Where could you find Miranda Lambert, Vin Diesel and Shakira’s au naturel hair? Tuesday’s The Voice results show, obviously.

Before two singers had to hear some bad news, here’s what went down:

Oklahoma native and Voice coach Blake Shelton opened the show with an emotional song. He and wife Miranda Lambert sang Over You in honor of the tornado victims in his home state. (And Over Youbecomes one of the most-sung tunes on The Voice.)

A quick word from our coaches:

Usher: “I’m nervous. And I’m never nervous.” Shakira: “I’m convinced Sasha was the performance of the night.” Foreshadowing!

And some more music: Shakira, her wild hair and her singers Kris Thomas and Sasha Allen sang I’ll Stand By You. Was the song meant to express Shakira’s coaching attitude? Because it probably does.

In the pretaped Voice confessional, we learned what the Voice stars would do if they weren’t singers:

Adviser Sheryl Crow would be a pro motocross racer. (We could see it.) Danielle Bradbery would like to do Coach Blake’s hair and makeup. Adviser (and former coach) CeeLo Green would be an exotic dancer. (Of course he would.) Adam would be a secret agent … or is he one already? Michelle Chamuel would be a puppeteer, as she demonstrated with her “Ush” puppet, and Shakira would be a contortionist, as she showed by putting her feet behind her head.

Now, elimination time? Almost.

Round 1: Team Blake’s Danielle Bradbery and Team Adam’s Judith Hill were deemed safe.

Next, a word from our Fast and Furious 6 friends: Carson “found” Vin Diesel and Michelle Rodriguez in the audience, just in time to promote their upcoming movie. A confused Diesel, in sunglasses, said that the “performance for Oklahoma was touching,” and “I would like to invite all of you to the premiere that’s about to happen right now.” We agree the song was touching, but aren’t exactly sure what he meant by “premiere.” Meaning, the short clip of the movie we watched? Regardless, Carson seemed excited, his hand on Diesel’s shoulder throughout the exchange.

Then, some more music: Blake’s team stayed true to their country selves with a little Mountain Music.

Round 2: Team Usher’s Michelle Chamuel and Team Shakira’s Sasha Allen were saved.

Another sing-along: Usher, his swagger and his team sang Look of Love.

Round 3: America saved Team Adam’s Sarah Simmons.

A final song: The powerful ladies of Team Adam performed I’ve Got the Music in Me.

Round 4: Team Blake’s Holly Tucker made it through.

That left one artist per team on the chopping block. Only two would be safe. They were:

Round 5: Team Adam’s Amber Carrington and Team Blake’s Swon Brothers.

And with that, it looks like America sided with the coaches.

Going home: Team Shakira’s Kris Thomas and Team Usher’s Josiah Hawley. That means new coaches Shakira and Usher are each down to one singer, but old-timers Blake and Adam each have teams of three.

The remaining eight singers take the stage Monday (NBC, 8 ET/PT) for more live performances.

Copyright © 2013 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.

Here are the numbers: Blake has three singers, Adam has three, Shakira has two and Usher has two. That means the 10 remaining artists on The Voice sang for your Monday votes on a show that featured the return of CeeLo as a guest mentor.

Who hit the high notes and who fell flat? That’s what we’re here for:

Best outfit: Team Adam

Not just any guy can pull off Tim McGraw-style white pants. Adam Levine is not just any guy. While premiering the song Love Somebody, Adam and his band Maroon 5 wore all white, and we didn’t hate it.

Wildest hair: TIE

From the looks of it, Shakira decided to let her hair go wild by brushing out her curls. The giant mound of blond hair made the petite star look even tinier. And the hair on Team Adam’s Judith Hill was wild in a different way: It had a feather sticking out of it. Or was that just her hair fanned out to the side? Crazy-fun either way!

Biggest tearjerker: Team Blake

When the show opened, Blake addressed the tragedy in Oklahoma: “Bad news just keeps coming, and makes it hard to actually sit here and do this tonight,” he said. “But I’ve got a job to do and my team is counting on me. So here I am.” And with that, Blake’s Holly Tucker took the stage with a powerful rendition of the gospel song How Great Thou Art. “How strangely appropriate the song ended up being,” commented Blake. “That was the most important performance that you’ve had on The Voice so far.”

Most ambivalent: Team Adam

Judith Hill admitted she was “really torn” about singing a Michael Jackson song, because she used to sing background vocals for the singer, and even sang at his funeral. “I’m forever grateful to (Michael), and it hurts when people think that I’m taking advantage of him,” said a tearful Judith. Coach Adam ultimately convinced her to sing The Way You Make Me Feel. After her soulful performance that went from slow to upbeat, Judith smiled for a moment, then looked like she would cry. Carson reassured her. “That was equal parts you paying homage to somebody who was a big part of your life, and you being you, incredibly,” he said.

