'The Voice' recap: T.J. Wilkins and Dani Moz head home

‘The Voice’ recap: T.J. Wilkins and Dani Moz head home

By Amy Reiter

April 23, 2014 8:40 AM PT

Watchers of “The Voice” sent two singers home — turning the Top 12 into the Top 10 — in this season’s first live elimination show Tuesday night: South Los Angeles music student T.J. Wilkins, of Team Usher, and Team Shakira’s Dani Moz, who left a career in PR to pursue one in music.

“Voice” fans also saved one vocalist — Team Shakira’s Tess Boyer — via Twitter and, also on social media, exploded with indignant speculation that Shakira had lip-synced at least part of her song, “Empire,” which she performed in a sizzling outfit on a flaming stage.

“You should not be allowed to lip sync on a singing show. Even if you’re a coach! Disappointed,” tsk-tsked one tweeter. Another wondered, “What kind of example is that to the contestants?”

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Others carefully refrained from jumping to conclusions: “Not sure what to think. ... Did @shakira just lip sync on @NBCTheVoice?”

Shakira herself has yet to address the speculation on Twitter, though she has tweeted shouts out to both Boyer, offering a “big thank you” to those who helped save her, and Moz, saying she was “so sorry” to see her go and urging her to “keep at it.”

The eliminations came after Adam Levine performed “Sledgehammer” with the members of his team and Blake Shelton sang a rollicking “Put Some Drive in Your Country” with his, and nine artists got word they’d been saved by voters. The bottom three — Wilkins, Moz and Boyer — were invited to sing one last song to impress upon America why they deserved to stick around. Whoever got the most Voice Save tweets would be instantly saved to complete the Top 10.

Wilkins gave a so-so performance of “I’ll Be” and got little support in the post-performance commentary from Levine, who said he really didn’t want Shakira to have to lose two singers in one fell swoop. Still, Usher urged his fans to tweet to save his guy.

Moz turned in a vocally solid “Turning Tables.” Shelton called it “brilliant” as ever. Shakira begged viewers to recognize Moz’s commitment and range and “just help her, please.”

Boyer’s performance of “Dark Side,” on which she showcased her passion and vocal prowess, was the best of the lot. Even Usher, who’d once been her coach, had good things to say about Boyer, calling her performance “incredible” and adding that he was “rooting” for her. Shakira said she was “really surprised” to see Boyer in danger; she thought she’d “nailed it” the night before and was one of the best singers competing on the show this season.