What did pundits across the interwebs have to say about last night’s X Factor featuring performances from the Top 12? Here are recaps from around the interwebs. You can read mine right here.
‘The X Factor’ on the scene: 14 things you didn’t see on Top 12 performance night – So what happened? The producers banned glow-in-the-dark posters! The judges bickered! The fog/smoke choked audience members! And, there were some crazy Canadians, stirring up trouble. Read on for all the details on those things and more inside the studio at X Factor last night – EW
‘The X Factor’ recap: ‘Tis the Season to be Caterwaul-y – Paula Abdul was by far the MVP of the episode, rehearsing the choreography along with her groups like a sweaty teen while Simon Cowell sat in his natural habitat — in front of an enormous vanity mirror — and made surly remarks about each contestant in the other judges’ cat-uh-gries. How does Paula do it? Perhaps her superhuman stamina can be traced to the toxic pink waste in her Pepsi cup. – EW
The X Factor Recap: Boom Boom Ow! – There are moments where The X Factor reminds me of a horror-movie version of an industrial farm-raised turkey: Genetically groomed and pumped full of steroids, bursting at the skin with muscle and sinew, and — if it could figure out how to better maneuver its unwieldy form — ready to burst from its cage and brutally flip the carnivore-Thanksgiving dinner relationship. – TV Line
‘The X Factor’: Top 12 perform – “The X Factor” is down to a dozen and the show has gained momentum, merging methods of “American Idol” and “The Voice” and adding elements of mentoring plus back-up theatrics. It’s less bubblegum but not less contrived, nor less captivating. And Simon sang his own praises as he saluted the network for already guaranteeing his new project a second season, even as this first one is hitting its stride. – Washington Post
I RETURN TO X FACTOR – Some brief random thoughts after a long night at the X Factordome…(The X Factory? The X Factorium? The Xrena?) Of all the singing contests on TV today, you’d be a fool to go with any other. It’s so much more fun, more contemporary, faster paced, slicker production. We have stepped forward a decade and a half from where Idol left us off. – Read more at Rushfield Babylon
‘X Factor’ Watch: So Many Voting Options, So Little Time to Sing – Take Melanie Amaro, perhaps the best singer in the competition. She sang “Desperado,” a song that when allowed to, builds achingly to a haunting finish. The version she was forced to perform, though, was so chopped up that it came close to not making sense. (When the Eagles recorded the song, it was 3 minutes 34 seconds; Ms. Amaro’s version, according to the “X Factor” download site — only $1.29! — is 1 minute 50 seconds.) What there was sounded fine, but Ms. Amaro didn’t have much chance to show what she could really do with this lovely song. – Read more at Arts Beat
Musical acts can do no wrong in judges’ eyes on ‘X Factor’ – If anyone was hoping that “X Factor” would bring the edge that “American Idol” has lacked in recent years … well, based on Wednesday’s episode, you’re going to be disappointed. The judges did not offer a great deal of guidance beyond praising everyone’s performance. True, Simon and Nicole did snap at each other again. At one point, Simon dismissed her comment by saying “the grownups are talking.” That’s the kind of substantial critique that “Idol” has lacked since he left. Nicole later responded by telling him “sometimes less is more,” which in this case referred to his criticism of her song selection and not the strategy she uses while picking her wardrobe. – MSNBC
The X Factor – Top 12 – As thrilled as I was last week to see the judges on a singing competition actually judging, it seems to have all ended far too soon. Yes, the vote is now in the hands of the people, and the judges’ critiques are not supposed to matter anymore, but everyone knows that’s not really true. This is gonna sound a little crazy, guys, but not everyone who watches The X Factor necessarily has the best ear for talent and musicality. It’s the judges responsibility, if not exactly their job, to help the audience tell the wheat from the chaff. (There is also the Internet and stuff, if you’re into reading things) Now, all hype and hyperbole aside, there is quite a bit of talent in the Top 12, but shouldn’t that make the judges even more critical? It’s hard to imagine Tom Colicchio and Padma Lakshmi tearfully telling every cheftestant on Top Chef that they’re all superstars; even on a great night someone didn’t let the pork cook long enough or chopped their root vegetables too coarsely. So join me as we try to figure out who’s truly a rising star here and whose brisket needs more time. AV Club