Most expected performance: Team Blake

Being reliable isn’t a bad thing. The guitar-playing Swon Brothers always make Shakira “feel good,” as she said, with their nice harmonies and smooth grooves. Their performance of How Country Feels by Randy Houser was no exception. “You got a thing goin’ now,” said Blake.

Most winded: Team Adam

We don’t mean she was tired, but Amber Carrington went for the dramatic windblown look with the help of fans in her performance of Kelly Clarkson’s Breakaway. Her voice sounded great, too, and proved she has country-pop chops. “I was blown away, I mean literally,” said Usher. “You look great in wind,” joked Blake.

Best song choice: Team Shakira

With help from adviser CeeLo Green, Sasha Allen sang her first real pop song of the competition: Emili Sande’s Next to Me. Naturally, she nailed the vocals, and even had a fun time with Coach Shakira dancing and cheering her on. “I’m so happy that you did a song like this,” said Adam. “It was time for you to come out and just be uptempo,” agreed Blake.

Toughest critique: Team Usher

Josiah Hawley definitely practiced his high notes like Usher and adviser Pharrell Williams told him to, but the judges seemed less than impressed with his version of Coldplay’s Clocks. “This is a toughy one for me,” said Shakira with her now-signature line. Adam said, “There were certain moments where I felt like you were not comfortable.” On the other hand, the women in the crowd yelled their support for Josiah so loud, it was hard to hear the coaches’ critiques.

Most carefree: Danielle Bradbery

Danielle Bradbery “came out here and made country cool again,” said Usher after the singer’s confident performance of Heads Carolina, Tails California by Jo Dee Messina. Though she’s the youngest on the show, Danielle is one of its most confident and carefree performers, with a mature voice. “Every 16-year-olds’ dream is to sing like that,” said Adam. “Every 36-year-old,” chimed Blake.

Most hesitant: Team Shakira

Miguel is a smooth, sexy singer (when he’s not leaping over the audience). But Kris Thomas needs that “swagger,” as CeeLo calls it. Kris’ performance of Miguel’s Adorn sounded great vocally, but his stage presence was less than confident. “You have a fantastic voice. I want to feel you thinking less,” said Adam. Usher agreed. “You were thinking a lot, but your voice is incredible.”

Hardest rocker: Team Adam

Sarah Simmons roared her way through Jessie J’s Mamma Knows Best. From the low notes to high falsetto sounds, Sarah’s layered voice stirred the crowd and had the coaches beaming. “Oh my gosh, that’s just rock,” said Blake, who kept interrupting the other coaches’ commentary by yelling “Sexy!” Said Adam, “That was the performance of the night.”

Most dramatic: Michelle Chamuel

Michelle Chamuel seems to really connect with the songs she’s performing. This go-round she sang Just Give Me a Reason by Pink. She look pained, grabbed her blazer and did her go-to squat. And all of it worked. Plus, her vocal performance was spot-on. “I love how dramatic you are when you’re performing,” said Blake. “I’ll say that THAT was the performance of the night. It’s just you. You are the theatrics,” said Usher.

Who will America vote through? Watch the results Tuesday (NBC, 8 ET/PT).

Copyright © 2013 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.

Here are the numbers: Blake has three singers, Adam has three, Shakira has two and Usher has two. That means the 10 remaining artists on The Voice sang for your Monday votes on a show that featured the return of CeeLo as a guest mentor.

Who hit the high notes and who fell flat? That’s what we’re here for:

Best outfit: Team Adam

Not just any guy can pull off Tim McGraw-style white pants. Adam Levine is not just any guy. While premiering the song Love Somebody, Adam and his band Maroon 5 wore all white, and we didn’t hate it.

Wildest hair: TIE

From the looks of it, Shakira decided to let her hair go wild by brushing out her curls. The giant mound of blond hair made the petite star look even tinier. And the hair on Team Adam’s Judith Hill was wild in a different way: It had a feather sticking out of it. Or was that just her hair fanned out to the side? Crazy-fun either way!

Biggest tearjerker: Team Blake

When the show opened, Blake addressed the tragedy in Oklahoma: “Bad news just keeps coming, and makes it hard to actually sit here and do this tonight,” he said. “But I’ve got a job to do and my team is counting on me. So here I am.” And with that, Blake’s Holly Tucker took the stage with a powerful rendition of the gospel song How Great Thou Art. “How strangely appropriate the song ended up being,” commented Blake. “That was the most important performance that you’ve had on The Voice so far.”

