Shakira, Usher to replace Christina Aguilera, Cee Lo on spring ‘The Voice’
Shakira may take over for Christina Aguilera for the spring edition of "The Voice." CREDIT: AP
Now that NBC has gotten greedy and felt two cycles of “The Voice” in one year was a good idea, it can’t keep all four celebrity judges around for both rounds.
For Christina Aguilera and Atlanta’s Cee Lo Green, the time commitment is too much. So NBC is reportedly seeking to replace them in the spring with Shakira and Atlanta’s Usher, according to Hollywood Reporter.
(UPDATE: The deal is done, according to EW.com)
Shakira isn’t quite the vocalist as Christina, but she has international appeal and her hips certainly don’t lie. And Usher – OMG! They trade one Atlanta R&B singer for another, who is in better shape but at the same time, is bigger in terms of chart success.]
Though their current music success is actually greater, Adam Levine and Blake Shelton are going to stick around for the spring, supposedly. But Blake (rightly) has complained about the stupidity of running it twice in one year. It makes it difficult to tour, he said.
This will change the chemistry of the quartet. I doubt it will be any better than it is now. Can Usher and Shakira replicate the playful banter of the current pair? I guess we shall see in early 2013.
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By Rodney Ho, Radio & TV Talk
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77 comments Add your comment
JTesla
September 17th, 2012
7:39 pm
I might actually watch just to see Shakira. She’s a vast improvment over Christina. Usher vs. Cee Lo… meh.
DAWG POUND
September 17th, 2012
7:57 pm
Enter your comments here
DAWG POUND
September 17th, 2012
7:59 pm
Christina is the one that actually makes the show tolerable to watch. I guess half a year is better than none!
Highlander
September 17th, 2012
8:04 pm
Kind of surprising to me. Of the 4, Christina’s career is the one that is the LEAST busy right now! Seems to me the last time she had a song on the radio was her accompanying vocal on Maroon 5’s “Move Like Jagger”.
Seth T
September 18th, 2012
1:24 am
Enjoyed watching The Voice tonight. Since we no longer expect to see great talent, We just enjoy the show for what it is.
I do believe the talent is better this season than before, but realize that some of the unique and interesting talent will either be knocked-out in the dazzle of the battlerounds, or dropped by the Judges for some unexplainable reason.
It will be mostly the loud passion screamers and octave cruisers that survive and win anyway. But it’s good to see all the different styles and looks and voices, until they have run them all off.
Shakira just might be fun in a panel like this.
Eric
September 18th, 2012
2:36 am
I hope that Shakira and Usher replacing Christina and Cee-Lo doesn’t run off viewers from the new NBC singing show when it returns in early 2013.
I haven’t tuned in to season 2 of The X-Factor… not sure if I’m missing a thing or not. I won’t be watching season 12 of American Idol. Fox and Idol pretty much ran me off by going with Nikki Minaj as 1 of the 4 judges.
With Survivor coming back sometime this month… I hope CBS doesn’t run me off with anymore returning contestants from previous season and/or family members. Same goes for The Amazing Race… and hope that CBS doesn’t make that same mistake again with Big Brother next summer. I too got sick and tired of the Hantz family and Big Brother odd-couple “Brenchel”.
Deirdre
September 18th, 2012
7:30 am
Mercedes has contributed an interesting article from the New Your Times on the state of singing competition judges in today’s market:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/18/arts/music/how-christina-aguilera-changed-judging-of-reality-tv-music.html?_r=1&emc=eta1
Deirdre
September 18th, 2012
7:31 am
York!!!! I really need to wake up BEFORE I start posting!
Deirdre
September 18th, 2012
8:52 am
Re Shakira and Usher: We talked about the possibility of revolving judges on Idol. It especially makes sense if the show is going to run twice a year. However, to me, this smacks of desperation on NBC’s part. I know that they are in the ratings dumpster at the moment and The Voice feels like a refreshing shower but too much of a good thing turns it into a boring thing. Maybe changing the judges will help.
Sam
September 18th, 2012
9:03 am
“The Voice” is trying to get me to watch, but I keep refusing. Bringing Shakira on may just convince me!
