‘The X Factor’ recap: Hot Dog! It’s Seattle’s Best
Vroom vroom! Stevecrest Jones continued his whirlwind three-truck tour of the U.S. as The X Factor held auditions in Chicago and Seattle. What’s in the trucks, Steve?
The Chicago auditions definitely looked much better than what we saw in premiere week. Maybe it was the vastness of the auditorium, or the bright purpleness of the giant X.
‘X-Factor’ Recap: Now You See the Judge, Now You Don’t
Halfway through yet another unrewarding installment of “The X Factor” on Fox on Wednesday night — one decent performance in two hours — it struck me that there is still a way for Simon Cowell to salvage this show, which so far has mostly served to prove the proposition that the singing-competition genre has played itself out.
‘The X Factor’ Redux: Chicago and Seattle Land on Planet Paula (Video)
Whatever shade I threw at Fox’s The X Factor last week, Wednesday’s auditions were a game changer for me. I felt it was really appropriate that Simon Cowell said that the auditions reminded him of Planet Paula, which refers to Paula Abdul’s knack for being in her own world. I took it as a good theme for the evening as Chicago and Seattle presented lots of originality – more good than bad.
‘The X-Factor’: Season 1, Episode 3: Auditions
“If you can’t see this, you’re deaf.” –Simon Cowell
If “American Idol” added a bright red X to the stage and locked Ryan Seacrest in a closet there would be no telling the difference between the reality music competition and “The X Factor.” Well, except there’s fewer laughs during the audition process.
The X Factor Recap: Face the Wedding D.J.’s Music
Welcome to week two of The X Factor, a show that is nothing like American Idol except for all of it. Last week’s second episode held on to most of the premiere’s disappointing ratings, which is good news, but not as good as non-disappointing ratings. I think the marketing campaign might be to blame. For months, we’ve been seeing billboards with Simon Cowell’s big angry face and the slogan “It’s time to FACE THE MUSIC, ” which is something you tell someone when something long-deserved and unpleasant is about to happen to them.
‘X Factor’ upends audience expectations with surprising talent
These first few episodes of “X Factor” are designed mainly to get everyone familiar with the show and to test out storylines (and apparently to remind us of the rules. Lots of auditions, ages 12-up, $5 million prize … we get it already!) Some of the themes we saw at the Chicago and Seattle auditions on Wednesday are almost certainly going to be around until the finale, so it’s probably bad news for you if you didn’t approve.
X Factor: Things are looking up
Well, tonight was better, wasn’t it? Audition episodes are never my favorite. (THANKS, IDOL, FOR THAT.) But I think the show is settling into its groove a bit. I’m ready for the real stuff. But up next, Chicago auditions.
MaKenna, 22, and Brock, 18 are up first. The Springfield, MO duo has some unrequited love happening. They tackle a Zac Brown Band ballad, and he’s clearly better than she is. By a long show. SO I DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU’RE THINKING, SIMON COWELL. There’s a lot of unnecessary judge-gushing, and they’re in.
‘The X Factor’ recap: Emotional moments, a brewing conflict
“The X Factor” has its mojo back. After last week’s impressive premiere was followed by a woefully weak second episode, Simon Cowell’s new singing-talent competition appeared to regain its footing Wednesday night, when the show swept through Chicago and Seattle. (I’d make fun of how host Steve Jones pronounced the name of the former if I could figure out how to type with a Welsh accent.)
The X Factor Recap: The Uncertainty of No-ing
In one corner, we had judge Paula Abdul crinkling her nose over Tiah’s sudden and not-exactly-welcome key changes during a cover of Shontelle’s “Impossible, ” and in the other, we had Simon Cowell insisting that Tiah had true superstar potential. “I’ve got a real feeling about this girl!” he pleaded, worried Tiah’s X Factor run would be finished before it started.
The question is, how much blind trust are we willing to place in Simon? It’s not as if the man hasn’t led us to the promised land many times before — whether that destination was Kelly Clarkson singing “A Moment Like This” under a shower of confetti or Fantasia Barrino lifting us up and over a swaying Gospel choir with her rendition of “I Believe.”
