'The Voice' recap: Shakira's lips, like her hips, don't lie

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Dan Reynolds of the group Imagine Dragons performs on stage at the 25th Annual KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas on Dec. 14. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

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Pharrell performs with Gwen Stefani at KIIS-FM’s annual Jingle Ball concert on Dec. 5. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

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Becky G performs onstage at the Forum during iHeartRadio Fiesta Latina on Nov. 22. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

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Marquis Hill of Chicago won this year’s International Jazz Trumpet Competition at Thelonious Monk Institute’s annual All Star Gala at the Dolby Theatre on Nov. 9. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)

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Kyp Malone of TV on the Radio performs at the intimate Pappy & Harriet’s on Oct. 25 in Pioneertown. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

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Irish folk singer Hozier performs at an intimate gathering at the Immanuel Presbyterian Church in Los Angeles on Oct. 16, 2014. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

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Bostich + Fussible perform among an array of speakers on Oct. 11, 2014. (Michael Robinson Chavez / Los Angeles Times)

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Robert Plant, joined by his band the Sensational Space Shifters, performs at the Palladium in Hollywood on Oct. 7, 2014. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

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Lorde, the teenage New Zealand singer-songwriter, performs at the Greek Theatre on Oct. 6. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)

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Elton John performs with his band to a sold-out crowd at the Staples Center, part of the “All the Hits” tour, on Oct. 4, 2014. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

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Rapper Lil Wayne performs at the Hollywood Bowl with Drake (not pictured) on Sept. 22, 2014. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)

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Andrew Bird performs at the Hollywood Bowl on Sept. 21, 2014. (Christina House / For The Times)

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Perry Farrell, lead vocalist of Jane’s Addiction, sings during the Sunset Strip Music Festival. (Michael Robinson Chavez / Los Angeles Times)

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Katy Perry performs at the Honda Center in Anaheim on Sept. 16, 2014. (Christina House / For The Times)

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Liam Payne of One Direction performs during the group’s “Where We Are” tour at the Rose Bowl in September. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

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Chance the Rapper performs during the Made in America festival Aug. 31. (Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)

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Claire Elise Boucher, better known by her stage name Grimes, performs during the FYF Fest at the L.A. Sports Arena and Exposition Park on Aug. 23. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

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Killer Mike, of the group Run the Jewels, is shown at the FYF Fest at the L.A. Sports Arena and Exposition Park on Aug. 23. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

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Outlaw country legend Billy Joe Shaver performs at the Satellite in Los Angeles on Aug. 16. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

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London recording artist Tahliah Barnett, known by her stage persona FKA twigs, performs at the El Rey Theatre on Aug. 12. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

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Paul McCartney greets the crowd at Los Angeles’ Dodger Stadium on Aug. 10. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

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Jenny Lewis performs from her new album, titled “The Voyager,” at the Wiltern on Aug. 9. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

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Eminem performs before a massive crowd at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on Aug. 7. (Michael Robinson Chavez / Los Angeles Times)

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Jay Z and Beyonce interact during their “On the Run” tour at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on Aug. 2. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)

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The Dum Dum Girls perform at Burger A Go Go, a festival of all-female punk bands, at the Observatory in Santa Ana on Aug. 2. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Adam Lambert performs at the Forum in Inglewood on July 4. (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)

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Jill Scott performs at the BET Experience at Staples Center on June 27. (Cheryl A. Guerrero / Los Angeles Times)

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Marsha Ambrosius of Floetry performs at the BET Experience at Staples Center on June 27. (Cheryl A. Guerrero / Los Angeles Times)

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Maxwell performs at the BET Experience at Staples Center on June 27. (Cheryl A. Guerrero / Los Angeles Times)

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Steve Aoki begins his show at Hakkasan nightclub inside the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino on June 14. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

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Jack White performs at the Fonda Theatre in Hollywood on June 10. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)

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Jennifer Hudson performs at Pride 2014 in West Hollywood on June 7. (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)

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Scott Cazan performs with laptop and electronics in Sounds of a Visceral Nature in Los Angeles’ Chinatown on June 4 as part of the Dogstar Orchestra festival. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)

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Noelle Scaggs and Michael Fitzpatrick of Fitz and the Tantrums perform during the KROQ Weenie Roast at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater on May 31. (Patrick T. Fallon / For the Los Angeles Times)

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Billy Joel performs at the Hollywood Bowl on May 17. (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

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A Great Big World’s Ian Axel and Christina Aguilera perform at KIIS-FM’s annual Wango Tango concert in Carson on May 10. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

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Armin Van Buuren, longtime Dutch trance DJ/producer, plays the first EDM concert at the renovated Forum on May 9 in Inglewood. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

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Rapper/actor Donald Glover performs as Childish Gambino at the Shrine Auditorium on May 3. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Jason Aldean performs on Day 2 of the Stagecoach Country Music Festival at the Empire Polo Club in Indio on April 26. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Win Butler performs with Arcade Fire at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio in 2014.

