. Heck, that is the only time in the history of the show one sex has dominated the top 4 positions. But in season 3, the producers stacked the deck, as the Top 12 was made up of 4 men and 8 ladies, as opposed to the 5-5 split this season. But that was also back in the day when the contestants needed to adhere to the themes of the shows, unlike this year, when the announced themes seem more like loose generalizations, "as long as we can praise Amber." This week, the fans voted what musical theme they wanted to see/hear, and they picked One-Hit Wonders. But after seeing the list of spoilers, I seriously am confused about the concept of what exactly makes a One-Hit Wonder. Procol Harum had three songs in the Top 40, and yet their biggest hit, "A Whiter Shade of Pale", makes the list here. "McArthur Park" was a one-hit wonder for Richard Harris, although he did appear in the film version of Camelot playing the lead on a fairly successful soundtrack album. Of course, most people will remember the version by the late, great Donna Summer, which is more like the version we shall hear. The second theme of the night, Contestant Free Choice, is perhaps the best of the season, as we finally get to hear music that is hopefully more current so we can judge how the young ladies sound in a contemporary setting, rather than a karaoke contest. Oh, let's just get this thing started.

Left to right: Candice Glover, Angie Miller, Kree Harrison, and Amber Holcomb.

The show begins giving us a look of the Top 4 during their auditions, to give us a thought toward how far they've all come. Thankfully Angie reminds us that we have a really tough choice to make, and then we are introduced to the judges and Crusty, who comes down the steps to the delighted screams of the audience. He reminds us there are only a matter of a few weeks left, and Amber, Angie, Candice and Kree all want to be in the final. He introduces them, and the audience goes crazy. Crusty sends them back to get ready for the show, and tells us about the ladies going to the Children's Hospital Los Angeles. First up, we hear Amber's thought on her trip, and hear her singing a song by Celine Dion. She will be singing "The Power Of Love", originally sung by Jennifer Rush, and then popularized by Celine Dion.

As she begins to sing the song, I hear she is doing nothing really new with the song, and her voice lacks the volume and power of Dion. She does bring the song to a soft landing, easing off the volume. In truth, that is where her vocal strays a bit, sounding strained. I have yet to hear her really bring anything new to a song, save maybe costuming. Keith loved it, and thought it was a perfect choice for her. Nicki loved it as well, and thought the song was made for her. Randy thinks she has come the furthest this season, starting a girl, but now a woman. Mariah also loved her range and tone, and gave her the "hashtag POW" critique. I guess I remain "hashtag HUH?" Jimmy gets a chance to talk, and also heard the strain as well. But he still thinks the song will be tough to beat. Candice is up next, and she will be singing a song by Drake, who she had met a year ago and liked him. But first she tells us how moved she was by the kids at the hospital, who she saw as being so strong and brave. She will be singing Drake's "Find Your Love".

She slows it down a bit, taking it in the jazzy ballad route. She is in great voice, and this is a fantastic performance. She owned the song, and could not have sounded better. It was radio-ready, and I would buy it myself. Nicki starts off the critique, and wishes she hadn't changed it up so much, and thought it sounded too old-fashioned. Randy thought she over-worked the song, and needs to get out of church sometimes. Mariah disagrees, and thinks she takes chances, and takes her on the journey with her. Keith agrees with Mariah, and thinks she brings so much with her music. I am stunned, for I didn't see that critique coming, and just don't know what they are thinking. We don't get to see Jimmy this time, and go right to Kree and her time in the hospital. She seems very sweet and tender with the kids. She is going to be singing "It Hurt So Bad", a bluesy song by Susan Tedeschi.

I love the song, and think Kree delivers it so well. She added just the right amount of grit to her gorgeous voice, letting her star shine bright. I thought that was beautiful. Randy came on to basically feel the performance was alright, but nothing special. Randy is confused by it. Mariah loved it, and thought she delivered, and also connected to the audience. Keith thought she lacked the emotional connection to the song, and Nicki thought it was just not good enough. Wow, I am at a loss. After the stellar critique of the mediocre karaoke performance, and the beating down of two singers trying to give some artistry. Jimmy returns, and not only downs Kree's performance, he also disrespects the song. Sweet. Angie seemed to come alive with the kids, all smiles as she remembers the kids. She will be singing "Who You Are" by Jessie J.

