[PHOTOS] CHRISTINA AGUILERA ON 'THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO'

[VIDEO] CHRISTINA AGUILERA'S INTERVIEW ON 'THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO'

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[NEWS] WHY 'THE VOICE' IS HITTING THE HIGH NOTES

The Voice is suddenly on a hot streak - the kind of streak reserved for lightning-in-a-bottle pop-cultural phenoms that elevate hope and talent over hype and humiliation. The kind of streak that suddenly threatens to cast American Idol in the shade.

How is The Voice better than American Idol? Let me count the ways.

. The Voice has coaches, not judges. Christina Aguilera, Cee Lo Green, Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine, and country vocalist Blake Shelton have a vested interest in the success of their 12 chosen team members.

. The Voice auditions focus on performing ability; American Idol auditions focus, as often as not, on humiliation and the vocal train wreck. The Voice's contestants are chosen in advance, based on their singing ability; Idol's contestants are chosen from whoever walks in the door.

. The Voice is tailored to the individual performer's chosen field of singing. American Idol forces contestants into a box. This week, disco, next week, power ballads, the week after that, duets with Pauly Shore. The Voice simply asks: Do you have a good voice? Good. Now show us how good. And do it your way.

. The Voice's coaches are singers themselves. They're working in the industry now, and their music is contemporary, relevant and on the song charts. Shelton is on tour now, with his finalist from The Voice last season, Dia Frampton.

. The Voice is changeable and adaptable to shifts in musical tastes and tracking trends. American Idol is locked into more of a stiff format. The Voice bends and moves with the times; American Idol is trapped in the past. The Voice is karmic; American Idol is dogmatic.

. The Voice is inclusive. Last season, two of the four finalists were openly gay, and no one cared. American Idol appears uncomfortable with the subject, at least during the competition phase. (One theory holds that, because Idol's core fan base lies in the conservative, U.S. red states, alternative lifestyles are deliberately downplayed on the show.)

. The Voice makes no secret of the fact that many of its contestants have previous experience in the recording industry. In some cases, they've had record deals, only to be dropped by their label over time. American Idol, on the other hand, likes to pretend its contestants fell off the back of a turnip truck, even though some of them have experience, too.

. The coaches are expected to be themselves, not play TV versions of themselves. Levine is high-energy, uptempo, combative, sarcastic and outspoken. He's all about the music, not the fame. As he told me last month, "I trust this show more than I trust the business," when it comes to finding new talent. Green is soft-spoken and watchful; he listens more than he talks. Aguilera is effusive and open-hearted, but also given to moments of reflection and introspection. And Shelton, who some Voice insiders have tabbed as the standout coach, is as much about nurturing and encouragement as he is about album sales and tour dates.

TV-reality competitions are not quite the same as real-world talent contests. They're designed for TV, for one; the talent part is secondary. They have to deal with issues of pacing, suspense, empathy and old-fashioned storytelling. They work best - as TV shows - when there's an element of challenge and overcoming the odds, and self-affirmation. There has to be a rooting interest, and a reason to watch other than mild curiosity about who will win in the end. There has to be a reason for viewers to come back, week after week. And when talent alone won't do it - some Idol seasons are stronger than others - there's always engineered drama.

The Voice has its share of contrived drama. Every second contestant, it seems, is an HIV-positive recovering addict or a 50-something lifelong music devotee looking for that one last shot at fame and stardom.

On Idol, though - especially this season - the contrived drama has overwhelmed the singing, at times.

There was no need, for example, to shamelessly keep replaying the moment when a 16-year-old fell off the stage during Idol's Hollywood audition phase. Contestant Symone Black, already suffering from dehydration, took a tumble off the front edge of the stage after performing a credible rendition of Otis Redding's Sitting on the Dock of the Bay. There was no need to show the accident what seemed like 67 times - no need, that is, except ratings and the fact that, thanks to the magic of video editing in the digital age, the moment could be packaged and used as a teaser for nearly two hours, followed by an episode-ending cliffhanger. Was she hurt? Did she injure her back? Will she ever sing again? Tune in tomorrow to find out.