He said what
September 18th, 2012
9:15 am
It makes it difficult to tour? Well then tour! And don’t do the show in the Spring. Who is holding a gun to his head? He obviously makes more money doing the show then he does on his music or touring or the choice would be simple.
dawgfan
September 18th, 2012
9:23 am
Shakira?!?!?! This show just picked up a new viewer. I’d watch Shakira watch paint dry.
Mercedes S.
September 18th, 2012
9:49 am
Thank you, D.!
Anybody else watch “Revolution”? Kinda odd to see one of Brenda’s nemeses from “The Closer” as a good guy…was it filmed in Atlanta area? Much “Walking Dead” scenery; ditto plot elements. Lead young girl annoying. Will give it one more shot, though.
kay
September 18th, 2012
9:51 am
Neither one of these two judges can hold a note. Usher is not a VOCALIST, he spent much of his career as a performer that can kinda sing, but he shows his weakness in ballads. Same for Shakira…. so how can they coach??
m.johnson
September 18th, 2012
10:01 am
test
Metro Coach
September 18th, 2012
10:16 am
I’m a big fan of the The Voice as it is currently constructed. I don’t always agree with who the judges select, but that just means I have people to root for/against, which makes the show more interesting IMO. However, I agree with Blake, a second run in the Spring is dumb, and I’m leaning towards not watching because of the two new judges. If Blake Shelton leaves, I’m out, the chemistry between he and Adam Levine drives the show, and if that’s not there then its not worth watching. NBC is going to ride its one ratings grabber until everyone is sick of it, which might be by next May if they aren’t careful.
Rodney Ho
September 18th, 2012
10:22 am
MJ gets some dirt on how day two of “Idol” auditions with Nicki, Mariah, Randy & Keith: http://www.mjsbigblog.com/american-idol-12-spoilers-more-on-the-new-york-judges-round-and-beyond.htm
PTC DAWG
September 18th, 2012
10:59 am
Can the show and just let Shakari sing/dance. Now that’s TV worth watching.
PTC DAWG
September 18th, 2012
11:00 am
obviously I was too excited to spell Shakira correctly. That gal is En Fuego..
Sam-A
September 18th, 2012
11:23 am
At least Shakira seems to have a cute personality – more than I can say for Xtina.
Sam-A
September 18th, 2012
11:31 am
Mercedes: I watched “Revolution”. It was ok – certainly not earth shattering, but will give it a chance. Girl didn’t bother me too much, but my sister said she hated her. I’d totally forgotten the Uncle was the serial killer on “Closer”. I couldn’t place where I’d last seen him – DUH! My biggest problem was that he wasn’t a “super hero” or “alien”, so how the he-ll did he kill a dozen dudes who had guns and swords with a single sword and little help from anyone else????? And who was the gal who tried to rescue the brother contacting with that amulet? I’ll wait around long enough at least to find that out.
JTesla
September 18th, 2012
11:46 am
I didn’t watch it, but isn’t the “uncle” Bella’s dad? Not that I’d ever watch those movies… but just curious.
Mercedes S.
September 18th, 2012
12:09 pm
Well, Sam-A, at least Uncle was a soldier of some sort, and he’s had 15 years to hone his skills, if in darkness.
Sam-A
September 18th, 2012
12:11 pm
JT: Think you’re correct. Saw the first “T” movie, and I think he is the dad.
Mercedes, I believe at least some of the show was filmed here – having just taken that beltline tour a few weeks ago, the old quarry is very fresh in my mind – and that scene of the very green water surrounded by huge granite walls looked very familiar.
RxDawg
September 18th, 2012
12:15 pm
” didn’t watch it, but isn’t the “uncle” Bella’s dad?”
Yes, same guy, less facial hair.
I didn’t watch it yet, but I’m setting the DVR for it to give it a shot. I’m skeptical, because these big channel shows always tick me off because they drone on and on and never really go anywhere. That said, I just so happen to be reading Stephen King’s THE STAND right now. And it seems to have a somewhat similar background. And the King book is awesome.