Angie is back at the piano, where the judges love her. I am not sure this is the right key, for her voice sounds a little shrill on the high end, and a little "pageanty" on the wordy parts. This just seems over-wrought to me, a big mess of sound that gives me nothing but a bit of a headache. She is met with a standing ovation by the judges. Heavy sigh. Mariah loved it, but wants her to deliver more original material, for that can deliver her a career. Keith loved it, but pointed out how it takes a while to get her into the performance that wasn't stilted. Nicki loved it, and thought it was amazing. Randy, of course, thought it was better than the original, and the best of the night. I am so damned lost by this panel, cause that isn't what I am hearing on my television. Crusty brings Angie's grandmother up on stage for a quiet moment, and it was sweet, but really, I am getting annoyed. Before a commercial break, Crusty tells us we are getting the first duet of the night, as Amber and Kree will be singing an Adele song. Well, isn't that original. Le sigh. Jimmy spares a few seconds to say he is thrilled Angie had control of her instrument, and has Amber and Angie neck and neck. Then back to Crusty, and her discover Kree and Amber will be singing "Rumour Has It". This is a great, but over-done song. Kree is in great voice, and there is such a depth to it. For me, Amber's voice pales next to it. Keith enjoyed the performance, but was looking for them to cut loose. Nicki thought Amber had a command of the stage, and that Kree lacked personality. Wow, I was watching another show altogether. They don't give Randy or Mariah a say this time. After the break, out second and final duet will be Angie & Candice, who sing Rihanna's "Stay", which also features Mikky Ekko. During the performance, both ladies struggle a little bit at times, and that surprised me with Candice. The performance got all messy for me, with lost notes and squandered lyrics. Of course, the judges gave them a standing ovation, and loved it, saying that is how a duet should be done. WTF. Moving on, like I am passing by an accident on the highway. The AT&T Theme contest named One-Hit Wonders as the theme, and the first one to take it on is Amber as she sings “MacArthur Park” by Richard Harris, later covered by the late, great Donna Summer.

This is not good, showing a lack of a bottom end of the voice, and some rough notes on the top end. And once again, it is a cover of the Donna Summer version, with nothing new or interesting added. I was a bit bored. Donna Summer added such fullness and depth to the song, not easy with those silly lyrics. Now, of course, Keith thought it was great, and Nicki thought she is ready for marketing. Randy is ready to sign her, and complimented the high notes that I thought she missed. Mariah loved the great low notes, which I also heard differently. Obviously, I have the judges for American Idol, but the singers for American's Got Talent on my television, cause what I am hearing ain't lining up with the judges. Jimmy gets a few moments, and disagreed with the judges, thinking the song was terrible, and not even Amber could save it. Nor those bad notes, Mr. Iovine. Next up, we have Candice singing “Emotion”, the song written by The Bee Gees and sung by Samantha Sang.

Candice was singing really well, and sounding great. The backup singers were not on, however. I thought she took the song and massaged it well. Nicki loved it, and thought she was back on her game. She also bitched about Jimmy calling out the judges, and Randy joined in. He also loved Candice. Mariah loved it, and mentioned she had a cold, and Keith mentioned he wished the ladies would sing something more current. Talk to your producers, babe. Then Crusty dragged out Jimmy, and stupidity reigned supreme, and poor Candice was lost in the shuffle as the judges and Jimmy whined at one another, refusing to leave the topic of Amber. But Jimmy did say loud and clear that Candice was better than Amber this round. Go figure, he got one right. After the break, it is time for Kree to return to the stage, and she will be singing “A Whiter Shade Of Pale” by Procol Harum, alhtough it was also covered by Annie Lennox more recently.

She walks to the microphone with some attitude, which seems to be what the judges are looking for. She is once again on top of the song, pitch perfect as she tells the story. She goes big on the notes, hitting the high end with ease and grace. That was a lovely performance, one I would surely download. Randy loved it, and thought she really redeemed herself. Mariah loved it, and looks forward to download it for her phone. Keith didn't love it, and thought it was a middle-of-the-road song, nothing special. Nicki loves her, loves the voice, but fears she will be in the bottom, and maybe going home tomorrow night. Now, that would be truly disappointing, for not only do I think she was far from the weakest performer, I also seriously doubt anyone is going home - there are three weeks remaining, and only two singers to eliminate. So, in my opinion, this week is all about drama with no conclusion. But I could be wrong. And after a long break, it is time to close the show out with Angie, who is singing “Cry Me A River”, originally a hit by Julie London.

