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.

THE X FACTOR 11/2/11: Top 12 Performances + *POLLS*

I was pretty excited about this week’s Top 12 performances…and I wasn’t disappointed.  It was a great show!  Here are my favorites from tonight:

LAKODA RAYNE  Landslide:

• I actually thought their performance from last week was better.  Simon & LA thought the whole “seasons” idea was lame…and I can see that.  But I thought their dresses and the colors were pretty.  They did sound great together…their blend was good.  They seemed a bit shaky at the start tho.  Overall I still really like them.  To me they still LOOK like an established country pop group.

JOSH KRAJCIK  Jar of Hearts:

• Wow.  What an interesting song choice.  Christina Perri.  Wasn’t sure how Josh would handle this song, but…He did a GREAT job!  I loved how he changed parts of the song to kind of make it his own.  His voice is so unique.  The song normally sounds so vulnerable and tender, but Josh kinda put a growl & intensity to it, which I loved.  Awesome!  Now all he has to do is shave and cut his hair…

MELANIE AMARO  Desperado:

• What can I say?  FLAWLESS.  Altho this song was another ballad, it was a bit different for Melanie.  And I loved how the arrangement was so stripped down and exposed.  Really showed off her singing chops.  Man, she can BELT.  And she does it so effortlessly and flawlessly.  But she also has such control.  LOVE LOVE LOVED it.  And I’m glad to hear (from her intro video) that Mel feels like the fact that she got brought back into the competition after initially getting the boot actually HELPED her…made her stronger.  Go girl!

DREW:

• So great to see Drew doing something a little different this week!  Great song choice ’cause it was very current.  Normally Drew’s numbers are a bit “indie” and folksy.  She felt much more mainstream this week.  I do have to say that she did look a bit awkward tho since she had to move around a bit more.  And her outfit made her look TOO YOUNG…that little tutu skirt with the spandex under it?  Kinda dorky.  But overall she was great…and you got to hear her belt out a little more which was awesome.  But she still got to put her signature “Drew-isms” in there…mainly all the melodic lifts she does, which I LOVE.  Great job!

And now the REAL question…

THE X FACTOR 10/25/11: Top 17 Performances + *POLL*

Now that the Top 12 have been announced, here are my favorites:

MARCUS CANTY:

• To be honest, my favorite was Phillip Lomax, but since LA CUT him, Marcus is now my favorite guy.  He doesn’t sing the type of music I would BUY, but of the remaining guys, at least he’s a good SINGER.  I’m NOT a fan of rappers, so I can’t back Chris or Astro.  Plus Marcus seems like a good/nice guy.

LAKODA RAYNE:

• Kinda LOVING Lakoda Rayne.  I still can’t believe they WEREN’T a group initially.  Their voices blend SO WELL together, plus they LOOK so good together.  Not to mention I’m loving the country twang.   They were HANDS DOWN my favorite group for sure.  I would totally buy their album.

JOSH KRAJCIK:

• Josh was my favorite guy coming in to this round, and that DEFINITELY HASN’T CHANGED.  Wow.  His performance was SO VULNERABLE and SHOWY.  Great job.  Plus he’s so cute when he’s not singing…when he’s standing there smiling.  I just wish he would change his hair.  If he had a clean cut look, that would make him that much more appealing, imo.  But so far, LOVE HIM.

DREW RYNIEWICZ:

• Drew. Wow. Only 14 years old. AMAZING.  Plus she’s so cute.  I’m just so impressed with how MATURE she is with her singing.  And I LOVE all the lifts she does with her singing.  Plus she can belt.  It’s just…WOW.  Now all we have to do is see her perform a real upbeat song.

MELANIE AMARO:

• Melanie, Melanie…You are definitely the showstopper.  Perfect song choice, albeit a predictable one…but that’s what she does best — power ballads.  She’s got that big booming voice.  Again, what I love about Melanie is her genuineness and humbleness.  That plays a big role in her likability/accessibility to America.  When she broke down at the end of her performance, I just felt for her.  After everything she’s been thru in this competition…now singing last in tonight’s show…Talk about overwhelming.  But she proved why she deserved to be there.

RESULTS:

The results in general were pretty predictable…and overall the right choices EXCEPT for the boys — still think Phillip should’ve stayed.  But the girls group was definitely the TOUGHEST call…mainly because I was worried Simon would keep ONE of those girls JUST to make a point.  But thank goodness he came to his senses!  The one thing about Simon…he DOES listen to AMERICA.  He’s not dumb enough to keep someone just cause HE likes them, but America DOESN’T.  Phew.

Next week’s Top 12 should be a GREAT SHOW!  It’s a great group of contestants!  Can’t wait!

THE X FACTOR 10/13/11: Judges’ Houses – Part I

Tonight was the first of the mentoring sessions with the judges…Each contestant has to perform one on one in front of their judge a song pre-selected by their judge.

Here are the standouts for me from tonight…and I will say overall these contestants impressed me more than I thought they would:

PHILLIP LOMAX Please Don’t Stop The Music:

• Phillip said he totally changed Rihanna’s song…but for me, he really didn’t THAT MUCH.  He only added his “standard twist” to it.  But I really liked it!  It was different and he had a much stronger voice than I thought he had.  Plus how hard must it have been to sing Rihanna’s song RIGHT IN FRONT OF HER?!

LAKODA RAYNE  Born This Way:

• Considering this girl group was PUT TOGETHER by the judges during the audition rounds, they really impressed me!  They had a bit of a tougher road for this performance since they weren’t even familiar with each other to begin with!  They actually sounded great together…they blended really well!  Most likely they will just get better the longer they perform together…and so far they’re the kind of the group where I would actually buy their album.

STACY FRANCIS  Purple Rain:

• Stacy was pretty memorable in the auditions, but I thought tonight’s performance of that famous Prince song was even better.  Her voice was so rich and pure.  Then when she starting belting…HOLD ON TO YOUR HATS!  Wow.  You can tell how MUCH she wants this…

THE ANSER  Perfect:

• Interesting song choice for 3 guys to pick a Pink song.  They really surprised me.  Didn’t expect them to blend so well.  And loved how they passed on the solos/spotlight to each other.  I really liked them.

DREW RYNIEWICZ  It Must’ve Been Love:

• Drew was hands down my FAVORITE tonight.  I LOVE this Roxette song…but once again Drew won me over with her version (like she did with her version of Justin Bieber’s “Baby” during the auditions)!  I can’t BELIEVE she’s ONLY 14 YEARS OLD!  Seriously?!  She has such CONTROL over her voice…and if I’m being honest, when you look at her, you really don’t think a voice like that is going to come out of her.  She kinda has this “teeny ditzy girl” look to her.  But once she starts singing, she really is so natural, comfortable and confident.  The performance really was so simple…but the things she did with her voice (all the little lifts, falsetto)…not to mention she was so vulnerable…AMAZING.  I was actually quite blown away.  LOVED IT.