Sam-A
September 18th, 2012
12:16 pm
Did anyone seel “Ellen” yesterday? Kellie P was on talking about shaving her head – very sweet girl, I must say, and a great story about 8 strangers coming together to rescue a hurt dog 18,000 ft up a mountain, whose owner just abandoned the sweet girl when he decided it was too dangerous to rescue her, and never even reported it to anyone. Lucky for her, a couple hiking saw her, and was able to get food and water to her, and posted it on a hiking site – 6 people responded and alll met and did what it took to get her to safety. Now one of the guys is adopting her.
Mercedes S.
September 18th, 2012
12:18 pm
Billy Burke is all that, Chief Swan too.
And Sam-A, the quarry, absolutely. Something dystopian about it.
Deirdre
September 18th, 2012
12:19 pm
The Stand IS awesome. One of my favorites! Have not seen Revolution yet. I was watching the Falcons last night. I should get a chance to see Revolution some time today.
Mercedes S.
September 18th, 2012
12:22 pm
Had to read your post twice, Sam-A; got impression Kellie P played a sweet girl abandoned on a mountain, getting food and water from hikers, and then rescued by someone who adopted her.
Mercedes S.
September 18th, 2012
12:22 pm
Had to read your post twice, Sam-A; got impression Kellie P played a sweet girl abandoned on a mountain, getting food and water from hikers, and then rescued by someone who adopted her.
Mercedes S.
September 18th, 2012
12:22 pm
Had to read your post twice, Sam-A; got impression Kellie P played a sweet girl abandoned on a mountain, getting food and water from hikers, and then rescued by someone who adopted her.
RxDawg
September 18th, 2012
12:26 pm
Yeh D, I was getting really dissapointed with a lot of the newer books I’ve read lately. So I thought I’d give some of the classics a shot. I figured there had to be a reason King became so big right? Well there is a reason. I actually read IT first. I thought it was great, really creative, and truly the first book I’ve read intended to scare you. And it worked. So now I’m working on THE STAND. I’m a little over halfway through and it’s fantastic. I think I like it better then IT, but I’ll reserve judgment when I finish it up.
Rickster
September 18th, 2012
12:30 pm
Had to read Sam’s post twice.. and post your own thrice, Mercedes?
Sam-A
September 18th, 2012
12:53 pm
Dawg: several of us have given rave reviews to “The Stand” awhile back. It’s been about 25 years since I read it, but saw the tv mini-series a few years later – and it was really well done also.
Sam-A
September 18th, 2012
12:55 pm
Read King’s “Salem’s Lot” – VERY SCARY vampire tale.
Deirdre
September 18th, 2012
12:56 pm
Rx, my first King book was Salem’s Lot. It is excellent. I most recently read 11/22/63 which is fascinating.
JTesla
September 18th, 2012
1:11 pm
My first King book was Cujo, read it when I was in the 4th grade. Not a book for someone 9 to 10 years old, but I sure did enjoy it
As much as we talk about The Stand here I should read it.
Mercedes S.
September 18th, 2012
1:29 pm
ready to give up. Long post starting with apology for triple post – “submit” didn’t take, or so I thought. Then long dirge on King books vs. movies, and when I punched “submit” I was reminded to fill in name and E-Mail. Which I’d already done THRICE today.
Jenny
September 18th, 2012
1:52 pm
The Stand!! Yay! I picked the right time to check in!
JT – Read it, read it, read it. You will not be sorry.
RXDawg – when you’re done with The Stand, read The Shining. If you think you know all about it from the movie- “you don’t know nothin’.”
Trust me. Read it.
And if you thought “IT” was scary – read Pet Sematary. The ONLY book I have ever been afraid to read while alone.
(The movie was a horrid joke. Ignore it.)
Other faves – Christine, Firestarter, Cujo. (again, ignore the movies.)
King just has a… way… of getting inside the characters’ heads, that’s almost unearthly.
And to this day I can’t go through a tunnel without thinking of Larry Underwood and the Lincoln Tunnel horrors….