Idol has now reached the audience knockout phase. A dozen contestants remain, following last week's systematic mauling of Adele songs. Idol will dial back on the engineered drama, in theory, from here on in and let the singers take over.

There's an inescapable feeling, though, that this year's field is weaker than in some past seasons, despite the judges' constant crowing about how this is "the best group ever!" It didn't help Idol's cause that Interscope Geffen A&M chairman Jimmy Iovine told one contestant last week that his "shtick" was getting old and that the show is called American Idol, not American Comedian.

Iovine remarked that another contestant was screechy and annoying, and said of one performance - which got a standing ovation from judges Randy Jackson, Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez - that it was cheesy.

Meanwhile, The Voice has wrapped its sensational blind-audition phase - the search for the mystery voice - and is now in the so-called "battle rounds," where the coaches assign a pair of singers in their teams to perform a duet, and choose the singer most likely to advance. The singers will be helped in their task by guest mentors: Lionel Richie and Jewel with Aguilera's group, Kelly Clarkson and Miranda Lambert with Shelton's group, Ne-Yo and Babyface Edmonds with Green's group and, perhaps most intriguing, Alanis Morissette and Robin Thicke with Levine's group.

Levine told Anderson Cooper recently that he's angling to get Kanye West involved with his group. Not so long ago, the very suggestion would have been laughable. Now, not so much. The Voice is suddenly serious business.

And music to the ears. The Voice has risen lately in the ratings, where American Idol has dropped.

For once, though, the bottom line is not just about the bottom line.

The Voice is simply the better show, pure and simple.

The Voice is more relevant, more meaningful, more compelling and more entertaining right now, because it's good to listen to, not just fun to watch.

Source: TheStarPhoenix

[NEWS] MONDAY'S FINAL RATINGS: 'THE VOICE' ADJUSTED UP

The Voice was adjusted up a tenth of an adults 18-49 ratings point vs. Monday's preliminary ratings. There were no other 18-49 adjustments with last night's originals, though the CW repeats were adjusted down.

Source: TVByTheNumbers

[VIDEO] SNEAK PEEK: 'THE VOICE' SEASON 2, BATTLE ROUNDS

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[VIDEO] #TEAMXTINA'S MOSES STONE'S FULL BLIND AUDITION

[NEWS] BLAKE SHELTON SPILLS ABOUT HIS FIRST EXPERIENCE WITH CHRISTINA AGUILERA

Blake Shelton doesn't reserve the teasing of his fellow coaches on NBC's The Voice to the music competition's TV broadcasts. He had some fun at their expense during his concert Saturday night at the Patriot Center in Fairfax, Va., just west of Washington.

"I almost didn't do The Voice," he said, before describing a secretive meeting in Hollywood where he and the rest of the prospective cast first discovered who had been asked to do the show. "I'm the only country artist, so I'm the only coach on time because I'm worried I'll be fired before we even get started. After about 15 minutes, this little guy (Maroon 5 lead singer Adam Levine) in a white T-shirt and all these tattoos comes in." Shelton said he and his manager agreed that Levine looked "sexy."

Some "Secret Service guys" arrive after another 15 or 20 minutes, he says, to check out the place before Christina Aguilera arrives. "Then, Christina's boobs come through the door," Shelton says, "and about two minutes later the rest of her body comes through."

Another 20 minutes go by and "in comes this guy in a bright yellow Adidas suit (Cee Lo Green)… and my manager asks do I know any of his music, " says Shelton, who then plays Forget You, the G-rated version of Green's 2010 hit.

The reigning Country Music Association male vocalist of the year also took some time to bash critics who have questioned his on- and off-stage activities such as having an alcoholic drink on stage, hunting and liberal use of Twitter. "When did being a country singer mean you had to walk a straight line and be politically correct?"

