It looks like Shakira has been opening up more and more about the challenges of first-time motherhood. The chart topper, who gave birth to her son Milan earlier this year, says that she can’t wrap her head around how demanding diaper duty has been for her. She says:

Source: babyrazzi

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It's now time for knockout rounds on The Voice: that last step before live shows, where 32 hopefuls will be narrowed down to the 16 artists who will represent the four teams for America's vote. The first two rosters to get cleaved in half are Team Adam and Team Shakira.

Team Adam begins the night, with Adam assigning Amber Carrington to face off against Midas Whale. The knockouts allow the artists to choose their own music, and Amber selects Avril Lavigne's "I'm With You" for her performance, which Adam approves of. He's well aware of just how surprising she can be. The quirky dudes known as Midas Whale pick Stevie Wonder's "Higher Ground" in order to move out of their folk parameters. Amber - who is rocking yet another amazing new look - sings her heart out again. You'd think the light fixtures were going to explode at some moment; that's how good she is. The guys look just a smidge intimidated before they start, but they're still as entertaining as ever.

Blake and Shakira side with Amber, while Usher takes Midas Whale. The only opinion that matters, though, is Adam's and he hands the first live show spot of Season 4 to an emotional Amber Carrington. It's bro-hugs all around for the folk duo, who are still good-natured even as they're leaving. Between the defeat of The Morgan Twins in battles and now Midas Whale in knockouts, the four-chair artists are beginning to fall.

We switch over to Team Shakira, where it's Garrett Gardner versus Tawyna Reynolds. Shakira wants to see which of these unique voices can best convey that originality in their performance. Garrett picks "Too Close" by Alex Clare, which his coach advises him to infuse with a little more attitude. Tawyna opts for the Pistol Annies song "Hell on Heels," befitting her country background. Shakira tells her to stick with the yodels. It's a battle of artists with guitars in the ring, with both of them giving pretty straightforward renditions of their chosen pieces.

Adam praises Garrett, while Blake likes Tawyna's song choice but criticizes the yodels. Shakira admits that she asked for more of those and defends them. Usher interrupts to say that he was actually going to compliment the yodels. So basically, Shakira gets almost no help from her fellow coaches. She must agree with Adam on some level, because she selects Garrett to move forward, which blows his mind and understandably so. To go from rejected in the blind auditions before to all the way through to live shows? Way to go, Garrett!

Back to Team Adam. Amy Whitcomb tangles with Caroline Glaser, Adam's steal from Team Blake. Amy's song choice is "House of the Rising Sun," which Pip performed in season two. Adam corrects some minor issues with her before ultimately giving his seal of approval. Caroline, who admits to some nerves given the strength of her new team, picks "Little Talks" by Of Monsters and Men, which we heard last year as a duet version by Terry McDermott and eventual winner Cassadee Pope. Amy's rendition of her song is full of sass and ends in a big way. That's a tough act to follow for Caroline, who nonetheless does her best, the unique sound of her voice definitely coming through in a track that works for her but isn't so dynamic.

Source: starpulse

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It was a strong night of dueling performances for Team Adam and Team Shakira, which are now down to just four acts each after the first night of knockout rounds on The Voice. Making tough choices with powerhouse singers – no steals, no saves – the judges admitted Monday that playing favorites and saying goodbye was ruining their night. But decisions had to be made.

Amber Carrington beat out quirky duo Midas Whale with a nuanced and powerful turn on Avril Lavigne's hit "I'm With You." Levine called her the "biggest surprise on my team" and said, "Every day we see you continue to blow us away."In a second round, Team Adam's Amy Whitcomb and Caroline Glaser paired off in a tough battle. In the end, Glaser outshined her best pal with a performance of Little Talk's "Of Monster's and Men."

But Levine's strongest competitor of the night was Judith Hill of Los Angeles. She performed the Willie Nelson classic "Always on My Mind" with professionalism and style. Wearing a brown draped dress, Hill seemed lost in the emotion of the performance that blew away the judges. "Not only did you pick Adam as a coach ... but you do a Willie Nelson song! Why don't you just come down here and punch me in the face," Blake Shelton said to Hill, the obvious winner over Orlando Dixon. "I loved Orlando but anyone who sings against Judith is going to be the underdog," Levine said afterward.

In Shakira's rounds, Karina Iglesias bested Monique Abbadie in what their coach called a battle of "powerhouse Latinas." Iglesias earned some criticism of being predictable as she rocked out to Lenny Kravitz's "Are You Gonna Go My Way," growling and commanding the stage with a punk snarl.

