The Sing-Off, Ep. 4.7: Finale

The last 3 groups competing for the title are: Home Free, Vocal Rush and Ten

Personally, I'm rooting for Home Free! They have been so much fun to watch/listen to and their talent is out of this world. They surprise me every time they perform. I never thought a country group would end up being my favorite.

Ten
"Joyful Joyful" (from Sister Act 2) with Shawn Stockman--This is such a great song, and it's perfect for them. They start out very slow and gospel-like, with Shawn taking the lead. Then finally, it picks up the pace. They actually didn't do as much with the song as I thought they would. I thought the whole thing would just be huge and blow us out of the water, but it seemed very reserved.

"Love On Top"--It's hard to like this performance, because I hate the song. I liked this even less than the original. I didn't care for what they did to the arrangement at all. I hated the screaming lady with the big hair...that was just painful.

Home Free
"I Want Crazy"--They are just so much fun! There isn't anything negative to say about them, they are just awesome...every time. Love them! Austin's lead vocals are just insane!

"Have Yourself A Merry Christmas" with Jewel--Not my favorite Christmas song, and I wish the guys would have had a bigger part in the song instead of just being background for Jewel. I didn't care for her hand movements during the song, it was just kind of weird.

Vocal Rush
"Peace On Earth/Little Drummer Boy" with Ben Folds--Ben just cracks me up. This was a really cool performance. I loved Ben's part and how several members came out front to join him.

"Roar"--Very nice performance, and the song was very representative of them as a group.

Final Results

3rd Place: Vocal Rush
2nd Place: Ten
WINNER:  HOME FREE!!!! Woohoo! I'm so happy they won! I think out of the final 3, they are the only ones who could really have a successful career, similar to that of last season's winners Pentatonix.

---

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

X Factor, Ep. 3.25: Finale

Season 3 Finale Results:

3rd Place: Carlito Olivero

2nd Place: Jeff Gutt

WINNER: ALEX & SIERRA!!!!

Wow, I gotta say I'm a little shocked! However, I did just notice that Alex & Sierra have about 44,000 more fans on Facebook than Jeff does and they have over 147,000 more followers on Twitter, so...maybe it shouldn't be that much of a shocker. It was tough to tell because neither of them were ever in the bottom, so we couldn't truly judge their popularity. They are now the first act from the Groups category to not only make the top 2, but to win!

Either way, I'm so happy for them! Could those two be any cuter? Seriously! Someday, I would love to be in a relationship like what they have. They seem like such genuine people, like Simon kept saying. They are so deserving of this win. I just hope they can translate it into success. It's no secret that this show hasn't really cranked out the stars. Neither of the previous winners are doing anything. Last year's winner Tate Stevens was dropped from his label in August. Probably the biggest success of the show has been last year's 4th place act Emblem3. Fifth Harmony has seen a little success and so has Josh Krajcik and Chris Rene....but nothing like the success that American Idol contestants have had.

I hope that someone signs Jeff Gutt RIGHT NOW! Please don't let this guy slip through the cracks.

---

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

The Sing-Off, Ep. 4.6

Theme: Judge's Choice

Filharmonic
"Baby I Need Your Lovin'" by The Four Tops-Not too excited about this performance. I like them doing more popular stuff. This was just too old and boring for me. I'll take Bruno Mars's "Treasure" any day over this. I would have liked to have seen them do something different with it and make it a little more modern.

Ten
"Proud Mary" by Ike and Tina Turner-Yuck! I hate this song, and what's with all the old stuff tonight? Well, I would say that Deedee nailed Tina Turner. It was a very explosive number and they threw a lot of stuff into it. It was definitely not my favorite, but they did a good job.

Home Free
"Colder Weather" by The Zac Brown Band-Beautiful performance...even if it was country. By far, my favorite performance of the night.

Vocal Rush
"My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark" by Fallout Boy-Absolute best song choice of the night. I think it would have been a little bit better if they would have sang it a key or 2 lower. It sounded to happy in the higher notes. It felt a bit rushed. It was good, but it wasn't as great as I had hoped.

Ultimate Sing-Off
Filharmonic vs. Ten

Oh, I so hope Filharmonic stays! I like them so much better than Ten. However, Filharmonic has been in the bottom before and the judges have loved Ten, so it's going to be a tough battle.