Shelton, who has more than 1.1 million followers, peppers his Twitter feed with humor and pre-game rally comments for his concerts and The Voice broadcasts. Before his Friday concert at Reading, Pa., he tweeted: 'Im so excited about tonight's show I just high fived my own reflection in the mirror!!!!!"

But occasionally, his tweets may stray into subjects that music industry execs might prefer be left unstrayed-into publicly. "I like to get on there and talk about hunting and drinking and boobs and things guys like," Shelton said onstage, after showing his Twitter page on the big screen behind him.

To finish the story, he let his sentiments lead into one of his hits, saying, "If you don't like my tweets, you can 'Kiss my country a--'."

Source: USAToday

[VIDEO] ADAM LEVINE DISHES ABOUT HIS FEUDS W/ XTINA & THEIR BOWLING BIRTHDAY BASH TO LENO

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[NEWS] CARSON DALY DESTROYS THE DIRTY RUMORS ABOUT XTINA'S ACTIONS ON 'THE VOICE'

Yesterday, a dirty little rumor sprung up that producers for The Voice were planning to axe Christina Aguilera from the coaching line up after the conclusion of its second season.

Well we at AMP Radio wanted answers, so who better to ask than the host of the show (AND our morning show guru) Carson Daly?

What’s fact and what’s false? Hear the truth straight from the horse’s mouth!

Contrary to reports, producers couldn’t be more pleased with Christina Aguilera and her work on The Voice.

Among the false complaints, sources say the pop star doesn’t spend quality time with her own contestants, she doesn’t “participate,” she brings her boyfriend with her on set all the time, and they even go as far to say that she’s drinking on the job!

“I would tell you the 100% truth. If she was a diva, if she was a pain in the ass, I've got nothing vested. I'd tell you. I'd tell you right now."

What does Carson have to say about that? False, false, false and FALSE!

He set the record straight this morning on AMP Radio. As for her relationship with her contestants, he says she’s completely hands-on:

"I think she spent more time with her contestants, her team, the girls, than anybody else. [It] may not have been on the set, but she was on the phone with them, working out what songs they were going to do. Adam might have spent more time, but [she's] top two. She spent more time than Cee Lo or Blake, for sure."

Okay, item number 2: Christina doesn’t “participate?” Also not true.

"Some of the rehearsals she’s not at. Like some of them that I’m at, she’s really not needed. We’re doing what we call look-sees and blocking and camera, so they’ll have a stand in, but it’s quite common. She’s there for all the dress [rehearsals] and all the stuff that she has to be there for."

Carson then dispelled rumors about Christina’s boyfriend Matt hanging around at The Voice.

"I can count on one hand how many times Matt was on the set. I bring my girlfriend way more than I’ve seen her boyfriend."

Finally, he hilariously put to rest the most troubling subject: the matter of Christina drinking on set:

"We give her a hard time for not drinking on the job! Me and Adam and Cee Lo and Blake, we always are hanging out and drinking beers or whatever and we’re always trying to get her to come and join us, but she’s busy picking out outfits! So there’s no truth to it all, none whatsoever."

Well there you have it! Get the full 411 by listening to the audio clip below!

Source: AmpRadio

[NEWS] TOP-TEN THINGS TO EXPECT FROM TONIGHT'S EPISODE OF 'THE VOICE'

1) Taking a cue from Cee Lo but with a slightly different approach, Blake name-drops Xenia while trying to win over an artist. Yes,that Xenia.

2) One artist sounds so much like his musical idol that the coaches actually think a prank is being played on them.

3) Carson surprises a street performer with an invitation to the blind auditions.

4) Cee Lo gets feisty. Which, as we all know, is as rare as a shooting star.

5) A famous pastor’s son takes the stage to start his own path, not necessarily in his father’s footsteps.