Most ambivalent: Team Adam

Judith Hill admitted she was “really torn” about singing a Michael Jackson song, because she used to sing background vocals for the singer, and even sang at his funeral. “I’m forever grateful to (Michael), and it hurts when people think that I’m taking advantage of him,” said a tearful Judith. Coach Adam ultimately convinced her to sing The Way You Make Me Feel. After her soulful performance that went from slow to upbeat, Judith smiled for a moment, then looked like she would cry. Carson reassured her. “That was equal parts you paying homage to somebody who was a big part of your life, and you being you, incredibly,” he said.

Most expected performance: Team Blake

Being reliable isn’t a bad thing. The guitar-playing Swon Brothers always make Shakira “feel good,” as she said, with their nice harmonies and smooth grooves. Their performance of How Country Feels by Randy Houser was no exception. “You got a thing goin’ now,” said Blake.

Most winded: Team Adam

We don’t mean she was tired, but Amber Carrington went for the dramatic windblown look with the help of fans in her performance of Kelly Clarkson’s Breakaway. Her voice sounded great, too, and proved she has country-pop chops. “I was blown away, I mean literally,” said Usher. “You look great in wind,” joked Blake.

Best song choice: Team Shakira

With help from adviser CeeLo Green, Sasha Allen sang her first real pop song of the competition: Emili Sande’s Next to Me. Naturally, she nailed the vocals, and even had a fun time with Coach Shakira dancing and cheering her on. “I’m so happy that you did a song like this,” said Adam. “It was time for you to come out and just be uptempo,” agreed Blake.

Toughest critique: Team Usher

Josiah Hawley definitely practiced his high notes like Usher and adviser Pharrell Williams told him to, but the judges seemed less than impressed with his version of Coldplay’s Clocks. “This is a toughy one for me,” said Shakira with her now-signature line. Adam said, “There were certain moments where I felt like you were not comfortable.” On the other hand, the women in the crowd yelled their support for Josiah so loud, it was hard to hear the coaches’ critiques.

Most carefree: Danielle Bradbery

Danielle Bradbery “came out here and made country cool again,” said Usher after the singer’s confident performance of Heads Carolina, Tails California by Jo Dee Messina. Though she’s the youngest on the show, Danielle is one of its most confident and carefree performers, with a mature voice. “Every 16-year-olds’ dream is to sing like that,” said Adam. “Every 36-year-old,” chimed Blake.

Most hesitant: Team Shakira

Miguel is a smooth, sexy singer (when he’s not leaping over the audience). But Kris Thomas needs that “swagger,” as CeeLo calls it. Kris’ performance of Miguel’s Adorn sounded great vocally, but his stage presence was less than confident. “You have a fantastic voice. I want to feel you thinking less,” said Adam. Usher agreed. “You were thinking a lot, but your voice is incredible.”

Hardest rocker: Team Adam

Sarah Simmons roared her way through Jessie J’s Mamma Knows Best. From the low notes to high falsetto sounds, Sarah’s layered voice stirred the crowd and had the coaches beaming. “Oh my gosh, that’s just rock,” said Blake, who kept interrupting the other coaches’ commentary by yelling “Sexy!” Said Adam, “That was the performance of the night.”

Most dramatic: Michelle Chamuel

Michelle Chamuel seems to really connect with the songs she’s performing. This go-round she sang Just Give Me a Reason by Pink. She look pained, grabbed her blazer and did her go-to squat. And all of it worked. Plus, her vocal performance was spot-on. “I love how dramatic you are when you’re performing,” said Blake. “I’ll say that THAT was the performance of the night. It’s just you. You are the theatrics,” said Usher.

Who will America vote through? Watch the results Tuesday (NBC, 8 ET/PT).

Copyright © 2013 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.

The Voice has had some issues in the past week: its studio lost AC Monday night, and there were voting inconsistencies last Tuesday. But Monday night, things seemed to go smoothly for all but two artists. Here’s how the results were revealed:

Before anyone made it through, there was a song: Robin Thicke, a resident Voice adviser, Pharrell and T.I were joined onstage by Vedo and Kris Thomas, who served as backup singers on the cool single Blurred Lines.

First round of artists through: Team Shakira’s Kris and Team Blake’s Swon Brothers.

Another song: Team Blake, including Blake himself, performed Play Something Country. No surprise there, considering that’s all Blake’s team has been doing all season. (Not that we’re complaining!)