RxDawg
September 18th, 2012
1:54 pm
Thanks for the tip on Salems Lot. I vaguley remember the movie, but I heard that the book was really good too. I had the Talismen in my sights next, but I might have to flip a coin for Salems Lot
R. Glenn
September 18th, 2012
1:54 pm
Sounds like more than commitment obligatiins to me.
RxDawg
September 18th, 2012
1:56 pm
“King just has a… way… of getting inside the characters’ heads, that’s almost unearthly”
Your right. He does such a great job of creating all these characters. They are all so different and complex. Makes you care about them. Or really hate them. He’s really good at that.
RxDawg
September 18th, 2012
1:57 pm
Hehe, anyone else think it’s funny that we are talking about books in a radio and TV blog?
Jenny
September 18th, 2012
2:02 pm
Oh, and definitely Salem’s Lot, The Dead Zone, and Thinner (under his Richard Bachman pen name.) Also the short story collections from his early years, and Different Seasons (which I believe includes “Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption”… (only non-miniseries movie of a King book that they’ve ever really gotten right.)
Love each and every one of his earlier works. He did lose me in his later years. After his awful accident, his books seemed to change. I had a harder time getting into them (though I am waiting eagerly for the paperback to read 11/22/63.
Jenny
September 18th, 2012
2:03 pm
RX- The Shining!!! TRUST me!!
Jenny
September 18th, 2012
2:05 pm
RX at 1:56, yes, and that’s why the movies can never live up. You can’t show that on film.
Jenny
September 18th, 2012
2:07 pm
Oh… and the short story “The Long Walk”. Absolutely haunting. (might have been under Bachman too, not sure.)
Sam-A
September 18th, 2012
2:10 pm
The “Salem’s Lot” miniseries was very good as well. The original tv Hutch from Starsky and Hutch starred – it was as scary as the book. “The Langoliers” is also really good. To this day, when I see those huge power things marching across the land, I think of langoliers!
Jenny
September 18th, 2012
2:15 pm
Oh my gosh, yes, read The Langoliers. (Sam, did you read or just watch miniseries? The novella is GREAT. Also, The Mist.
Deirdre
September 18th, 2012
2:36 pm
The whole Gunslinger series, the Dark Tower is really good,too.
If you like the idea of scary interspersed with laugh out loud try Dean Koontz series of Odd Thomas books. Read them in order.
Sam-A
September 18th, 2012
2:39 pm
Both, Jen. The movie put the image of those big old power things falling one by one as the ???? (we’re never told or shown just what they are) march thru the land.
Was “It” the one about the clown? That one I just saw the mini series, never read it, but the show was very scary.
Anyone who likes King should try Dean Koontz – he has written some of the scariest stuff ever, and some just eerie and good, like “Watchers” about a lab-created Golden Retriever. I’ve ranged for loved to really enjoyed most of his books. Just a small handful I’ve not liked (the Frankenstein series chief among them).
However, the scariest book I’ve ever read is “Helter Skelter” the true story of Charles Manson’s cult and murders by Vincent Bugliosi. It’s about a foot thick, but I started it late afternoon and was finished about 5:00 am – couldn’t put it down. This was not too far removed from the real events. Another horrifyingly scary book is “The Stranger Beside Me” by Ann Rule, about Ted Bundy and her relationship with him (they were friends who met while manning phones side by side at a suicide hotline outfit). Makes the hair on my arms stand up just thinking about it. Especially as I was a tall, thin girl with waist-length, parted in the middle dark brown hair – like most of the dozens of girls he murdered.
Jenny
September 18th, 2012
2:58 pm
Oh Sam, read IT. Talk about character development… I’d have to say it’s maybe THE deepest of all his books.
And the Langoliers…. yep, the power poles. And the chewing. **shiver**…
D, I need to read Dark Tower. A friend raves about it. Says it incorporates characters from many of my faves…
Rickster
September 18th, 2012
3:46 pm
Here’s a (hopefully) humorous joke:
A little boy walks into the barber shop. The barber is cutting the hair of a customer.