6) Christina does her signature “Genie In A Bottle” move circa ‘99 to lure an artist away from Cee Lo.

7) The epic coach bromance continues: we learn the artists aren’t the only ones who get giddy and nervous around Adam Levine.

8) A country hopeful tries to wow the coaches with the help of her…piano?

9) A Broadway veteran coming off Rent, We Will Rock You and American Idiot strives for pop/rock stardom. First stop? The Voice stage.

10) “We are looking at a star” the reaction to an artist who seems to have zero nerves and all the stage presence of a pro.

So tune in! Tell me what you think!

Source: @CMilianOfficial

[NEWS] ALL FOUR COACHES ARE RETURNING FOR THIS FALL'S SEASON 3 OF 'THE VOICE'

All four "Voice" judges will return to the NBC hit for a third season that will air -- for the first time -- in the fall, TheWrap has learned.

TheWrap reported previously that Christina Aguilera had agreed to return for $10 million for the season.

Now, Cee-Lo Green, Adam Levine and Blake Shelton have all agreed to return as well, all with substantial pay raises, according to two individuals close to the negotiations. They have arranged their schedules for a fall debut, which NBC is preparing to announce shortly.

The individuals said that Green, Levine and Shelton will see their pay roughly doubled to $6 million.

Also read: Christina Aguilera Re-Ups for 'The Voice,' New Season May Air in the Fall

A spokeswoman for NBC said that the judges were not settled upon yet. "No final decisions have been made," she told TheWrap.

Representatives for the judges declined to comment or did not immediately return calls for comment Thursday.

But insiders told TheWrap that Levine of "Maroon 5" had been holding out because of the scheduling issue. He and his band have an album nearing completion, and tour dates and promotion of the album had to move to accommodate the show's move to the fall.

"The Voice" was a breakout midseason hit for NBC when it debuted in April 2011. This season, the show -- which has aired three episodes -- has the highest averaging ratings on television. It averages an 8.4 rating/21 share in the crucial 18-49 demographic and 21.3 million viewers overall. It owes that average largely to huge ratings for the premiere, which aired in the plum spot after the Super Bowl.

TheWrap previously reported that NBC was considering moving the show to the fall. Now, with the agreement to bring back the four-judge panel, that decision has been made, according to knowledgeable individuals.

The network is expected to announce the decision in the next two weeks.

That scheduling decision would have the show, now a midseason hit, airing at the same time of year as Fox's "X Factor."

Source: TheWrap

[VIDEO] CHRIS MANN ALWAYS WANTED TO SING WITH CHRISTINA AGUILERA

WICHITA, Kansas -- Local boy makes good. Chris Mann was a hit on "The Voice" on NBC after the Superbowl.

"He always wanted to sing with Christina Aguillera," says mom, Patti, in Northeast Wichita this week after the show. "He always wanted to sing with her. Seeing him on stage with her was a thrill."

Patti and Mike always believed their son would hit it big. They believed.

"We've been through the ups and downs," says dad, Mike. "The highs the lows. The elation. Getting his first job."

Mike and Patti were at the recording of the big show.

"When he came out, we were still cheering for him," says Mike.

Chris got on the stage at The Voice and began singing his own brand of music. Something called classical crossover artistry.

The first judge on the show to go for Chris was artist/judge Cee Lo. Though Cee Lo wasn't sure what to make of Chris, singing in another language.

"You are from America, right?" asked Cee Lo on the big stage.

"I'm from Kansas," Chris said with a broad smile.

Kansas. A point of pride for Chris and both his parents. Chris cut his singing teeth at Wichita Southeast High, where he worked with WSU voice coaches. Chris was also a boy scout, tennis player, and fun-loving little brother to his sister, now an attorney in Wichita.

"We always knew he was incredibly talented," said Patti. "But he's just always wanted to sing with Christina. So to see him on stage with her after she picked him... did you see the hug she gave him?"

Pop sensation Christina Aguillera was the second judge on the show to pick Chris.