Then, there was a taped “Voice Confessional,” in which we learned that Judith Hill used to sing kids’ songs such as “Everybody farts, and it’s OK,” and Zach of The Swon Brothers can make his face look like the Scream mask. It’s actually kind of scary. We also found out that Vedo used to sell body oil, and he’d sing, “Check out this oil, baby,” R&B-style, to shoppers, and Danielle takes a lot of impromptu selfies. (Duh, she’s a teenager.) However, Josiah revealed it is he who knows how to properly photograph oneself. (Duh, he’s a male model.)

Second round: Team Adam’s Sarah Simmons and Team Usher’s Josiah Hawley are safe.

More music: Lady Antebellum and Team Adam’s finalists joined forces to sing Goodbye Town. The group’s lead singer, Hillary Scott, is another Voice adviser.

Third round: Team Adam’s Judith Hill and Team Blake’s Danielle Bradbery, in the clear.

Another performance: Team Adam, this time with Coach Adam, sat onstage and sang a moody Lovesong.

Fourth round of picks: Team Usher’s Michelle Chamuel and Team Adam’s Amber Carrington.

And with that, all of Adam’s singers were through. Of the four singers left, two would make it.

Final round: Team Blake’s Holly Tucker and Team Shakira’s Sasha Allen, both safe.

Going home: Team Usher’s Vedo and Team Shakira’s Garrett Gardner.

The top 10 perform live Monday (NBC, 8 ET/PT), and former (and possibly future) coach Cee Lo Green comes back to advise Team Shakira.

Copyright © 2013 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.

NBC’s The Voice was hot Monday night … because The Voice studio’s air conditioning wasn’t working. “They need to turn that back on, for real,” Usher said. “It’s so hot in here that sound doesn’t carry,” Blake Shelton complained. Fortunately for us, the mikes still carried sound to our televisions. Here’s the best and worst of what went down:

Best moves: Team Usher

Usher has a true protégé in Vedo, who wore an Usher-esque leather jacket and danced an Usher-esque stationary moonwalk (you know, the one where he slides in a circle). Vedo also waved his hands a lot and walked with the beat, which people seemed to like. Without the AC on during his performance of Michael Jackson’s Rock With You, he certainly did “feel that heat,” as the song goes. But he still had enough energy to hit the high note.

Biggest note: Team Blake

Before Holly Tucker performed Martina McBride’s Broken Wing, Coach Blake said, “This song doesn’t work unless you sing it hard.” Holly responded with a powerful performance that ended in a giant note. We’re guessing that’s what Blake had in mind. “Gosh dang, girl,” Shakira said adorably. “Anybody who ever doubted your talent is a frickin’ idiot,” Usher said.

Worst song choice: Team Shakira

Yes, English isn’t Shakira’s first language, but she still needs to broaden her song-choice horizons and throw Garrett Gardner a bone! After tasked with singing a John Lennon song last week, the rocker was given the near-impossible task of performing Backstreet Boys’ I Want It That Way. He did his best to infuse as many growls into the song as possible, but Adam Levine wasn’t a fan. “I was a little thrown” by the performance, he said.

Hottest moment: Team Usher

The air conditioning did eventually turn back on, but not before Carson took off his jacket, and, more importantly, Usher took off his button-down. The audience cheered for a “very distracting” (Carson’s words) Usher in his thin beater. Later, Usher put his shirt back on.

Best song choice: Team Adam

Adam seriously needs to help Shakira out with her song choices. His choice of Brandi Carlile’s The Story for Sarah Simmons suited her passionate, gritty voice. Naturally, Shakira was unfamiliar with the song, but she thought it fit her voice. Blake said the performance was “incredible.”

Best tribute: Team Blake

The Swon Brothers saluted late country great George Jones with his Who’s Gonna Fill Their Shoes. With a piano, guitar, lovely harmonies and mood lighting (lots of candles), they nailed the performance. That was a “beautiful, beautiful rendition of that song,” Adam said.

Best coach plea: Team Shakira

After Sasha Allen stole the show with a fierce performance of Heart’s Alone, Shakira begged viewers to vote for her star. Though we don’t think Sasha will need any help making it through to next week, Shakira said, “I promise you I’m gonna write a song called My Sasha” if people vote for her. A fair-enough trade.

Best camera stare: Team Usher

We’re really trying to focus on Josiah Hawley‘s music. But when he seduces the camera, it’s hard to realize that his acoustic version of The Script’s The Man Who Can’t Be Moved is smooth with some nice falsetto. The coaches agreed that it was his best performance so far, and Usher even thought it made him sound like a “young Adam.” Adam had no response to that.