The barber leans down & whispers to the customer, “This is the dumbest kid in the world. Watch. I’ll prove it.”
He reaches in his pockets and then extends his hands toward the kid. In one hand are two quarters. In the other hand is a dollar bill.
“Which do you want?” asks the barber.
The kid grabs the two quarters, says, “Thanks Mister!” and leaves.
“See?” says the barber. “Dumb as a sack of rocks.”
The customer sits till the barber finishes. He pays & leaves.
He looks down the street and sees the kid coming out of the ice cream shop.
He hurries and catches up to the kid and says, “Son, can I ask you a question?”
“Sure.” says the boy.
“Why did you take the 50 cents instead of the dollar?” ask the man.
The boys smiles at the man and says, “As soon as I take the dollar, the game’s over!”
Mercedes S.
September 18th, 2012
3:54 pm
Sam-A – you ARE my younger self… “Watchers”, YES. And “The Stranger Beside Me” AND “Helter Skelter”. Read the Bugliosi book when I first got married and hubby went out of town for three days on business. Have never been so scared. Kept all the lights on at night.
Mercedes S.
September 18th, 2012
3:56 pm
Rodney started a thread on “Revolution”, but we pretty much dissected it here, no?
Sam-A
September 18th, 2012
4:01 pm
Mercedes: Doubt I’m any younger than you! I lived alone and stayed up all night reading that book – spend half the time looking over my shoulder, checking the front door and sliding glass doors, and trying to pull the curtains even closer together. Scared the hell outta me, but man what a powerful book. The mini series was expertly well done also – can’t remember the name of the actor who played Manson, but he put the fear of God in me! I totally believe Bugliosi when he said Manson stared at him, and his watch stopped dead. And I really did look very close to many of Bundy’s victims – when I found out, after he’d been caught in FL, that he’d spent some time in ATL, I about freaked out! Could have run into him at the Town Club, Uncle Sams, Scarlett Ohara’s, Mad Hatter – boggles the mind!
Deirdre
September 18th, 2012
4:41 pm
I did a college paper about the power of speech and used both Hitler and Manson as subjects. Most of the Manson stuff came from Helter-Skelter
Jenny
September 18th, 2012
4:44 pm
Mercedes, I want to hear your thoughts on King books vs movies?? (the post you said got lost earlier?) That is, if you have time to re-create.
Sam-A
September 18th, 2012
4:56 pm
Good evening all.
Rickster
September 18th, 2012
5:14 pm
Have a great evening, everyone.
Mercedes S.
September 18th, 2012
6:30 pm
Thanks, Jenny; I mentioned my favorite King books and if the movies/TV-series did them justice. Yes, in the case of “Carrie”, the first King book I read; ditto “The Stand”, “’salem’s Lot”, “Shawshank Redemption”, “The Dead Zone” and “It”, and a very big NO to the Kubrick version of “The Shining”. Despised
“Dreamcatcher”, “Christine”,”Firestarter”, “Cujo” and “Pet Sematary”.
It seems King’s stories come off better in longer TV-shows. There was a TV-remake of “The Shining” that was truer to the book.
Highlander
September 18th, 2012
7:27 pm
I think the best adaptation of a Stephen King book to movie was the mini-series “It”, followed closely by “‘Salem’s Lot.” The detail and character development in King’s books fair much better as mini-series than as 2-hour movies, IMO.
D., just finished Koontz’s Odd Apocalypse (the latest Odd Thomas outing). While the usual off-the-cuff humor was there, I thought the story dragged a bit. Just took a while to get going for me. I’ve enjoyed quite a few of his books but there have also been a few where it seemed to me like he got bored with writing toward the end of the book and just finished it up quickly.
Beth
September 18th, 2012
7:48 pm
I think they did an absolutely amazing job finding the replacement judges for season 4. Usher and Shakira are both extremely talented and successful. They will bring some different elements to the show but I think it will be good. Everyone at my DISH office is excited that we will still get to watch the ‘bromance’ between Blake and Adam next season. The talent has been good, and the judges have been entertaining in the current blind auditions too. I’ve been busy with class at night so I’m watching them on Prime Time Anytime on my Hopper DVR. It automatically records all the prime time shows on the four major networks for me. I will miss the chemistry the judges have when Cee Lo and Christina are gone but I’m also excited to see the fresh dynamics the new judges bring.
