The TOP 5 sing 2 songs each tonight.
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The X Factor airs tonight at 8:00pm BST (9:00pm CEST, 3:00pm EDT, 12:00pm PDT) on ITV 1 (110min).
Tonight the TOP 5 will be singing Louis Walsh’s favorite songs and song of their own choice. Surprisingly, there are no Westlife, Boyzone or Jedward songs on the list of Louis’ favorites.
Dermot O’Leary enters the studio to the tune of “YMCA”. Louis’ head hands in the background. The judges enter to the tune of “I’m Still Standing”. Irish dance group Riverdance appears to dance with Louis.
Dermot opens the vote. Matt, Saara, Honey G, 5AM and Emily is the order.
Matt Terry – Secret Love Song pt. II (Little Mix)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSZUjQXnPY4
Matt says we saw who he wants to be as an artist last week. His singing teacher Janet arrived from Spain to help him. She is super supportive and he is super emotional. He sang this song at 6 Chair Challenge.
Matt is going all in on the ballads now. Louis would definitely have him in a boyband. He can really sing, but that first part of the song is tough to pull off.
Louis says the performance was incredible, he also loves Little Mix and thinks Matt should be in the final. Sharon says the song showed off his vocal well and says he has a golden voice. She also wants to hear his record. Simon says it seemed like a Sunday night guest performance, even though the first half was a bit wet. Nicole says the performance was “effortless”.
Saara Aalto – The Winner Takes It All (ABBA)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sr17IAIRrQE
Last Saturday she got a visit from a friend. They used to sing together in a musical 10 years ago. Saara then went to surprise some of her fans and hear what they think about her.
Saara slowed down the song and is playing the piano. She sounds wonderful. She is also sitting on a golden throne and wears something tiara-like in her hair. Very dramatic performance. Standing ovation from all 4 judges.
Nicole says Saara just took the first place in the competition. Simon says she just had a moment with that song. Louis says she was note perfect. Sharon says Saara took her breath away. The worst part of this performance? Saara talking to Dermot after the performance – she comes across a bit fake.
Honey G – Can’t Touch This / Super Freak (MC Hammer / Rick James)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMGrqL9ZBaI
She was in the bottom 2 last week. She went back to her mother’s house to cam down and we see her mother play the piano really well.
It’s another big production with staircases and dancers. Standard Honey G performance. It ends with a stage invader or something?!
Louis says they did the right thing saving her last week. Simon actually leaves the panel resolve the situation on stage and give Honey G a hand. He says Honey has another song. Sharon thought the performance was fantastic.
5 After Midnight – Uptown Funk (Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PowuG5qB26A
They did their first red carpet event this week. The boys are super excited about the song choice. They got some visits from friends and family.
The boys start the performance way back and then they come forward. They have a band on a platform in the middle of the stage. Thy do a great dance break before the final chorus. Standing ovation from all 4 judges.
Nicole says they funked that song and performance up tonight. She was filling it and it was liked a 5AM concert. Simon calls Louis and them “brilliant”. He says the dance break defines them as a group and is very supportive. Sharon says: “That’s one place gone in the final”. She says she sees them as a worldwide sensation. Louis agrees with Sharon and says they will be big this time next year.
Emily Middlemas – Toxic (Britney Spears)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfmtVBU43vo
She was heartbroken to see her boyfriend Ryan go home. She helps him packing his stuff in the house. Awww.
She will be playing an ukelele tonight. Is she really strumming it? Might be just a prop, the backing track is so strong. Emily’s voice sounds in a way better shape than it was last week. I don’t think this recaptured the charm of her audition. Yeah, she played an instrument, but she also had a strong backing track, dancers, mini dress and distracting eye make up.
Louis loved everything, but wants to see her dance. Sharon says she made the song current. Nicole says it was playful, sassy and quirky. Simon loved the ukelele, says the performance was cute and quirky.
Louis gets a trophy for being the longest serving judge of X Factor UK. This concludes the “Louis Loves” part of the show.
Matt Terry – Alive (Sia)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4HgLlfl0mQ
Nicole likes his song choice and says it’s got “teeth”. Like Saara, he goes to hear comments from his fans. He is pulling back the falsetto. Then he and Nicole eat a pie on set.
Wow. The first part was like a beautiful ballad, but they turned the chorus really uptempo and poppy. I didn’t love this, mainly because I don’t like the song and well, it’s really a tricky song to sing. Also, he had no dancers or anything on stage.
Louis loved it and says he thinks Matt is a star. Sharon says this is one of the best songs written in like 7 years. Nope, it’s not even one of Sia’s better ones, that’s way it under performed on the charts. Simon says this should be a disaster on paper, but it turned to be a risk worth taking. Nicole points out how hard that song is and sputters some nonsense. Eh.
5 After Midnight – Sorry / One Dance (Justin Bieber / Drake)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nf9DKpCMzKk
They also went to a focus group meeting. They rewatch their first audition and decide to do that song again. Yeah, they are doing two of the biggest hits of the past year.
Cool production with the lights. Heavy backing tracks. They sing and dance a bit. The whole performance seems a bit too chill, but what do I know. The songs are two recent smashes, their demo should be pleased.
Nicole praises the song choice. She thinks they could each have their own action figure in the future. Simon says they had a really strong night. He says they need to be more aware of props and everything on stage. He says they’ve come a long way. Sharon wants them to send her one of those big platinum discs (album certification plaque). Louis wants to see them in the semifinal.
Honey G – Push It / Black Beatles (Salt-N-Pepa / Rae Sremmurd)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfUUxz7m880
She went into a focus group to get some encouragement. She wants to get to the final.
Honey performs with her troupe of dancers. After “Push It” they freeze while Honey G transitions into “Black Beatles”. The audience joins the Mannequin challenge. It ends very quickly.
Louis loved the performance. Nicole says she loves this show “so hard”. Simon praises her, says she is “cleaver” and fearless Sharon praises her song choices. Simon’s and Sharon’s comments had the “end of the journey” feel. Honey G begs the viewers to vote for her.
Emily Middlemas – Human (Rag’N’Bone Man)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTm_uo-LkXg
This song is a debut single from a new British artist that is breaking in the UK and internationally right now. Emily and Simon are definitely trying to pull off another “Uptown Funk”.
For this performance, Emily is actually walking on stage while singing. The problem is, Emily’s voice can not compare with the deep, rich voice of the original artist. She is backed by a band and great backing vocalists and her voice is just not standing out. She also gets exposed right before the end.
Louis thinks the risk paid off. He thinks she will make this song a hit. Sharon says Emily delivered. Nicole says she showed her “teeth” tonight. She says she still thinks she is playing it a bit safe with vocal interpretation. Simon says it was a risk worth taking and begs people to vote for Emily.
Saara Aalto – Diamonds are Forever / Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend (Shirley Bassey / Marilyn Monroe)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gc1Iq_cwdqY
Sharon again introduces her act as “ZAARA FROM FINLAND”. Saara says she used to perform this mash up years ago in Finland.
Saara starts the performance laying on a cloud right above the stage. She delivers another dramatic, theatrical performance. This would be absolutely fantastic if she was auditioning for West End, but this show is about discovering a recording artist.
Nicole says this was batshit bananas and fun. She says it was a little bit cheese explosion. Simon says he feels a little bit drunk. He says it was cheesy and fun, but her first performance was incredible. Louis praises her work ethic and asks people in Finland to pick up their phones and vote … seriously. Sharon agrees that Saara’s first song was better. Well, that was WEIRD.
Busted and Clean Bandit are performing on the X Factor tomorrow night.