Weirdest comparison: Team Shakira

It’s easy to compare Vedo to Usher, and even OK to compare Josiah to Adam. But Shakira compared Team Blake’s confident teen Danielle Bradbery to a “16-year-old Margaret Thatcher,” because “you can never detect an ounce of nerves.” However, unlike the Iron Lady, Danielle is not polarizing. Her version of Carrie Underwood’s Wasted was widely well-received and made Adam call her “the one to beat.”

Boldest move: Team Adam

“Playing by yourself is a gift and a talent that can’t be taught,” Adam said. Fortunately for Judith Hill, she has the skill mastered. The soulful singer went bandless during her performance of You’ve Got a Friend. Just Judith and her piano easily filled the entire Voice auditorium with raspy goodness. Blake called the song beautiful and powerful.

Cutest moves: Team Usher

Petite Michelle Chamuel‘s dance steps include lunges to the beat and a move where she opens and closes her blazer. On Michelle, these moves are adorable and make her sweet version of Robyn’s Call Your Girlfriend even more lovable. Adam, a big fan, called her “unique,” “passionate” and “engaging.” “I love you a lot,” he said. Usher said, “I adore you.”

Biggest stretch: Team Shakira

Kris Thomas can sing Whitney Houston high notes, but he struggled with 12-year-old Michael Jackson’s high notes in I’ll Be There. Can you blame a guy for trying? Blake said the song pushed Kris “to the extreme,” and Adam said that song was high even for a young Michael.

Most touching: Team Adam

Amber Carrington‘s mom died of cancer, so the country singer easily related to the second Martina McBride song of the night, I’m Gonna Love You Through It. Amber was feeling the song as she beautifully belted and curled her notes. She more than earned her spot as the show’s closer. “You kind of defy the laws of gravity,” said a stunned Usher. We think we know what he was getting at.

Who will go home? America’s votes alone determine which two, regardless of team, are sent packing Tuesday (NBC, 8 ET/PT).

Copyright © 2013 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.

Over the weekend, The Tonight Show‘s clip of a musical couple went viral, and with good reason: It features a likable couple doing something unexpectedly awesome.

Here’s what happens in the video: Pumpcast News anchor Jack Rafferty surprises Will Sims and his wife Monifa from a TV monitor at a gas station. He offers to pay for the couple’s gas if Will, then Monifa, sings. They oblige, and they’re actually good singers!

The video has garnered 7.7 million views and counting, making it easily the most popular video to come out of The Tonight Show.

But is the segment real? The Smoking Gun reports that Will and Monifa are trained actors, and the fact that that information was never brought up on The Tonight Show is a bit sketchy. Also, Monifa has been on a Pumpcast News segment before.

Still, the couple defends the legitimacy of the video. Will told the Chicago Sun-Times that the show didn’t mention their thespian history, because viewers would think he was a “plant.” Smoking Gun reports that Monifa says it was just a fluke that she appeared on the show twice.

Regardless of how legit that video is, it’s still fantastic, don’t you think?

Copyright © 2013 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.

The votes are in, but not all of them counted.

Wait, what?

At the top of the first Voice results show of the season, host Carson Daly announced there were inconsistencies in voting. So, “for complete fairness, votes via text and online were not included in voting results.” But don’t panic, because, “removing votes did not affect the outcome,” said Daly.

After all the votes (outside of text and online ones) were tallied, the two top vote-getters per team advanced automatically. Then, coaches chose a third singer on their teams to make it through.

The results:

The top two on Team Blake, as voted on by America: Holly Tucker and Danielle Bradbery. Blake could only choose between the Swon Brothers and Justin Rivers. “For the sake of keeping things as different, as diverse in the competition for my team, I’m gonna save the Swon Brothers,” Blake said.

Team Shakira‘s top singers: Sasha Allen and Kris Thomas. Shakira had to pick either Garrett Gardner or Karina Iglesias to go through. Shakira said she made her decision “based on what I can contribute to this person.” She chose Garrett.

The singers America chose from Team Usher: Michelle Chamuel and Vedo. That left Cathia and Josiah Hawley. “I honestly did not see that one coming,” Usher said. He saved Josiah.

Team Adam‘s artists voted through: Judith Hill and Amber Carrington. That meant Sarah Simmons and Caroline Glaser were left. “As much as we like to make music a game, this is more important than a game,” said a stalling Coach Adam, who was almost cut off by the end of the show. “I have to save Sarah,” he managed to blurt out.