(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

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Solange performs at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio on April 12. (Bethany Mollenkof / Los Angeles Times)

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Davey Havok of AFI performs at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio on April 11. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

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St. Vincent singer-guitarist Annie Clark performs at the Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles on March 21. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Ralf Huetter, left, Henning Schmitz, Fritz Hilpert and Falk Grieffenhagan of the band Kraftwerk perform “Autobahn (1974)” at Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles on March 18. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)

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Miley Cyrus performs at the Honda Center in Anaheim on Feb. 20. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

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Jazz singer Cecile McLorin Salvant performs at the Catalina Bar & Grill in Los Angeles on Feb. 17. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

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The band Spiritualized performs at the newly reopened United Artists Theater at the Ace Hotel in downtown Los Angeles on Feb. 14. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

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Demi Lovato performs a sold-out show at the Honda Center in Anaheim on Feb. 13. (Michael Robinson Chavez / Los Angeles Times)

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Singer Beyonce performs at the 56th annual Grammy Awards at Staples Center on Jan. 26. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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Singer Pink performs at the 56th annual Grammy Awards at Staples Center in Los Angeles on Jan. 26. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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Taylor Swift performs at the 56th annual Grammy Awards at Staples Center in Los Angeles on Jan. 26. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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Carole King performs during the MusiCares Person of the Year concert honoring King at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Jan. 24. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

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Bettye Lavette performs at the El Rey Theatre on Jan. 20. Lavette was just one of many musical guests to dot the stage at Ringo Starr’s concert salute. The Beatles alum was honored with the “lifetime of Peace & Love” award. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)

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The Eagles perform at the newly renovated Forum on Jan. 15 in Inglewood. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

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The punk band Fear performs at the Whisky A Go Go as part of the West Hollywood club’s 50th anniversary on Jan. 12. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

By Amy Reiter

Feb. 26, 2014 8:15 AM PT

The coaches on “The Voice” amped up the inter-chair drama -- yes, even further -- on night two of the Season 6 blind auditions. There was name-calling, umbrage taking and the defending of reputations. (Usher and the rest of us have been advised to remember Shakira’s hips aren’t the only part of her that don’t lie.)

There were sneaky last-minute spins to try to outmaneuver the competition (backfired!), crude jokes at one another’s expense (something about rainbows and orifices it’s best not to dwell on), and a not-bad, not-unfunny imitation of Shakira (nice work there, Adam). There was even a moment when several coaches abandoned their chairs altogether in order to woo a universally wanted singer.

That coveted singer was Cary Laine, a boot-wearing, country-music-loving mama from Alabama by way of Wyoming, who spun all four chairs with her rendition of “Better Dig Two.” Though Adam Levine solicitously ceded his chair to her, prompting Shakira and Usher to follow suit, the smart money was surely on her picking Blake Shelton as her coach. After all, as Shelton reminded her, his former mentee, Season 3 winner Cassadee Pope, saw her album hit No. 1 on the country music charts.

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Laine’s adorable little son wasn’t the only one who was surprised when Laine picked not Shelton, but Levine. “What?” he exclaimed.

“I felt like Adam really wanted me on his team. He really fought for me, “ Laine later explained.

Laine’s performance, which arrived at the end of the hour-long show, was one of several strong, coach-battle-sparking showings.

Others included …

Delvin Choice, a musically gifted Starbucks employee who’d failed to turn chairs with his blind audition in Season 5. This time, the 24-year-old from Greenville, S.C., took the coaches’ advice and sang a “less dancy, more emotional” song, Donny Hathaway’s “A Song for You,” and spun all four chairs. He chose Levine as his coach, perhaps because, as the Maroon 5 singer reminded him, Levine had already begun coaching him back in Season 5 -- or perhaps because he told him, “There is no doubt in my mind you can win this whole thing.”

“It would be really cool if he won because that’s the spirit of the show, not to give up,” Levine said of his new team member.

Madilyn Paige, 16, of Provo, Utah, who captured the interest of Usher and Shakira with her sweet, delicate take on David Guetta’s “Titanium.” Usher called her approach “very smart” in that it was not “aggressive” and “showed a gentle side” and “many different dynamics” vocally. Shakira used the words “beautiful” and “powerful.” The two coaches tussled over who could better relate to and nurture her fresh talent. But ultimately, Usher got the upper hand, perhaps by playing “the Bieber card,” as Shakira dubbed it.

Usher said he was looking forward to watching Paige “unfold.”

Noah Lis, a 22-year-old from Palmer, Mass., who says he wants “to bring back the old jazz and pop standards but also introduce a new take.” He sang most of his rendition of Billy Paul’s “Me and Mrs. Jones” to the backs of the judges’ chairs, and it wasn’t looking too good for him. But then, at the very end, Levine and Shelton spun, and it turned out they’d been holding out strategically.

Shelton dropped the name of his pal Michael Buble (though, in fact, Levine had dropped it for him first) and said Dean Martin was one of his “all-time heroes.” Levine suggested Lis could be the next Frank Sinatra or Tony Bennett. But Lis seemed to have had eyes for Shelton from the start, calling him “the perfect fit for me.”

“I’m really pumped that Noah chose me,” Shelton said, adding he had “always wanted to work with a crooner.”

Deja Hall, a 16-year-old dynamo from a military family, who impressed three out of four judges -- Blake, Shakira and Usher -- with her rendition of Cyndi Lauper’s “True Colors.” Shakira, who got so excited by Hall’s singing she almost missed her button when she tried to hit it, called the teen’s voice “beautiful” and “angelic.” From the first moment she saw her, she said, “I haven’t been able to stop smiling.… It doesn’t matter who you choose, you’re going to be a star.” Shelton’s hollers that he knew how to win the show fell on deaf ears. Shakira it was.

Hall credited the “connection I had with her,” adding, “I just believe she was the one.”