Shakira then paired Garrett Gardner, 17, singing Alex Clare's "Too Close," against Tawyna Reynolds, 32, who offered a yodel-filled version of the Pistol Annies's "Hell on Heels." Reynolds showed plenty of sass, but Gardner, playing his acoustic guitar, offered a bit of soul to a rock performance that was polished and confident.

"I see a star in him," Shakira said as she picked Gardner to advance. Perhaps Shakira's strongest round pitted Sasha Allen against Shawna P. Allen sparkled a white gown as she sang a modernized version of the Etta James classic "At Last." "You gave me goosebumps twice," said Shakira, who gave her the round. "Sasha, you have just positioned yourself as one of the frontrunners in the competition," Shelton told her.

Others advancing for Team Shakira included Memphis's Kris Thomas, who won his round over Cuban-born Mary Miranda, who sang an R&B version of Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World. Team Adam winners Monday included Sarah Simmons, also of Memphis, who came out ahead against Warren Stone of Hannah, S.C. "Sarah," Levine said before declaring her the winner for her version of "Wild Horses" by the Rolling Stones, "you wear your heart out there every single time you perform and it's a beautiful thing to watch."

Source: people

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Singers Shakira and Usher's presence on the fourth season of American singing reality show "The Voice" helped the TRP to rise. Will the two singers join the fifth season?

Usher and Shakira replaced Christina Aguilera and Cee Lo Green for the fourth season. Usher teased that there is a possibility of returning. "That means that you have to stay tuned," he told accesshollywood.com when asked about joining the new season. Shakira stayed humble about the show's success with them onboard, and said: "It's all beginners luck."

Source: pardaphash

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Pop star Shakira says the most stressful thing about becoming a new mother has been shifting the baby weight. The 36-year-old singer, who welcomed her first child with soccer player Gerard Pique in January, said it was hard to make her comeback on TV post pregnancy, reported Contactmusic.

"(Losing baby weight) is the only thing that's been a little stressful. I knew I had to come back here to do The Voice two months after I had delivered a baby. I didn¿t have my four months of maternity like every woman on earth has. I'm not trying to complain, but it's been a process full of challenges," she said. The 'Waka Waka' hitmaker feels that women today are under constant pressure to shed the extra flab after the baby is born.

"I think that our mothers and grandmothers weren't under the pressure women of today are after delivering a baby. My dad says there's nothing better than meat over the bones. So he likes my mom a little chubby. She was never under the pressure to have to get to her old weight – and she never did."

Source: indianexpress

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Shakira's ex-boyfriend has filed a new $100 million lawsuit against the Latin superstar, suggesting he was the brains behind her smash hit "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)," according to E! Online.

Bing: See Shakira's baby boy
Antonio de la Rua initially launched legal action against the Colombian beauty in New York in November, following the end of their 10-year relationship in 2010, arguing that he is owed a slice of her fortune after acting as her manager and helping to negotiate lucrative contracts during their time together. Shakira hit back at the allegations in March and asked a judge to dismiss the case, maintaining her former partner did advise her on some decisions but was never officially employed as her manager. She also insisted she was already famous when they met in 2000 and that the only agreement she signed with de la Rua was a 2006 document stating they would both keep their own assets if they split. De la Rua, the son of former Argentine President Fernando de la Rua, has since lodged a similar complaint in Los Angeles Superior Court on April 12, claiming he was key in building the Shakira brand and he has taken credit for "Waka Waka," which was chosen as the official 2010 FIFA World Cup anthem.

He also alleges that he convinced the singer to record "Hips Don't Lie," her 2006 collaboration with rapper Wyclef Jean, because Shakira was initially not a fan of the song. The superstar, who is now dating Spanish soccer ace Gerard Pique, has yet to respond to the new lawsuit.

Source: music.msn

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Shakira is entangled in a lawsuit against her former boyfriend Antonio de la Rua, after in September the man asked for $250 million compensation for contributing to her image and success. The singer is now fighting back and has asked judge to dismiss his claims.

According to New York Daily News, in a document submitted to Manhattan Supreme Court, the Colombian singer said, "I was already a well-known and recognized artist, and my international career was established and solid" in 2000, when she met de la Rua for the first time in a concert. She also slammed de la Rua's claim that he contributed to the success of her songs. He was not the singer's business partner and strategist, but "one of my numerous advisers," she said in the document.