Guest appearances:

Rod Stewart took the stage to perform Finest Woman from his new album Time. (Read USA TODAY’s three-star review of the album here.) Voice contestants Josiah, Karina and Garrett got to join Stewart for Forever Young.

Former coach CeeLo Green returned to The Voice to perform his single Only You with Voice’s Season 2 runner-up Juliet Simms.

To sum up, here’s who went home:

Blake’s Justin Rivers, Shakira’s Karina Iglesias, Usher’s Cathia and Adam’s Caroline Glaser.

The live performance shows continue Monday (NBC, 8 ET/PT).

Copyright © 2013 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.

Up until this week, The Voice coaches Shakira, Adam Levine, Blake Shelton and Usher have decided which singers escaped elimination. Now, it’s time for you to help decide. It’s the Live Playoffs!

Teams Adam and Usher sang Monday night, so Shakira and Blake’s teams took the stage Tuesday. High notes and low points:

Chillest coach: Team Blake

Usher had his team work out in uniform to get ready for their group performance Monday. Blake had his team hang out on the couch and sing karaoke before singing Boondocks by Little Big Town. So which team would you want to be on?

Worst song choice: Team Shakira

Don’t sing John Lennon’s Imagine in a singing competition. Just don’t do it. Unless you completely rearrange it, or you’re Idol‘s David Archuleta. But Garrett Gardner was tasked with singing it from the piano, with only minor changes — he dropped some falsetto and added growls. Though it showed a softer side to Garrett’s usually gruffer vocals, the song did him no favors.Even Adam said that’s “one of my least favorite songs for someone to do.”

Best coach commentary: Team Usher

While giving Garrett feedback from his performance, Usher tried to say “it was nice to see you at a piano,” but he accidentally said “computer,” instead of piano.

Best vocal runs: Team Blake

Holly Tucker admitted to Blake that she didn’t feel she fit the mold of a superstar. Well, she sure looked and sounded like one during her performance of How Do I Live by LeAnn Rimes, which was complete with flawless falsetto and vocal runs. (Original Voice coach Christina Aguilera probably would have liked a front seat for that one.) Shakira called the performance “unbelievable,” and Blake said, “Everybody in this competition just sat up and went, ‘Oh, crap.’ “

Best falsetto: Team Shakira

For his Blind Audition, Kris Thomas sang a Whitney Houston song in the same key that Whitney sang it. Guys just don’t generally do that. For When I Was Your Man by Bruno Mars, Kris used that same unique range to hit some crazy falsetto notes. Too bad he was so tense while doing it. Adam said, “Clearly you have a great voice,” but “you were so nervous!” Shakira said she had goosebumps regardless, and so did we.

Best vibe: Team Blake

The Swon Brothers are the best duo in the game — OK, they’re the only duo. But even if there was another group left, Colton and Zach would probably be the superior one, because their harmonies during Fishin’ in the Dark by The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band were so tight. The country group was reliably entertaining, as Shakira said they had a great vibe that made her “feel at ease.” The biggest surprise of the performance? Shakira, Adam and Usher were all unfamiliar with the country classic.

Best comeback: Team Shakira

Powerhouse Karina Iglesias lost the Vocal Battle on Team Adam, but was stolen by Shakira. Though her Knockout performance was unimpressive, she made it through to the Live Playoffs, where she belted a high-energy version of Al Green’s Let’s Stay Together. The song made former coach Adam say, “You were not stolen from me. I foolishly gave you up.” Blake said he “thought the microphone was going to break” from her powerful voice.

Best stage presence: Team Blake

Country singer Justin Rivers said he met his wife at one of his shows. It’s no wonder — that man can work a stage and excite the ladies. In his electric performance of Meet in the Middle by Diamond Rio, he had the the crowd on their feet and Adam saying, “I love that there’s a country artist now that’s definitely a threat to Blake’s career.” Even Usher, who admittedly knows nothing about country music, had to admit “that was freakin’ cool.”

Best-seller: Team Blake

One of the ways to vote on The Voice is to go to iTunes and download a song that was performed on the show. We’re calling it now: 16-year-old Danielle Bradbery’s performance of Maybe it was Memphis by Pam Tillis will be the most-downloaded song of the night. She made a classic country tune appeal to everyone, including all the coaches. When Cassadee Pope did the same thing last season, she topped iTunes charts several times. And, by the way, Cassadee was crowned Voice champion.

Most epic performance: Team Shakira

It’s definitely difficult to pull off a Beatles song (see: Worst song choice), but Sasha Allen did more than just pull off Oh! Darling. Her rendition was soulful, polished and chill-inducing. Hard to believe she was actually stolen from Team Adam, because Sasha was “amazing,” as Adam said. “These little ears have listened to a lot,” but you have “one of the best voices I’ve ever heard in my life,” said proud coach Shakira. Blake said, “Everyone who just saw that, fell in love with you.”

Tune in Wednesday (NBC, 8 ET/PT) to see which two singers per team America picks, and which singer per team the coaches pick to continue into the finals.

Copyright © 2013 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.

After weeks of taped auditions, battles and knockouts, The Voice finally entered the Live Playoffs phase Monday. Team Adam and Team Usher performed to help America decide which two singers per team should move on. The coaches will also get to pick one of their players to advance.

Need help voting? Read our best/worst from the night:

Best outfits: Team Usher

Usher had his folks suited up in Team Usher sweatsuits and Usher-red sneakers. Well, what else would you wear when doing a singing/cardio workout? The team was prepping for the group performance of Black and Gold.

Toughest act to follow: Team Adam

Country powerhouse Amber Carrington poufed up her hair and slowed down the mood for Rihanna’s Stay, which was the first solo performance of the night. The coaches certainly think the singer has staying power as Shakira called it beautiful, and Adam said, “You had me for every second of that performance. You literally could not have done a more incredible job.” The Twitterverse seemed to echo Adam’s sentiments, and Blake said that though it’s difficult to sing first, “it would suck even worse after that. (You’re) setting the bar pretty high.”

Most love for the mike: Team Usher

Some people sing close to the mike. And then there’s Josiah Hawley, who basically kissed and rubbed his nose on the microphone. However, since we’re talking about the handsome model Josiah, the move just ends up looking sexy. As Usher said, “Josiah exudes sexiness.” By the way, his performance of Starlight by Muse was pretty good, too.

Biggest tearjerker: Team Adam

Sarah Simmons has already proven that she can sing, and that she can sing with feeling. So when she dedicated her performance of Angel by Sarah McLaughlin to her best friend who died in an accident, the room fell silent. “I’ve never heard this room so quiet,” said Adam. “Everybody was so completely enamored with what you’re doing that they just couldn’t speak.”

Most awkward moment: Team Usher

Latin singer Cathia belted Whitney Houston’s I Who Have Nothing. Which begs us to ask, Is Usher trying to get Cathia sent home? Singing Whitney in a singing competition is never a good choice, and it wasn’t a good choice for Cathia on Monday. She reached for those notes, but didn’t hit them all. And the judges noticed. Former coach Shakira tried to blame the lackluster performance on song choice (fair enough). Blake was speechless — not in a good way — when it was his turn to talk, and Usher admitted that there were a “lot of things that played into” Cathia not having a great performance. When your own coach admits your performance wasn’t so good, that’s awkward. But it’s also refreshing to hear an honest coach.

Best dodge: Team Shakira

Vedo can “sing the crap out of” a song, but his performance of Against All Odds didn’t blow the judges away. Especially Shakira, who completely avoided giving an opinion when Carson called on her. “I’m just an ant in the universe,” but “the audience loved you,” she said evasively.

Most likely to be played in (Voice sponsor) Starbucks: Team Adam

Dimpled sweetheart Caroline Glaser has a lot of experience playing in coffee shops, and it showed in her folksy performance of Ed Sheeran’s A-Team. Usher said, “I know that America’s going to vote for you.” We’d like to hear her song while drinking the “special latte” Blake Shelton keeps talking about.

Best coach/singer pair: Team Usher

Cute nerd Michelle Chamuel surprised everyone by picking Usher as her coach in the Blind Auditions. Since then, Usher has been very supportive of Michelle’s awesomely dorky style. Before her performance of True Colors, Usher, who wanted “Michelle to feel comfortable in her own skin,” had Michelle sing the song to herself in the mirror. The drill seemed to work, since Michelle’s moving performance won over the coaches.

Best birthday girl: Team Adam

Judith Hill celebrated her 29th birthday by putting a twist on Michael Buble’s Feeling Good (and firing her hair stylist, we hope). Her big gift? Piles of praise from the coaches. Adam loved the “cool” way she “played with the audience” by using dramatic pauses, while Blake called the performance “awesome” and Usher said he should have fought harder to get Judith on his team. “You took us to church,” added Usher.

Watch Tuesday (8 ET/PT, NBC) for performances from Team Shakira and Team Blake Shelton. Then Wednesday, tune in for the results.

Copyright © 2013 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.

