THE X FACTOR 12/21/11: Top 3 Performances + *POLL*

This is it!  The final performances & voting night!  Top 3!

JOSH KRAJCIK

Uninvited (with Alanis Morissette):

• How COOL was it that Josh got to sing with ALANIS?!  That’s AWESOME!  Not to mention she looked great and sounded amazing!  Josh on the other hand…he didn’t sound the best, if I’m being honest.  He sounded off in parts, and the song, to me, didn’t quite match him.  But it was definitely a cool moment.

At Last:

• Great idea to play the guitar!  I wouldn’t have pegged him to pick that song to sing.  Josh is a great guy…and this means a lot to him to be in the finals.  Great job.

CHRIS RENE

Complicated (with Avril Lavigne):

• Interesting song choice for Chris.  But I liked that they didn’t pick a rapper.   It’s funny tho…Chris really isn’t a great singer (and this performance proved that point once again), but the same can be said about Avril.  They both didn’t sound the best, but the performance was cool.

Young Homie:

• Wow.  I gotta say…Chris Rene, you are SOMETHING ELSE.  Now THAT was a GREAT performance.  It was SO personal and SO moving.  I have to admit that I teared up watching him perform.  This performance totally epitomizes who Chris is, and why America has rooted for and supported him all the way to the finale.  Yay Chris!  You totally deserve being in the Top 3!

MELANIE AMARO

I Believe I Can Fly (with R. Kelly):

• This was a very fitting song for Melanie.  I do think her confidence level was lower at the beginning of this, but as the weeks went by, she became more confident and really did BELIEVE she could prevail.  And to be able to sing it with R. Kelly…Wow.  This song was SUCH a popular/famous one at one point, and for R. Kelly to sing it as a duet with her for the first time.  What a moment.  I understand what the judges were saying about wanting more…but I agree with Simon.  Melanie was being very respectful to the original artist.  And I do think the key wasn’t the right one for her, but she was matching R. Kelly’s key.  Great job.  Very moving.

Listen:

• Talk about full circle.  This song was the FIRST one we heard Melanie sing in her audition.  And I still remember that moment…and she was the FIRST contestant where I thought OK, THIS GIRL IS GOOD.  So she’s made an impression on me since the beginning.  And here she is in the finale!  Her performance tonight was even BETTER than the first time, imo.  She sings with such gusto and you can tell that she means EVERY WORD that she sings.  AMAZING!  What else can I say?  PERFECTION.

MELANIE FTW!

THE X FACTOR 12/14/11: Top 4 Performaces + *POLLS*

Semifinals!

MARCUS CANTY

I’ll Make Love To You:

• I voted for this song for Marcus to sing because I could totally hear him singing it.  And sure enough, this song matched him really well.  Was it really memorable?  Umm…no.  But his performance was pretty much how it always is.  Totally fine.

Careless Whisper:

• Didn’t like this version.  He sounded a little off the whole time.  But what I will give him credit for is for arranging it into the type of music that Marcus would actually sing.  But I personally didn’t like it.

CHRIS RENE:

Fly:

• This was another song that I voted for for.  Sugar Ray and Chris Rene…kinda go together.   Chris definitely still needs to work on his vocals, but when he goes into his little rapping stuff, he makes up for it.

No One:

• It’s amazing how Chris can sound SO MUCH better vocally on certain songs versus other songs.  Didn’t think Chris would be able to pull this song off since it’s much more of a SINGER’s song…But surprise surprise, he sounded great!  And once again, he’s just got that heart and genuineness about him that is SO relatable and makes you want to root for him.  He did a great job!

MELANIE AMARO:

Hero:

• I actually voted for another song for Melanie to sing…UNTIL I found out Melanie herself wanted to sing Hero.  One word = PERFECTION.  That was amazing.  I LOVED the key change.  The arrangement gave it such a more haunting feel.  So exposed and so vulnerable.  AWESOME.  And she looked great!  LOVED it.  Wish they would RECORD these songs!  I wanna buy a full version!

Feeling Good:

• Although this song is a bit oversung on American Idol, Melanie singing it just makes it all “new” again.   She’s just SO effortless.  What’s so AWESOME about Mel is that she’s got that big booming voice, so she can hit these huge notes…but then what’s even better is usually when she ends her songs, she doesn’t end with a huge money note.  While that would definitely be impressive, it’s even more impressive that she ends with a more controlled, softer note. Amazing!  Oh, and she finally separated herself from the mic stand at the end!  Good job!

MEL FTW!

JOSH KRAJCIK:

Come Together:

• This song really matched Josh.  I believe this was the song he wanted to sing too.  He sounded great as usual.  Once again tho, I wasn’t wowed.  It was just very good.

Hallelujah:

• I believe this is only the 2nd time Josh played the piano in a performance.  It’s really great when he does.  This arrangement was very vulnerable.  He did a great job.  When he gets those “crazy eyes” tho…it’s a little creepy, I gotta say.  But I’m sure he doesn’t even realize he’s doing it.

This week, NO FINAL SHOWDOWN, NO JUDGE’S PICK.  Now THAT could definitely change things.  The judges REALLY have NO CONTROL this week.  Good and bad with that one.  So that means you really have to VOTE!

THE X FACTOR 12/7/11: Top 5 Performances + *POLLS*

Aww, the Pepsi song choice that we voted for had to get postponed!  But still 2 songs each tonight!

Wow, dance numbers?  Interesting…

MELANIE AMARO

Someone Like You:

• OK, I would TOTALLY buy Melanie’s version of Adele’s Someone Like You.  For a dance version, it was great!  And as usual, Mel’s vocals were SPOT ON.  She even changed up a couple spots, which was awesome.  Great job!  Only thing — What was the performance SO SHORT?!  I wanted more!

When You Believe:

• Yes, this song is pretty predictable, but…you CAN’T DENY this girls vocal talent.  My goodness.  She sounds SO AWESOME every time.  Plus this song means a LOT to her, which just makes it even better.  You can tell just how MUCH this whole experience means to Melanie.  She’s so grateful for the opportunity.

MARCUS CANTY

Aint’ Nobody:

• Eh. Not impressed.  He was fine.  Pretty unforgettable.

A Song For You:

• Sorry, but I’m starting to lost interest with Marcus.  He’s a decent guy, but…he never does a WOW performance.  He’s just OK.  This song is so overdone from American Idol, so already it wasn’t my favorite.

RACHEL CROW

Nothin’ On You:

• Once again I feel like this song was too mature for Rachel.  As usual she sounded a bit waily in spots. Rachel’s a bit chatty tonight.  I don’t like when she talks…it sounds too “pageant perfect” to me.  Like not genuine somehow.

Music and Me:

• Same old.  OK, I’m sorry, but Rachel needs to stop talking…and laughing.  It’s too much…She’s getting on my nerves.  “I just wanna inspire the kids…”  REALLY?!  Come on.  You’re THIRTEEN years old!  And that laugh is annoying…!

JOSH KRAJCIK

We Found Love:

• It’s obvious that dance music ISN’T Josh’s forte.  He looked pretty uncomfortable.  And Rihanna?  Interesting song choice.  But what Josh lacked in comfortableness, he made up for in vocal ability.  He sounded great.  But that was about it.

Something:

• I agree with the judges…this was definitely more Josh’s speed.  Great job.  Altho for some reason I wasn’t wowed.  It was his usual good stuff.

CHRIS RENE

Live Your Life:

• Mmm…I don’t think this song necessarily was one of Chris’ best.  But I still don’t mind him.  Good guy.  Does his thing.

Where Do We Go From Here:

• TOTALLY agree with Simon — “Stroke of Genius”!  Seriously.  That was AWESOME.  Without a DOUBT, his best performance to date!  It was so simple and genuine…and vulnerable.  On a week where Chris DEFINITELY was a bit in danger, GREAT CHOICE to do an original song.  Props!

THE X FACTOR 11/30/11: Top 7 Performances + *POLLS*

Michael Jackson night…

JOSH KRAJCIK  Dirty Diana:

• I have to say this was probably my least favorite of Josh’s performances.  Although they changed the arrangement to make it a bit more “rocker,” it still didn’t quite match him.  I liked that he had the guitar solo, but that was about it.  Wasn’t very impressive.

ASTRO  Black or White:

• I’m sorry, but RAPPING one of Michael Jackson’s songs?!  That’s NOT Michael Jackson.  It ruined that song for me, and I LOVE that song!

DREW  Billie Jean:

• Hey!  Drew’s version was the same as David Cook’s version he did on Idol!  That version definitely matched Drew more than the MJ version.  But it really did seem like Drew WANTED to shake things up and do a different version from what she usually does.  I understand why Simon advised her to do the version she did, but…might’ve been nice to spice things up a bit.

RACHEL CROWE  Can You Feel It:

• Why THAT song for Rachel?!  I don’t even KNOW it…was it one Michael’s singles?!  Not to mention it was SO REPETITIVE.  It really didn’t do anything/go anyway.  Rachel didn’t seem the most comfortable either.

MARCUS CANTY  PYT (Pretty Young Thing):

• I always feel like Marcus tries too hard.  He really tries to MAKE like he’s a big star…like Usher or something.  But to me, altho he’s a nice guy and likable, he’s just NOT THAT good.  I felt like he was slightly off-key the whole song!  Altho the song choice seemed to have been a good one, don’t feel like he totally pulled it off.

CHRIS RENE  I’ll Be There:

• Once again, what Chris lacks in vocal ability, he makes up for in heart (and as Nicole says, spirit).  There’s always a truthfulness and genuineness in every Chris performance.  His vocals definitely needs work, but for someone who is mainly a rapper, at least he tries to sing.  I do think Chris is starting to run out of time on the show tho.  Genuineness can only take you so far…

MELANIE AMARO  Earth Song:

• Wow.  What can I say about Melanie?!  Great song choice.  I’m loving the “real Melanie”…accent and all!  You can tell that she feels more comfortable in herself now too.  Vocally tho…Mel can hit CRAZY notes!  And as Simon said, they “saved the best for last.”  Very appropriate song to end with…with a performance to back it up.  I didn’t necessarily love Melanie’s hair (a bit too bushy for my tastes), but other than that — FLAWLESS.

 

THE X FACTOR 11/22/11: Top 9 Performances + *POLLS*

“Thank you” songs for Thanksgiving week…!  Cute!  Let the waterworks begin…

RACHEL CROWE  I Believe:

• Oh geez…Rachel’s story was so sad and touching!  Man!  And boy oh boy was she a CUTE kid or what?!  So cute to see her sister talk about her too.  While the song was pretty appropriate, she got a little waily towards the end…even a bit out of tune in parts.  The performance did feel a bit long too.  Oh, and that dress?  Eh.  Weird.

MARCUS CANTY  Song for Mama:

• 2 for 2.  ANOTHER tearjerker of a story!  What Marcus’ mom did for him and his sister…so admirable and touching!  So cute how he’s a mama’s boy…but at least he’s grateful and appreciates what his mom did for him.  The song was a great choice.  Overall he did a great job, altho there were a couple iffy spots.  Probably my favorite of his performances.

MELANIE AMARO  The World’s Greatest:

• First of all, WHOA…where the heck did that ACCENT come from?!  That was totally unexpected!  I guess we never really heard her talk enough to hear the accent?  After she performed…Wow.  This was the first week where the REAL Melanie finally came out!  She must’ve really been “feeling it”!  While God can be a bit controversial in shows like this, in this case it was very appropriate for Melanie.  Another sad backstory.  Can’t imagine not being able to live with your parents for most of your childhood.  Altho at least they thought of their kids enough to try to take care of them.  Oh, and btw…she looked gorgeous tonight!

CHRIS RENE  Let It Be:

• We’ve heard Chris’ story since the auditions, but it was nice to meet his advisor from his treatment center.  Really puts things into perspective.  Chris has been through a lot, and it’s nice to know he’s turning his life around!  Once again, he really shouldn’t sing too much…the vocals weren’t very good.  But yet I always “feel something” from his performances.  He really puts his heart into it.

LAKODA RAYNE  You Belong With Me:

• Hard to get as attached to the story of 4 different girls.  But the performance was pretty good, altho in pretty much every performance, there’s always parts of the vocals that are off.  Overall, I agree with the judges that it was one of their best numbers.  Did it stand out tho?  Nope.

LEROY BELL  Angel:

• So sweet that LeRoy dedicated the song to his mother.  You can tell how muc she meant to him.  Great song choice for him.  He did seem more connected to this song vs any other song he’s sung so far.  Good for him!

ASTRO  Show Me What You Got:

• Well, what can I say?  I’m sorry, I can’t forgive him for the way he acted.  When he said that he acted up after being in the B2 because of all the hard work he put in, and yet he was still “punished”…Umm, HELLO…ALL THE CONTESTANTS are working JUST as hard as you, but are they throwing little hissyfits about it?!  NO SIR.  So you can try to cover up and apologize all you want, but that attitude was TOTALLY uncalled for.  You don’t deserve to move on.  But did you notice how much “cuter” he was trying to be after he performed?  Smiling up a STORM.  Too little, too late.

DREW  Skyscraper:

• Very cute that Drew dedicated this to her best friend.  Aww!  This was actually a pretty tough song to sing.  SO exposed.  You really have to carry the song on your own.  Drew did a good job overall…only towards the end where she had to belt a bit more it got a little shaky.  But still good job!  And LA…WTH are you talking about?!  A song for a 40 year old?!  Last time I checked, Demi Lovato was 19.  19.  A TEENAGER.  You’re just trying to find criticisms for Simon’s girls since they’re all so good.  Get over it already.  That comment tonight was just lame.  And I totally understand Drew’s response.  Glad she stood up for herself.  And at least she didn’t come across arrogant while doing it.

JOSH KRAJCIK  Wild Horses:

• Josh is like a seasoned professional already.  Loved that he played the piano.  Great rendition.  Very moving.  Not much more I can say.  Very fitting his got the pimp spot this week.

THE X FACTOR 11/16/11: Top 10 Performances + *POLLS*

The theme this week:  Rock.  Altho it would be hard to tell by the performances.  A lot of questionable “ROCK” songs this week…

LEROY BELL  We Got Tonight:

• LeRoy really does have a great voice.  It’s very smooth and easy to listen to.  But I will say…he’s missing SOMETHING.  Plus he IS a bit boring, sadly.  Just doesn’t have that EXTRA something to really wow us.

RACHEL CROWE  I Can’t Get No Satisfaction:

• When you think of a rock song for Rachel, of COURSE you think of the Rolling Stones…right?  NOT.  Man, that was an odd choice.  And once again, she’s singing a song meant for someone 2 or 3 times OLDER than her.  The judges loved it, but I have to say that while her vocals were okay, I thought she looked uncomfortable at times.  Eh.

CHRIS RENE  No Woman, No Cry:

• Rock = Bob Marley?!  Seriously?!  And while I don’t agree with the song choice, I did feel that Chris did a good job with it.  I think he’s actually getting BETTER as the weeks progress.  Oh, and I liked his look (except for the sunglasses)!  He wasn’t wearing a cap!  Nice!

STACY FRANCIS  It’s All Coming Back To Me Now:

• Oh boy.  This was not good.  While they say it was a Meatloaf song, I think most people will associate it with the Celine Dion version.  But it just didn’t work for me.  She sounded out of tune for most of it, and she did a little too much at parts with her runs.  Only thing I will say is I agree with Simon that her hair was a lot better…’cause her forehead was covered!

MELANIE AMARO  Everybody Hurts:

• Not my most favorite song…Never has been.  Don’t care for the REM version either.  But the thing about Melanie which I love is that she really doesn’t need ANY music, and she will make the song sound effortless.  Her voice just soars every time!  Loved a couple of the runs she did to make it her own.  She’s so consistent!  Great job!

JOSH KRAJCIK  The Pretender:

• I will agree that Josh was the ONE performance tonight who really was authentic ROCK.  I mean…Foo Fighters!  Can’t get more rock than that!  Josh did a great job, and it felt like we were watching a rock concert!

ASTRO  I’ll Be Missing You:

• I don’t know how LA can say that people like Melanie or Drew always do the same thing…HELL-O!  What do you think Astro is doing EVERY WEEK?!  I mean…P Diddy?!  We did say this was ROCK week, right?!  Come on.

LAKODA RAYNE  Go Your Own Way:

• Another Fleetwood Mac song?!  Was this a mashup between two songs?  Didn’t quite sound like it was only the FM song.  I liked when the four of them were up on those boxes at the beginning of the number.  But once then came down to the stage, I felt they didn’t shine as much.  Didn’t realize how LOW all of their voices are.  They did okay, but that peformance didn’t impress enough to really get them out of trouble, I think.

DREW  With or Without You:

• This is signature Drew.  She made a U2 song a “Drew song.”  This song fit her better than Fix You from last week.  I did like Drew’s answer to LA about how she’s trying to stay within her genre/style.  Good for her!  I can see tho where if she keeps EVERY song in that EXACT same style, it’s GOING to get monotonous.  For sure.  So while I do love Drew, I do hope she can so a BIT more versatility without losing her uniqueness.

MARCUS CANTY  Piece of My Heart:

• Obviously no one would really associate Marcus with rock music.  Not AT ALL.  But I was glad/impressed that Marcus actually DID an actual rock song.  Good for him!  I didn’t love the arrangement of the song.  It felt kind of empty…like his voice isn’t big enough to pull off that arrangement.

THE X FACTOR 11/09/11: Top 11 Performances + *POLLS*

Movie night!

Here’s my comments about some of the performances:

DREW  Fix You:

• While you would think this song would’ve fit Drew pretty well, I felt she kinda of faltered a bit this week.  I really didn’t think the song fit her style well…and it almost felt too big for her.  And to me, all the colors and the wild dress doesn’t really match the song. :-/  Her vocals were good, altho a couple of times I felt she was stretching a bit.  Overall it was still good, just not as good as previous performances.

LAKODA RAYNE  Somebody Like You:

• I thought they redeemed themselves this week!  SO MUCH better than last week!  And I loved how they all got a little time in the spotlight!  Great choice!  This is who they are…country pop!   Good job!

MELANIE AMARO  Man in the Mirror:

• If they didn’t tell us that Mel was on vocal rest this week, I wouldn’t have even noticed!  Mel sang this one FLAWLESSLY…and and usual she DIDN’T OVERDO it.  LA wanted her to be more inventive with it, but…it’s MICHAEL JACKSON.  This song is SO ICONIC that you really can’t change it much.  If you did, people wouldn’t like it.  Melanie sings so effortlessly…and I loved the note she hit at the end!  Great job!  My favorite of the night.

JOSH KRAJCIK With With A Little Help From My Friends:

• LOVE LOVE LOVE Josh’s growl!  That’s the best part of his voice!  I normally don’t like this song, but I loved listening to Josh sing it!  I can see what Simon was saying about the whole Dracula thing, but honestly, it didn’t bother me…I was listening to his VOICE.  Many times too, Josh surprises me and hits notes that I wouldn’t expect.

CHRIS RENE  Gangsta’s (Pastime) Paradise:

• I thought this was the best performance he’s done (other than his 1st audition).  He seemed to be more connected to this song…the change in lyrics was cute…and when he had to sing, he sounded better.  I think every week he’s actually getting BETTER.  He may not be as smooth and crisp as Astro, but there’s more of a genuineness with Chris.  I feel more emotion from him.

RACHEL CROWE  I’d Rather Go Blind:

• Am I the only one who thinks that Rachel sings songs that are WAY too old for her?  This is the second time already…First it was Beyonce’s If I Were A Boy, now this.  I mean…she’s THIRTEEN YEARS OLD!  This song should be sung by someone who’s 2 or 3 times older than her!  Yes, her voice is very mature for her age, but that doesn’t mean she has to sing songs that are.  It doesn’t match to me.  On American Idol the judges used to ALWAYS criticize young (16 years old, mind you….which is OLDER than Rachel!) singers for singing songs that are TOO OLD for them, but not here for some reason.  What’s up with that?!  So while I will admit that Rachel sounded NOT BAD (I did feel the song was a little big for her at times…where she had to reach and strain a bit), I didn’t love it.