JTesla
September 18th, 2012
8:20 pm
LOL
Deirdre
September 19th, 2012
7:54 am
Morning!
Good old Dish network! They keep trying.
I watched Revolution and see some potential. The woman at the end with the working computer perked me up. The leader of the soldiers being the guy that Miles was traveling with when the lights went out also got my interest. Don’t think much of the guy who plays Miles as an actor yet or the girl who plays Charlie but like the woman with the accent and the guy who used to be a Google millionaire.
I will definitely watch it again.
Mercedes S.
September 19th, 2012
9:11 am
Morning!
So this is today’s Idol page?
Sam-A
September 19th, 2012
9:29 am
Mercedes: I didn’t care for “Shining” with Nicholson either!
Highlander: I’m finding for the most part that Dean Koontz ’s earlier books are more interesting to me than the last few year’s worth. He has a great imagination, and has written some incredible, scary, complex stories. “Hideway” was my first, and one of my favorites, and too many more to say. There was one a few years ago, I think “From the corner of his eye” or similar, that was heartbreakingly sad about a little boy. His characters are so real to be in such eerie, scary situations.
Deirdre
September 19th, 2012
9:51 am
It is very hard to make a good movie from a King book. Mostly a mini-series is the only genre that can come close to making it work. The Stand mini-series was well done I thought despite the fact that it is hard to translate what you feel while reading the books to the screen.
Lately, his books have been more about the real horrors in the world with supernatural elements added to them. It is understandable since he faced his own real horror when he was hit by a van while taking a walk. He is gradually getting back to his old style. I think one of his best books is 11/22/63. It is thought provoking, bittersweet and really fascinating. Yes, it revolves around the ability to go back in time but it is so much more than that.
Deirdre
September 19th, 2012
9:54 am
Highlander, I think Koontz has a plan for Odd Thomas but, depending on the popularity of the series, has no idea when that plan will come to fruition. Have you read the e-book, told in 3 parts that is part of Odd’s journey? It’s call Odd Interlude and I liked it better than Odd Apocalypse.
Mercedes S.
September 19th, 2012
9:55 am
Also agree about early Koontz. “Lightning” was my favorite, along with one about the wonder dog I read that one aloud to my kids when they were small; i.e. censored really bad parts). It’s still their favorite book!)
Mercedes S.
September 19th, 2012
9:57 am
It says “duplicate comments”, yet none of my comments are posted!!
Mercedes S.
September 19th, 2012
10:03 am
Ah! there it was!
Anyway, I think it’s difficult for succesful authors to deliver a fascinating book every year. Long time ago I interviewed Sue Grafton when she was travelling the country promoting “D is for Deadbeat” (fun charming lady, btw)and she’d just been told by her publisher that they expected an alphabet book from her every year. She said she was terrified she wouldn’t be able to do it. Somehow she did; she is now reaching the end of the alphabet, and I have enjoyed every one of her Kinsey books. Maybe because they are as much about character as plot.
Sam-A
September 19th, 2012
10:09 am
There is a book called “Serpent” by David Wiltse, that is one of the scariest, and best, books of the genre ever. It was so scary, I slept with the lights on for days after reading it.
Deirdre
September 19th, 2012
11:37 am
New thread up. Nicki Minaj.
RxDawg
September 19th, 2012
3:07 pm
“I think one of his best books is 11/22/63. It is thought provoking, bittersweet and really fascinating. Yes, it revolves around the ability to go back in time but it is so much more than that.”
I’ve heard it was a really goot book also D.
icon set
September 20th, 2012
3:18 am
In my opinion, it is an interesting question, I will take part in discussion. I know, that together we can come to a right answer.
P.S. Please review Financial Icon Library from logodesignbiz
Oh brother
September 21st, 2012
12:21 am
I don’t like this idea. I would not press my button if this was a vote