The best way to whittle an eight-person team down to four? Pair everyone up in a sudden-death singing match. On The Voice Tuesday night, that’s what Blake Shelton and Usher did with their teams, (Shakira and Adam Levine’s teams went Monday) in preparation for next week’s live-vote rounds. Here are the high notes and low points of those “knockout” bouts:

Worst country song: Team Blake

She’s just a teenager, so we have to cut country singer Savannah Berry some slack for thinking it was a good idea to turn Justin Bieber’s As Long As You Love Me into a country tune. It wasn’t. Though Blake thought she “made it her own.” (Don’t they all?)

Longest note: Team Blake

Though many singers tried to impress the coaches with their grand finale notes, it was definitely Justin Rivers who was the closest to passing out after his song. His final note from the Miley Cyrus song The Climb left Usher impressed. “Man, you held that thing forever,” he said. Shakira said, “I think that long extended note won us over.” The note earned him a spot in the live rounds starting Monday.

Biggest bummer: Team Blake

Luke Edgemon has used his smooth R&B voice in gospel churches, as a contestant on American Idol (something Carson Daly neglected to tell us) and even as a Warbler on Glee (another thing the interwebs had to teach us). After singing an R&B-style Teenage Dream, he should be using his voice as a contestant in the live rounds of The Voice. And if it were up to Adam, he would be. But it was up to Blake, who chose country singer Holly Tucker instead.

Best cutaway: Usher

In case you forgot that Usher discovered Justin Bieber, he reminded viewers by mouthing the words to (the country version of) As Long as You Love Me. He also sang along to Drift Away as performed by The Swon Brothers.

Best look: Team Usher

Sometimes it’s hard to remember to listen to Josiah Hawley’s voice, because the male model’s face is just so beautiful. “It’s almost kind of like you have to escape the way you look, because you’re a super handsome guy,” said Adam after Josiah performed Back to Black. “You look like my boyfriend (Gerard Pique),” said Shakira. At least Usher was not too distracted to send him to the live rounds.

Biggest tearjerker: Team Usher

Vedo’s mother died after an illness during his time competing on The Voice. His rendition of Everything I Do, I Do it For You would have been emotional regardless of whether Vedo was a good singer. But he was fantastic. As Adam said, Vedo sang “with so much constraint and grace.” Or, as Blake put it, he “sang the crap out of” the song.

Best K.O.: Team Usher

Self-proclaimed nerd Michelle Chamuel performed like she “just won the lottery,” as Blake put it. She was squatting and dancing and even pointing to herself (in the style of Blake). Her energetic rendition of Raise Your Glass easily bested Audrey Karrasch’s attempt at Lil Wayne’s How To Love. Usher told Audrey not to go flat. Sounded like she went flat. There were “problems from the beginning to the end,” said Blake.

Easiest call: Team Blake

Teenager Danielle Bradbery says she has never performed publicly before going on The Voice. That can’t be true, because her confident presence and impressive voice continues to dominate. After performing Jesus Take the Wheel, it didn’t matter what shy Taylor Beckham did. Beckham was going home.

Best coach convo: Blake and Adam

Singer C. Perkins’ name inspired a funny exchange between Blake and Adam. Adam thought Blake should call himself B. Shelton, “because it sounds cool, man,” he said. “If your name was B, it would be so much cooler than Blake. Maybe you should try that. You need to try something.” Blake simply responded, “Kiss my a–, Adam.” He then stood up and took in the crowd’s applause. “Thanks, y’all,” he said. To which Adam replied: “That’s a lot of smart talk from a guy whose initials are B.S.” Host Carson Daley quipped, “We’re wondering who won that knockout round.”

Best new phrase: Shakira

Responding to Ryan Innes and Cathia’s performance, Shakira said, “That’s a toughy one.” Adam pointed out that that’s “technically maybe not” an American phrase, “but it’s a new saying.” (By the way, Cathia won the round.)

Toughest call: Team Blake

Grace Askew’s bluesy I Can’t Stand the Rain showed another side to the country singer, while The Swon Brothers reminded us they were adorable, harmonizing country boys with Drift Away. Both songs were easy on the ears, and the coaches were divided on who should move on. Blake went with the “predictable” siblings.

Moving on: Team Blake’s Danielle Bradbery, Holly Tucker, Justin Rivers and The Swon Brothers; Team Usher’s Cathia, Josia Hawley, Michelle Chamuel and Vedo. That makes 16 from Monday and Tuesday, all of which head for a three-night kickoff of the live viewer-voting finals starting next Monday (8 ET/PT, NBC).

Copyright © 2013 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.