"Just let that voice go," said Aguillera of the unique style Mann showcased. "And you did."

Patti and Mike say Chris is thrilled to be moving on in the show. They're especially proud he was able to move forward with his own unique sound.

"He's got a variety of styles and ranges," says Mike "He loves the old style music of guys like Frank Sinatra. Loves the old singers."

So is Chris going to be the next Harry Connick Jr. or maybe Josh Groban?

"Oh, don't call him Josh Groban," says Patti. "Even though he's already good friends with Josh Groban. Chris will tell you he has his own style."

"Chris has been working on this for some time. He's already his own brand. He's a writer as well and he has a lot of music on the lifetime and E! Channel. He sang on Avatar. It's all on his website. He loves singing on Disney movies. He's a warbler with Glee. He's been doing many things... All with his big voice."

That big voice with the unique sound is moving on. He's not done on The Voice.

Catch The Voice, and Wichita's own Chris Mann, on NBC on the Kansas State Network.

Source: KSN

[NEWS] CHRISTINA AGUILERA WILL BE A GUEST ON 'THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO' (2-17-12)

Source: TheTonightShow

UPDATE: Christina's guest appearance has been postponed to March 23rd.

Source: RCA

[NEWS] 'VOICE' LOUD, 'SMASH' STRONG FOR NBC

NBC's Broadway-themed drama "Smash" opened to good numbers Monday, airing behind the timeslot debut of "The Voice," which followed up its monster post-Super Bowl premiere one night earlier with very impressive numbers. The shows combined for easily the net's top non-sports scores this season.

It will take a while to see where both shows settle, but NBC has to be pleased with the launch of "Smash," which averaged a 3.8 rating/10 share in adults 18-49 and 11.5 million viewers overall, according to affiliate-based preliminary estimates from Nielsen. Though it fell off in its second half-hour as expected (from 4.2 to 3.4 in 18-49), "Smash" led its hour over competing dramas "Hawaii Five-0" on CBS (2.7/7 in 18-49, 9.8 million viewers overall) and "Castle" on ABC (2.0/5 in 18-49, 8.7 million viewers overall).

"Smash" generated perhaps the best reviews of any drama this season. The show, whose exec producers include Steven Spielberg, Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, stars Debra Messing, Anjelica Huston and Katharine McPhee

Meanwhile, "The Voice" (6.6/16 in 18-49, 17.9 million viewers overall) ruled its two-hour timeslot, easily surpassing its first-season highs last spring in both 18-49 (5.7/15) and total viewers (14.4 million). The NBC music competition opened within shouting distance of Fox's "American Idol," which kicked off its season last month with a 7.4/19 in 18-49 and 21.93 million viewers overall - low by its standards. NBC hasn't done better from 8 to 10 p.m. on Monday with regular series since 2004.

Source: Variety

[NEWS] 'THE VOICE' SHATTERS RATINGS RECORDS WITH A 37.6 MILLION AUDIENCE-THE BEST SINCE '06

The Voice's 37.6 Million Viewers Are Best Post-Super Bowl Numbers Since 2006

The season 2 premiere of "The Voice" (16.3 rating in adults 18-49 and 37.611 million viewers overall) scored the highest rating for an entertainment telecast on any net in six years since the post-Super Bowl telecast of "Grey’s Anatomy" on February 5, 2006 (16.5).

"The Voice" is up +47% in 18-49 rating and +40% in total viewers versus Fox's "Glee" in 2011 on Super Bowl night (11.1 in 18-49 rating, 26.806 million viewers overall). Versus two years ago, "The Voice is up +1% versus CBS's "Undercover Boss" on Super Bowl night in adults 18-49 (16.2 in 18-49).

In total viewers, "The Voice" marks NBC’s best post-Super Bowl program since Friends on January 28, 1996 (52.9 million).

