Wednesday, November 13, 2013

X Factor, Ep. 3.14

Because of the technical difficulties of last week, when no one was eliminated, this week before anyone sings, one will be eliminated.

Going Home: Carlos Guevara (Boys-Paulina)

The theme for this week is 80s.

Lillie McCloud (Over 25s-Kelly)
Whoa, that hair again! I know it's the 80s, but...yuck! This is how old she is...she had a song out in 1986. I knew she was old, but I didn't think she was that old. This song is horrible, and her pitch is terrible. She pulled out her earpiece, so I'm guessing she can't hear herself. It is nice to see her doing something different and moving around, but wow, this was so bad! I didn't enjoy any part of that. I didn't get it.

Carlito Olivero (Boys-Paulina)
I'm not sure what it is about him singing songs originally sung by females. First it was Selena, and now Gloria Estefan. This wasn't my favorite performance of his. I actually liked last week's even though Simon said he was taking a step back. I think he was good vocally, but I didn't get much from his performance like I normally do. I think the girls and other dancers were more of a distraction than anything.

Rion Paige (Girls-Demi)
She was way too low and quiet at the beginning. She actually sounded kind of unsure of herself. However, when she got to the chorus, she exploded. After that, it was a really good performance.

Sweet Suspense (Groups-Simon)
I enjoyed this performance. I think their harmonies were really good. They are solid as soloists and just as good together as a group.

Tim Olstad (Boys-Paulina)
This song has been done so many times, and I don't think it's that great to begin with. It really should go on a "banned" list so no one else can perform it on a reality singing competition again. I could have done without the lone dancer. That didn't add anything to the performance. His voice is good enough that he doesn't need anything else going on. The only problem with Tim is that he sounds exactly the same every week, just a different song. His voice is incredible, but he is so predictable. You know he's going to sing a power ballad every single time. It's good that he knows what he's good at and that he's consistent, but I would like to see him take a risk. The other judges said everything that I just said. I think with Tim and Carlito before him, they are proving that Paulina doesn't really know what she's doing as a coach.

Khaya Cohen (Girls-Demi)
When she first started, I didn't care for the version of the song. It sounded way too "Motown" instead of 80s, which is actually the theme. It got a little better as the song went on, but I think the version was just a little weird. As good as her voice has been in the past, she was really over-forcing it on this song, and it sounded very strained. She always sounds like she is on the verge of a major voice crack.

Restless Road (Groups-Simon)
A Footloose song should be really good for them. Unfortunately, the lead singer went flat again. Again, the cutest of the 3 sounded the best. I really wish they wouldn't give solo parts to the guy with the really deep voice. Just because he can sing that low doesn't mean it sounds good. Their harmonies struggled a little at the beginning, but it was really strong at the end of the song.

Rachel Potter (Over 25s-Kelly)
Only a few words into the song, and I could tell this was going to be her best performance, by far. I love her look this week! Someone listened to my critiques and gave her a little bit of a makeover. The wind blowing her bangs back proves she looks better without them. This week, she lived up to what Kelly has apparently been seeing in her since the beginning. I was starting to wonder why she was still in the competition and why she didn't go home in the 4-chair challenge. This was so much better than anything she has done in the competition. The big note was a little strained and screamed, but it was close to being perfect.

Ellona Santiago (Girls-Demi)
I was not crazy about the arrangement of this song. Again, there was too much dancing and other stuff going on. When she moves around, her voice wavers and it just doesn't sound that good. Demi needs to stop trying to hide her imperfections by adding a ton of stuff on stage and making her move around. It's not doing her any favors. She's much better when she's just singing.

Josh Levi (Boys-Paulina)
I didn't know if I was going to like him singing "Straight Up" by Paula Abdul, but it actually worked for him. His voice sounded amazing tonight. I even enjoyed his dance moves. The other acts that are trying to dance and sing need to watch him and take some notes. There wasn't a ton of dancing, and it didn't take away from his singing. I think this was his best performance.

And...they saved the best, and my 2 favorite acts for last :)

Jeff Gutt (Over 25s-Kelly)
I seriously love his song choice this week! "I Just Died In Your Arms Tonight"...one of my favorite 80s songs, and right up his alley. Not gonna lie, I was kind of hoping for an INXS song because THAT would have been incredible. Regardless, he was still the best of the night so far. Above and beyond what everyone else can/will ever do. He commands that stage like a rockstar. Love him! I do agree with Simon that it's not the most original, what he does. It would be nice to hear him take a song and transform it into something different (think Adam Lambert on American Idol).

Alex & Sierra (Groups-Simon)
I love their new and interesting takes on well-known songs. I love the concept of the wall between them, and it was so satisfying when she walked through the door to him. They are at their best when they are interacting with each other. I love how they each started off a capella, it really set the mood for the song. My favorite part was when the tempo picked up and Sierra pounded on the wall to the beat. Sierra had an amazing moment in the song where she really belted it out. We don't get to see that very much from her, so that was a nice surprise. Simon wasn't impressed with their performance tonight, but I didn't hear what he was talking about, with Sierra losing the melody.

Don't forget to follow on Twitter for updates and live show tweets! https://twitter.com/LSRealityBites

No comments: