The Voice: Million-dollar quartet

I’m not going to bitch about the final four because, given the teams and circumstances, it’s as it should be.
I love Nakia. I love Frenchie. But I knew they were going home.
I will, however, bitch about this all-star <em>Under Pressure</em>. Nonexistent harmonies and no chemistry. MAKE IT GO AWAY.
Each finalist will do one original and one duet with their coach. Let’s go!
Javier Colon: Stitch by Stitch. Expectedly solid, and it probably sounds terrific on record.

I’d just like a little more OOMPH sometimes from Javier. He’s been stronger in past weeks. But he’ll have a career regardless of what happens. Trust.
Dia Frampton: I Won’t Back Down. Dia and Blake in matching suits and shades. Cute. But he completely overshadows her onstage. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. The shy-girl schtick just ain’t cutting it. Am I the only one who’s tired of it?
Vicci Martinez: Afraid to Sleep. ’80s power ballad for the win. Can’t you hear Heart singing this? All teased hair and heavy eye makeup and money notes and a creepy children’s choir. I like it. And I love Vicci.
Beverly McClellan: Beautiful. Savvy move, XTina, doing one of your most enduring hits as the duet. Beverly brings conviction to everything she does. But it’s a bit like the oversinging Olympics.
Dia Frampton: Inventing Shadows. Much stronger on her original song, though it lacks some punch in the chorus. It always seems like Dia’s on half a sleeping pill. SOMEONE WAKE HER FULLY UP, PLEASE. (And remind her that she’s released several records.)
Javier Colon: Man in the Mirror. A great vocal for both guys. Adam helps but doesn’t outshine Javier. It’s a triumphant moment. Can anyone beat Javier at this point?
Beverly McClellan: Love Sick. All right now! I’m loving this. It sounds modern but still totally true to Beverly. She’s grown every week, and this is a shining moment. Easily the best original of the night.
Vicci Martinez: Love is a Battlefield. I’m loving this, too, an homage to the original video and MJ’s Beat It and Mad Max and ’80s angst. Where are my shoulder pads?
So who’s got this? Javier, as we anticipated from the beginning? Or will one of the ladies take it? (I’d secretly — shhh! — love Bev to win.

Chris Brown Wins a Leading 4 BET Awards

The BET Awards honor various arts, but Sunday's ceremony was all about the music.
There were more performances than awards during the 3½-hour show at the Shrine Auditorium, where singer Chris Brown and rappers Lil Wayne, Rick Ross and DJ Khaled did double-duty, each taking the stage twice to perform.
Brown made a few extra trips to the stage as the night's big winner. The 21-year-old won four awards, adding

momentum to a comeback that began with his Michael Jackson tribute at the BET Awards last year and continued with his album, "F.A.M.E."
Brown has been working to repair his image since he pleaded guilty to assaulting then-girlfriend Rihanna in 2009. He hit a stumbling block this year when he tore up his dressing room after an appearance on "Good Morning America."
He was named best male R&B artist and won best collaboration for his song "Look At Me Now" with Lil Wayne and Busta Rhymes. The three performed together Sunday as part of a medley of Brown's songs.
"Public-speaking is not my strong suit," he said, thanking BET and his fans before passing the microphone to Wayne, who expressed gratitude to God, his fans and Brown for including him on the track.
Earlier in the ceremony, Brown also thanked his fans and the network, saying, "I appreciate all the support. I know it's been a long road, so I appreciate every blessing in front of me."
Brown was back on stage to join Big Sean on his song, "My Last," and again to close the show, which he did on a bicycle alongside host Kevin Hart, who was on a Segway scooter.
That's when Hart announced that Brown also won the Fandemonium award and the Viewers' Choice prize.
Moments earlier, Drake had accepted the Viewers' Choice award when Rihanna was announced as the winner. But there was apparently a glitch with the digital tablet devices that replaced the show's traditional winners' envelopes.
A fan was brought on stage to announce the winner, and she initially said Brown won. Then she corrected herself to say Rihanna won. Hart clarified after a commercial break that "there was a mistake," and Brown had indeed been the viewers' choice.
Apart from the accidental award acceptance, Drake also appeared on stage with Lil Wayne, Rick Ross and DJ Khaled for a performance on "I'm On One."
Lil Wayne did lots of stage time. He performed with Brown and Drake, et al, and was on stage again when Nicki Minaj won her award for best female hip-hop artist.
"I can't believe for the first time I get to share a moment like this with the person who saw me rapping on a staircase," she said of the rapper and producer, who was incarcerated when she won the same prize last year. "Lil Wayne, I love you."
Mary J. Blige set the tone for the performance-filled program when she opened the show with a pair of hits: "All Night Long" and "Real Love." Surprise guest Anita Baker joined her on stage, and it was a diva duet as the two sang Baker's classic, "Caught Up in the Rapture."
Steve Harvey's acceptance of the Humanitarian Award was punctuated by a gospel celebration, as Donnie McClurkin, Deitrick Haddon and gospel artist winners Mary Mary gathered to perform "Thank You."
Following a musical tribute that included Cee Lo Green wearing a Patti LaBelle-inspired headdress and blouse, LaBelle punctuated her own Lifetime Achievement Award win by performing a couple of classics, including her breakthrough hit, "Lady Marmalade."
Alicia Keys unveiled a brand new song and performed two hits: "Fallin'" and "A Woman's Worth," for which she was joined by Bruno Mars.
Queen Latifah and Snoop Dogg delivered heartfelt performances as part of a memorial segment that recognized Nate Dogg, Teena Marie, Clarence Clemons and Gil Scott Heron, among others.
The final performance of the night came from across the pond: Beyonce's headlining set at the Glastonbury Music Festival was beamed into the Shrine Auditorium from England.