Team Shakira and Team Adam were cut in half last night, as the coaches paired their teammates together in a sing-off, followed by an instant elimination. There were no steals, and no saving any eliminated contestants in this round.

Night one of the knockouts has already proven to be a tough one with some fan favorites going home, and Adam and Shakira feeling really torn about their decisions. They had an easier time choosing a winner when they knew there was a chance of one of the other coaches stealing their eliminated contestant. But there are no steals this time.

Team Adam

Amber Carrington vs. Midas Whale

Team Adam’s Amber Carrington and Midas Whale were the first to duke it out in the knockout rounds. Early favorite, Amber, took on Avril Lavigne’s “I’m With You,” a song she really connected with emotionally. Fan favorite goofballs, Midas Whale, took a risk with Stevie Wonder’s “Higher Ground,” stepping away from their usual folky sound.

“I’m With You” proved to be a great song choice for Amber, showing the power in her voice, but also the delicate sweetness she brings to the song’s softer parts. Midas Whale sang mostly in unison for “Higher Ground,” and looked pretty awkward without their instruments, but their vocals were on point, and they are always entertaining. In the end, Adam chose to keep Amber.

Amy Whitcomb vs. Caroline Glaser

Adam’s next pairing was rocker Amy Whitcomb and unique singer/songwriter Caroline Glaser. Caroline chose The Animals’ “House of the Rising Sun” to show off her vocal range, as the song demonstrated both the pretty sweetness of her voice, as well as the huge scream-y side. Caroline chose “Little Talks” by Of Monsters and Men, because the indie song was more in line with the kind of music she’s interested in making.

Amy chose a big song, and it was a big chance to take, one that seemed to be pushing her vocal abilities. Caroline looked very nervous watching Amy’s big vocals, but when she took the stage herself, she found her groove and smiled her way through her performance. While the coaches admired the risk Amy took, they felt Caroline’s vocals were more consistent all the way through. Adam chose Caroline.

Judith Hill vs. Orlando Dixon

The next pairing from Team Adam was early favorite Judith Hill and Orlando Dixon, who Adam paired together based on their technical skill level. Judith made an unconventional song choice, picking Willie Nelson’s “Always On My Mind,” while Orlando took on K-Ci & Jojo’s “All My Life.” Adam wanted Judith to take this chance to show off her artistry, and for Orlando to keep it simple and dial back his performance.

There’s isn’t much to say about this competition because Judith’s performance was absolutely perfect. The only criticism anyone could give that performance was how hideous her outfit was. Orlando did a good job, but he just had the unfortunate luck of having to follow Judith’s show-stopping performance. It may not have been the best song choice for him, as the coaches agreed it was not his best performance. Unsurprisingly, Adam chose Judith.

Warren Stone vs. Sarah Simmons

Team Adam’s final battle was the toughest of the night with two of season 4’s strongest contestants. Warren stepped away from his usual country roots to take on Cutting Crew’s “(I Just) Died In Your Arms Tonight.” Sarah chose the Rolling Stones classic “Wild Horses.” Both contestants chose their songs based on their emotional attachment to them, and given the ability they’ve shown to connect to their songs, these had the makings of some incredible performances.

Warren’s performance was very strong, and the coaches said it was the best his voice had ever sounded. He started off slow and tender, before absolutely slaying it on the chorus. Sarah’s performance wasn’t her best of the competition, but her voice is so unique; the things she can do with it, and the control she has, is captivating from start to finish. After much debate, Adam chose to keep Sarah.

All in all, Amber Carrington, Caroline Glaser, Judith Hill, and Sarah Simmons will be representing Team Adam in the live shows starting next week.

Team Shakira

Garrett Gardner vs. Tawnya Reynolds

Shakira chose Garrett Gardner and Tawnya Reynolds for her first knockout pairing of the night. Gritty rocker Garrett chose Alex Clare’s “Too Close” to show a different side of his voice, while country crooner Tawnya chose Pistol Annies’ “Hell on Heels,” a song right in her wheelhouse.

“Too Close” was a great song choice for Garrett, and all the judges praised how much he’s grown over the course of the show. While Tawnya was the perfect Miranda Lambert-esque twang, the judges were split on how they felt about her “yodeling.” Garrett’s performance proved strong enough to win over Shakira.

Kris Thomas vs. Mary Miranda

Shakira paired distinctive vocalists Kris Thomas and Mary Miranda together for her second knockout pairing. Both contestants took chances with their song choices: Kris chose Louis Armstrong’s “What A Wonderful World,” while Mary chose The Police’s “Every Breath You Take.” Shakira was worried that Kris was straining his crooner voice too much with his song, and she worried that Mary did not have a clear enough grasp of The Police’s melody.

In the performance, Kris voice sounded very pleasant, as always, but it did seem like he was challenging the extremes of his vocal range a little bit. Mary’s song choice really didn’t do her any favors, as it didn’t suit her voice very well, and at times, the melody was barely recognizable. It did pick up at the bridge a little bit, but it was too little, too late. Shakira chose Kris to stick around for the live shows.

Karina Iglesias vs. Monique Abbadie

Shakira paired her two remaining Latin divas, Karina and Monique, for the knockouts. Karina chose Lenny Kravitz’s “Are You Gonna Go My Way,” because singing rock had gotten her this far in the competition, and she didn’t want to change now. Monique took a big risk with Celine Dion’s “The Power of Love,” and coach Shakira worried that the big song would be too much for her.

Karina absolutely tore up the stage in her performance. While the judges felt she played it safe with another rock song, there’s no denying that rock is her niche, and she is very good at it. Monique impressed with her big song choice, and while the judges applauded her bravery, they also noticed some technical problems, as Shakira had feared in rehearsals. In the end, Shakira went with Karina.

Sasha Allen vs. Shawna P.

Veteran musicians Sasha Allen and Shawna P. closed out the night for Team Shakira. Sasha chose Etta James’ iconic “At Last,” in order to show what she’s really made of after almost being eliminated in the battle rounds. Shawna decided to break away from her rock chick persona this week, with a more soulful, gospel take on Paul McCartney’s “Maybe I’m Amazed.”

Sasha looked absolutely striking for her performance of “At Last,” and her vocals were as stunning as her appearance. The song brought out a warmth in her voice, and her performance had a cool retro feel. Shawna’s soulful performance was a nice change of pace from her previous raucous numbers, and really showed off the quality of her vocals, beyond just rocker screams. The coaches named this the best pairing of the knockout rounds thus far, and after much debate on Shakira’s part, she chose Sasha.

Team Shakira will be represented by Garrett Gardner, Kris Thomas, Karina Iglesias, and Sasha Allen when next week’s live rounds kick off.

Interestingly enough, two of Team Shakira’s finalists, Karina Iglesias and Sasha Allen, used to be a part of Team Adam, and were stolen by Shakira in the battle rounds.

Tune in Tuesday night at 8/7c to see Team Usher and Team Blake whittled down in their own knockout rounds.

What did you think of night one of the knockout rounds? Which coach do you think has the stronger team going into the live shows?