Well, Angie is singing the song, and it sounds very dated, and very beauty pageant. She also lost some notes on the shouty section, veering off to the sharp end, with no sense of current at all. Of course, the judges all love it, and in fact, Randy calls her the best of the night. How Keith could call that celestial, but not point out the out-of-date aspect is beyond me. So I will move past the critique, and get to the recap. Hearing it back, I am reminded that inherently speaking, we have two singers in the competition, and Angie and Amber, too. Candice and Kree have so much more to their voices, and a greater knowledge of music, and I fear how this season will come to a conclusion. At the end, Ryan mentions a surprise twist tomorrow night, and I have to guess they will combine the votes from tonight with next week, to get back on schedule. But if I had to rank them on tonight's performances, I would say Candice took the evening, followed by Kree. For me, Amber's wan performances puts her at the bottom, while Angie was just above her. But we won't know until tomorrow night, so turn in to your Fox station at 8PM to get the twist. Who knows, maybe they are bringing Lazaro back!

X-Factor Results • Silver Screen Swansong

Left to right: Simon Cowell, Paul Abdul, L.A. Reid, and Nicole Scherzinger.

After the show last night, I picked Stacy Francis and Lakota Rayne to be in the bottom, with Stereo Hogzz close behind. There were also a couple of groups in the middle, which is never a safe spot this early on. Keep in mind, however, that neither of my pick for the bottom two was in the bottom last week. LOL! The show kicks off with a recap of last night, and then the Top 11 performed Save The World by the Swedish House Mafia. Nice song, could have done without this group cover.



After show performance, LA Reid speaks up that he was too harsh on Melanie Amaro, which is true. No one apologizes for being too easy on some of those acts last night... Soon, though, we see a recap of the performances, and it certainly reminds me that the judges should spend less time coming up with trite lines for Simon, and more time working with their acts... After a discussion of some convoluted contest I completely ignored, Willow Smith comes out to perform here latest single, Fireball. The single features Nicki Minaj, although she wasn't there performing.



Although Steve Jones teases about finding out which 9 acts are safe this week, we find out British singer Jessie J will be performing her latest single, Domino. It is actually quite a catchy tune, and unlike Katy Perry, she can really sing.



After some feeble flirting by Steve stiff-as-a-board (and not in a good way) Jones and humorous Jessie J, who brought an extra outfit for the announcer, it was time for a commercial break before the safe contestants are announced. Remember, they will put 9 through as safe, and the bottom two will perform for the judges, who will then make a choice. After the commercial, Paula comes out with the Groups, Nicole is with the Over 30s, L.A. is with the Boys, and Simon escorts the Girls. In no particular order, the Top 9 begin with Stacy Francis, followed quickly by Astro. Melanie Amaro is also safe, as is Marcus Canty. The next in safety is LeRoy Bell, and adorable Rachel Crow. Josh Krajcik is safe, making all the Over 30s through. Drew is also safe, making all the Girls through. The final entry making it through is Chris Rene, and leaves the two groups in the bottom yet again. For the second week in a row, The Stereo Hogzz are singing for survival, joined by another group, Lakota Rayne. One was in my bottom, the other a close runner-up. Once again, Paula has the privilege of introducing both acts. The first is Lakota Rayne, singing Jordin Spark's gorgeous No Air.



Well, that was somewhat unimpressive. The vocals were at times breathy and weak. Paula quickly introduces The Stereo Hogzz, who will perform Michael Jackson's You Are Not Alone.



Somehow, they manage to make it sound older than it really is. And I still find the voice of the lead singer to be really nasal, and a bit sharp. This puts it in the hands of the judges, and I don't know what they will do. I think ultimately, neither is particularly strong nor marketable, but I might keep the Country singers around just to have the genre represented. But I would have sent The Stereo Hogzz home last week, too... After a break, Steve Jones polls the judges one at a time, on who will go home. LA is up first, and Nicole votes to send the Hogzz as well. Paula abstains, and then chooses to send home Lakota Rayne. If Simon picks the Hogzz, they leave. If he picks Lakota Rayne, the group with the lowest number of votes will leave. Simon chooses to send home The Stereo Hogzz, and all we know about next week is that for the first time, an act not from Paula's category will be in the bottom. See you next week for the Top 10!