The 16.3 adult 18-49 rating and 37.611 million P2+ viewers for the season 2 premiere of The Voice accounted for NBC’s top results for an entertainment telecast since the Friends finale on Thursday, May 6, 2004 from 9-10:06pm (24.9 in 18-49, 52.5 million viewers overall).

The 16.3 18-49 rating for "The Voice" marks a series high for the show, up +186% versus its previous series high for week 2 of the show on Tuesday, May 3, 2011 (5.7 A18-49 rating, 9-11 p.m.).

'The Voice’s" 37.611 million total viewers were +161% above its previous series high in on Tuesday, May 31, 2011 from 10-11pm (14.405 million), following the season premiere of "America’s Got Talent."

In 7-11 p.m. primetime averages, NBC delivered a 36.3 rating in adults18-49 and 97.7 million viewers overall, for the highest rated night on NBC in 18-49 since Sunday January, 28, 1996.

It's NBC’s best night in total viewers in the history of people meters.

The special edition of "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" averaged a 2.5 rating in adults 18-49 rating and 6.166 million viewers overall from 11:56 p.m.-12:56 a.m. ET) .

Fallon is up +400% from its season average in 18-49 and up +256% in total viewers (0.5 in 18-49, 1.734 million viewers overall).

This easily stands as Fallon’s highest-rated telecast to date in both 18-49 rating and total viewers.

Compared with the show’s previous series highs (1.9 in18-49 Rating, 3.967 viewers overall on January 22, 2010, following Conan’s final "Tonight Show"), Fallon was up +32% in 18-49 and +55% in total viewers.

Source: TVByTheNumbers

[NEWS] 'THE VOICE' EXPECTED TO HAVE REACHED 34 MILLION VIEWERS IN EARLY SUPERBOWL RATINGS

So was Super Bowl XLI a behemoth in the ratings, as always?

The show averaged a 47.8 rating and 71 share in Nielsen's "overnight markets" (no viewer data available yet at this point), which ranks third overall and a tick behind last year's record-setting game (a 47.9/71 in overnights, which later translated to a best-ever 111 million viewers).

The second season premiere of NBC's The Voice, which followed the Super Bowl, airing from approximately 10:15-11:30 p.m. ET, averaged a 19.4/33, retaining 37% of the game's final half-hour (9:30-10 ET), and is 27% ahead of last year's airing of Glee on Fox, which averaged a 15.3/27 in overnights and eventually translated to 26.8 million viewers.

If this proves proportionate, adjusted Voice numbers should reach 34 million viewers. However, The Voice ranked below the last reality show that aired behind the Bowl, the premiere of CBS' UndercoverBoss, which averaged 38.7 million viewers.

Source: USAToday

[NEWS] 'THE VOICE' TAKES A 27% LEAD OVER LAST YEAR'S 'GLEE' IN EARLY SUPERBOWL RATINGS

In early ratings, NBC’s Super Bowl ranked the third-biggest NFL telecast ever.

Sunday’s game delivered a massive overnight household rating of 47.8 — less than one percent lower than the Super Bowl’s all-time high telecasts (47.9 for both Super Bowl XLV and Super Bowl XXI).

While NBC’s post-game presentation of the second season opener of The Voice (arguably the more important telecast for the network) garnered a hearty 19.4 rating. That’s up 27 percent from Fox’s post-Super Bowl telecast of Glee last year.

TOP 5 SUPER BOWL OVERNIGHTS OF ALL TIME:
T1. 47.9/71 – Super Bowl XLV, Packers 31-Steelers 25, Fox
T1. 47.9/68 – Super Bowl XXI, Giants 39-Broncos 20, CBS
3. 47.8/71 – Super Bowl XLVI, Giants 21-Patriots 17, NBC
4. 47.4/NA – Super Bowl XIV, Steelers 31-Rams 19, CBS
5. 46.9/70 – Super Bowl XX, Bears 46-Patriots 10, NBC

Source: EntertainmentWeekly

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