Shakira hired him to do "some matters relating to the business" in 2005 out of pity. She told the court that "though he lacked experience or knowledge of the music industry" she "decided to involve (de la Rua)" because he did not have a job. De la Rua's father "was forced to resign as president of Argentina at the end of 2001, plaintiff, for his own safety, became self-exiled from Argentina and he became unemployed."Previously, de la Rua told the court that he helped and gave advice to Shakira in matters related to "marketing, brand-building and political campaign management" throughout their relationship. He allegedly also persuaded her to continue working on "Hips Don't Lie" which she "hated." In addition, he said that he was behind the $300 million deal with Live Nation in 2008. According to de la Rua, the song "Waka Waka" was inspired by him and he was the one who made it become the official song of 2010 World Cup.

Source: AceShowbiz

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The behind-the-scenes drama of Shakira’s personal life and finances are coming to light via a lawsuit filed by Antonio de la Rua. The Argentinian businessman, who met the Colombian singer in 2000 while serving as campaign manager for his father’s bid to become president of Argentina, and began dating her soon after, alleges that their severed business partnership entitles him to $100 million. According to the filing, de la Rua estimates that the value of Shakira’s 2008 10-year deal with Live Nation alone is worth $300 million.

In the suit, filed on April 12 in California Superior Court, de la Rua claims that the global success of Shakira, whose real name is Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll, “was not simply luck,” but rather, “the result of a hard-fought battle to conquer the music world that Mebarak and de la Rua fought together as business partners.”

Read the filing in its entirety here. De la Rua takes credit for expanding Shakira’s reach beyond the Latin American market, calling himself the “principal architect of her management team and business plan that set ‘Shakira’ on the path to lasting financial success.”Indeed, since taking over leadership of said partnership, De la Rua says he propelled the value of the business relationship, which continued after their romance had ended. The suit cites a January 2011 announcement on Shakira’s website in which the singer wrote, “[We] continue to be partners in our business and professional lives.” The continuing partnership was further emphasized in an email Shakira apparently sent to the CEO of Live Nation Michael Rapino, which read, “[the break-up] only involves the romantic aspect of our relationship. His [de la Rua’s] word is mine … We continue to be partners in all of our projects.”

Source: hollywoodreporter

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Shakira’s Colombian accent was joking material on “Saturday Night Live” over the weekend. The comedy series created a spoof which mocked “The Voice” and their chosen judges, including pop star Usher, country music singer Blake Sheldon and Maroon 5’s lead singer Adam Levine.

Actress Kate McKinnon impersonated Shakira on the show and exaggerated certain words to sound like Shakira. Melissa McCarthy played Casey, the contestant. “Casey, I want to know… do you have the confidahhnce and competit… [incomprehensible] to win this competichong?” McKinnon’s asks McCarthy in the spoof.

“I don’t… I don’t know what you just said,” McCarthy responded. Shakira talked about the difficulty she had when trying to learn English back in 2002 in an interview with VH1. “It was too important to me to write my own material like I always did,” she said. “I didn’t want to sacrifice anything that was part of my life before as an artist in order to do so.”

On Monday, during the real episode of “The Voice,” Cuban stunner Mary Miranda, who performed a solid rendition of Selena Quintanilla’s “Como la flor” had Shakira dancing and singing in her chair. The Colombian singer was the first judge to turn her chair and click the buzzer for Miranda.

The buzzers were followed by pop star Usher and country star Blake Sheldon. Shakira was moved with her singing, making Miranda cry. “Shakira, she’s a great singer and she loves rock and the fact the she is Colombian and I am Cuban,” Miranda said backstage. “That is amazing because we are both Latinas [and] I admire Latin music a lot.”

Source: latino.foxnews

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According to TMZ, "The Voice" coach filed legal documents in response to de la Rua’s lawsuit against her, in which he claims he’s owed $100 million for work as her manager during their 11-year relationship. Shakira’s docs countered, saying she was already an international success when she met de la Rua in 2000 and explains that even though he helped her with some decisions, he was never her manager.

In the docs, the Latin pop star also stated the only thing she and de la Rua ever signed was a 2006 agreement in her native Colombia, in which they agreed to keep their own assets separate if they split. Shakira wants the lawsuit dropped immediately. De la Rua is the son of former Argentine President Fernando de la Rua. He dated Shakira for more than a decade before ending their relationship in 2011. Shakira welcomed son Milan with her soccer player beau Gerard Pique earlier this year.

Source: extratv

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