Sir Mac is away this week. I’ll be live blogging the Top 6 performances tonight and Pedro will take over for tomorrow night’s results show!
The contestants sing two songs for the first time. One, a song by a favorite diva, and the other a stripped down version of a song of their choice.
There was LOTS of crying on the Top 6 edition of X Factor! Most of it occurred during the stripped down second half. At least the tears weren’t over having landed on a dud reality show. Although, if I were Alex & Sierra, I might be crying that I wasn’t on The Voice instead.
No, it was mostly the end of competition stress and emotional reaction to having family members in the audience. The video packages focused on the artist’s hometown support.
Paulina Rubio is officially the worst singing competition judge ever. And considering the history of singing shows, that’s saying a lot.
Alex & Sierra are clearly running away with this thing. Might as well crown them now.
The judges enter the stage to Diana Ross’s 70’s hit “I’m Coming Out.” OK.
Diva songs are first!
Restless Road – Simon’s Groups – “Red” by Taylor Swift – Zach is from Indiana PA. Only 1 hour for Pittsburgh! Not a hick town! Also the hometown of Jimmy Stewart. JSYK. So, these boys are just small town guys blah blah blah. “That just sounds like girliest thing I’ve ever heard.” “We’ve got to put a man band twist on it.” — Unfortunate quotes. The boys are obviously uncomfortable singing a “girl” song. Sheesh. The backing track is so damn loud, making it impossible to mess up the harmonies. Knock off Scotty McCreery is awful. These boys were never meant to sing together. The dude on the right is SUPER pitchy. Is Simon serious about these guys? Kelly calls their vocals tight HA HA HA HA. Paulina calls them cute. She calls one of them “little Elvis Presley.” NOPE. Simon says they deserve to be in the finals. The group swears they are the best of friends.
To vote for Restless Road:
You can vote online at THEXFACTORUSA.COM until 10AM PT THURSDAY, and you can vote up to 50 TIMES.
You can also use the X-Factor USA app (voting is counted alongside the online voting)
You can text 10 to 21523
You can call 1-855-THE XF 10 (lines open only for two hours)
You can also vote using SHAZAM!
Rion Paige – Demi’s Girls – “See You Again” by Carrie Underwood – Rion has lots of pitch issues. Only 13, she doesn’t bring anything distinctive to her performances. This song, in particular, is way too big for her. The result is very karaoke. I hate to say it, but her wiggling appendages are kind of distracting. Kelly likes that she sings from a real place. Paulina loves the tone of her voice and unique sound. She suggests she wear her hair down. Simon didn’t like the song choice, although he’s glad she’s singing country. Demi gets emotional thinking about how far she’s come. Yay. Rion is begging for votes again.
To vote for Rion Paige:
You can vote online at THEXFACTORUSA.COM until 10AM PT THURSDAY, and you can vote up to 50 TIMES.
You can also use the X-Factor USA app (voting is counted alongside the online voting)
You can text 11 to 21523
You can call 1-855-THE XF 11 (lines open only for two hours)
You can also vote using Shazam!
Jeff Gutt – Kelly’s Over 25’s – “Without You” By Mariah Carey – I was all ready for some Mariah Carey realness from a rock guy…and he cops out and sings the 70’s classic by Nilsson. It’s a rock song, so not out of his wheelhouse at all. It’ a competent version of a song that’s been done to death. “Divas” was a perfect opportunity to take a risk, and he didn’t go there. Demi’s niece is obsessed with him. Paulina wants to see blood next time. “WHAT?” says Jeff. He’s confused. and a little amused. “Basically she wants you to stab yourself next week,” says Simon. What the hell is she talking about? Paulina is fucking crazy. Simon says he completely transforms from boring.
To vote for Jeff Gutt:
You can vote online at THEXFACTORUSA.COM until 10AM PT THURSDAY, and you can vote up to 50 TIMES.
You can also use the X-Factor USA app (voting is counted alongside the online voting)
You can text 5 to 21523
You can call 1-855-THE XF 05 (lines open only for two hours)
You can also vote using SHAZAM!
Kelly is super proud of everyone!!!!
Ellona Santiago – Demi’s Girls – “Applause” by Lady Gaga – Dramatic staging! Stairs, wind machine and edgy outfit. Ellona does give off a pop star vibe. She’s comfortable moving around on stage AND her vocals are good. She hit a couple of impressive high notes, out of Gaga’s range. On these shows, it’s hard to find a performer who can both dance and sing. Ellona really is the whole package. She’s kind of young, but she has potential. Kelly calls it one of her best performances. Paulina rambles on about Ellona being Ellona. I think she’s drunk, I swear. Simon says she’s gone from being a mouse to a total diva. He loves her version, but not the original. Demi begs for America’s votes.
To vote for Ellona Santiago:
You can vote online at THEXFACTORUSA.COM until 10AM PT THURSDAY, and you can vote up to 50 TIMES.
You can also use the X-Factor USA app (voting is counted alongside the online voting)
You can text 4 to 21523
You can call 1-855-THE XF 04 (lines open only for two hours)
You can also vote using SHAZAM!
Next week, ya’ll can vote for the songs the contestants will sing.
Alex & Sierra – Simon’s Groups – “Say My Name” by Destiny’s Child – If I can just forget about how much these two annoy me with their twee cuteness, I can admit that they aren’t half bad. This was an interesting song choice. Their slinky performance definitely had its moments. Sierra isn’t entirely confident and the two need to tighten up the harmonies, but they could make some solid records. I liked the arrangement a lot. Kelly loved it! Demi thinks Sierra has come out of her shell. It was brave, and it worked. Paulina blah blah blahs about love and some wierd comparison to Sonny and Cher. Simon gets the feeling that he’s looking at winners.
To vote for Alex and Sierra:
You can vote online at THEXFACTORUSA.COM until 10AM PT THURSDAY, and you can vote up to 50 TIMES.
You can also use the X-Factor USA app (voting is counted alongside the online voting)
You can text 1 to 21523
You can call 1-855-THE XF 01 (lines open only for two hours)
You can also vote using SHAZAM!
Carlito Olivero – Paulina’s Boys – “Let’s Get Loud” by Jennifer Lopez – Now that Paulina has only one act left, hopefully she can remember who he is. Paulina didn’t like his initial song choice, so there was a last minute change. Wow. Could this performance be more boring? It’s like Carlito would rather be anywhere than performing on the X Factor stage. I can’t believe he’s still here instead of Josh Levi. The performance fell flat for Kelly. Carlito bitches that he learned the song in less than 24 hours. Oop. His whining isn’t going to help him. Demi didn’t feel connected to the song. Simon thinks the girls are being unfair. He would hate to lose him from the competition. Really? You want him in the finals? Eep. Paulina rambles on uncomprehendingly.
To vote for Carlito:
You can vote online at THEXFACTORUSA.COM until 10AM PT THURSDAY, and you can vote up to 50 TIMES.
You can also use the X-Factor USA app (voting is counted alongside the online voting)
You can text 2 to 21523
You can call 1-855-THE XF 02 (lines open only for two hours)
You can also vote using SHAZAM.
Unplugged performances are next!
Restless Road – Simon’s Groups – “Wake Me Up” by Avicci – This is one of the boys better performances. The lack of production bells and whistles seems to relax them. The vocals are better. Still, too much recorded backing track takes away from their authenticity. Country groups are all about tight vocals. Kelly loved that each one of them left their hearts on stage. Colton is tearful. Demi feels they earned their spot in the finals. Paulina yaks about more singing somewhere. And she’s proud. Simon is proud, because they’ve come such a long way.
Rion Paige – Demi’s Girls – “Glass” by Thompson Square – Demi cries as Rion warbles through the song. The young singer has no nuance in her interpretations of these songs. She’s only 13, it’s hard to expect more. Having said that, this is one of her better performances. She stays mostly in tune, at least. Kelly is all tearful too. Paulina calls Rion an inspiration. Simon thought it was so much better than the first. Demi says America better vote for her. The song is yet another opportunity to highlight her struggles and disability. The continued pimping of her backstory is off putting.
Jeff Gutt – Kelly’s Over 25s – “Daniel” by Elton John – He dedicates the song to his military brother, who is in the audience tearing up. Aw. Jeff’s country tinged rendition is plaintive and heartfelt. I love the simplicity. The brother in the audience is really getting to me, I have to be honest! Demi thought it was stale and anti-climatic. “It was more for my brother and the sacrifices he made,” says Jeff. You tell her, Jeff. Paulina loves that he played the guitar and sang to his brother. Simon agrees with Demi, the vocal wasn’t as good, but the sentiment is strong. Kelly is so proud of how he’s grown in the competition. Eh. Does every song need vocal gymnastics? Sometimes keeping it simple is best. The powerful symbolism of that performance alone is enough to save Jeff. He needs to send the director a bouquet of flowers.
Ellona Santiago – Demi’s Girls – “If I Were a Boy” by Beyonce – Ellona’s voice seems a little…soft here? It lacks richness that would enhance a bare bones performance. Her voice isn’t as impressive when she isn’t belting. Somebody in comments mentioned Alex Newell’s Glee arrangement of this song, and I agree, it doesn’t come close. But Ellona gives everything she has to an emotional performance. I’ll be really surprised if she doesn’t advance to next week’s semi-finals. Kelly appreciates Ellona’s big beautiful voice, but loved it when she softened up. She should explore that more, she says. Paulina feels that she’s watching a superstar. Simon has been waiting for this stripped down performance for a long time. Demi says Ellona is the type of person who could win this competition.
Alex & Sierra – Simon’s Groups – “Say Something” by A Great Big World feat Christina Aguilera – Sierra is playing the piano this week. Usually the pair reconfigure and strip down pop songs. It’s a very pretty rendition, but probably the most karaoke of all their performances. They sing it pretty close to the original song that’s currently sitting at the top of the pop charts. It’s such a popular song right now, viewers may not mind–even love it–as they performed a credible version. Kelly felt like she was watching a performance on an awards show. Demi thought it was magical that they both played instruments. What is Paulina talking about? Who cares. Simon thought it was the best performance of the night. The best of the season. Downloadable.
Carlito Olivero – Paulina’s Boys – “Stand By Me” by Ben E. King (partially in Spanish) – Ugh. I can’t believe this got the pimp spot. Does Simon really want Carlito in the final? OMG. He’s swinging his hips. Whyyyyy. The stripped back arrangement belies his whiny and nasal tone. This is really unpleasant. The random switching between English and Spanish is weird. Do not want. Kelly thought it his best vocal ever. She thinks he’s so cute. Demi thought there was too much music in the background. Simon thought it was better than the first song. Simon reiterates that he should advance. WHY????? “Every time he talks he opens up his nose,” says Paulina. PLZ SHUT UP. Carlito begs for votes. This is shameless.