"Should I Stay or Should I Go"-Ten turned it into a gospel song, that was weird. I did like the funny parts they added to it. Filharmonic isn't really doing much...uh-oh!

Eliminated: Filharmonic
I knew it...bummer. I really, really liked them.

---

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

The Bachelor Season 18: Juan Pablo Galavis--Preview & Spoilers

Season 18 of The Bachelor is set to premiere on Monday, January 6. Our new bachelor this season is the lovable Latin soccer player Juan Pablo Galavis, from Desiree's season of The Bachelorette. ABC is marketing this season by calling January "Juan-uary"...get it? They are loading us up on Juan by doing some specials on Sunday nights in the month of January. One of the specials will be the live wedding of Sean and Catherine.

I finally had some time to check out RealitySteve's spoilers. I know some people like spoilers and some don't. RealitySteve has the episode-by-episode spoilers of who gets dates, what they do, and who goes home, all the way up until the finale and who he chooses in the end. RealitySteve's record is pretty darn good, except he was totally wrong on who Des picked last season. He had everything right except for that. But before that, he had predicted and spoiled the 7 shows before that, so he does know what he's doing. He has some interesting thoughts on this season. He obviously has sources and knows 100% more than I do, so I'm just going by what he says. I'm going to give you the link to his website so you can read his thoughts and in-depth analysis of each episode. But, if you just want the basics, I'm going to post that here. But just so you know, this is based solely on what RealitySteve has researched. It might be wrong, it might be right...read and believe at your own risk.

WARNING: EVERYTHING POSTED BELOW IS GOING TO BE A SPOILER! If you don't want to know anything about this season ahead of time: STOP READING NOW!

X Factor, Ep. 3.24

Carlito Olivero (Boys-Paulina)
Performance #1: I love this song, and I love that he sang it with some parts in Spanish. He was amazing, and I loved it!

Performance #2: He performed with Prince Royce. I'd never heard of Prince Royce (which is shocking because I've usually at least heard of everyone). It was a really good performance, they sounded really good together.

Performance #3: He performs "Maria" again. This was one of my favorite performances of his the first time around. This performance didn't disappoint either.

Alex & Sierra (Groups-Simon)
Performance #1: I love when Alex plays the guitar. Beautifully done. Alex was AMAZING on his solo part! They are always so good when they sing together, but I love how good they are separate, too. Alex was so on fire on this song, wow!

Performance #2: They performed with Leona Lewis on her song "Bleeding Love". It was a little too slow for me. I didn't think it worked as good as I would have liked it to.

Performance #3: They perform "Say Something" again. I loved this performance the last time they sang it. It was absolutely beautiful, and they did the same this time. Love them!

Jeff Gutt (Over 25s-Kelly)
Performance #1:
Holy crap is he amazing! He picks the absolute best songs! I loved the laser lights, that was sick! Nothing else to say other than he rocked it! He even nailed the classic Steven Tyler scream at the end. Awesome! Every performance is better than the last.

Performance #2: He performs with John Rzeznik of the Goo Goo Dolls on the Goo Goo Doll's song "Iris". It wasn't the most phenomenal performance, but it was still really good...up until the end when something weird happened and they both messed up and didn't start singing when they should have. Not really sure what happened there. But boy did the judges LOVE IT!

Performance #3: He chooses to sing his audition song "Creep" again. I love this song, and I loved his performance of it the first time. He looks like such a rockstar, it's incredible!

Final Thoughts and Predictions
I could not be more in love with this final 3! For once, I think all 3 acts deserve to be in the final 3. I personally love all 3. That just never happens. I think all 3 deserve to win, not only because of the vocal skills and awesome performances, but also because they seem like really genuine, kind, and loving people. All 3 are amazing! I have loved Alex & Sierra and Jeff from the audition round, and they've lasted to the final round, and I couldn't be happier. Carlito came in as a dark horse, and in the middle of the competition, he just exploded and has been improving every week. He now shows real star quality.

This really could go to any of the 3 I think. Realistically, I don't know if Carlito can surpass either Alex & Sierra or Jeff, though. I think it's a little bit of a longshot. From the beginning, I've thought that Jeff has been the best performer, singer, and most consistent act who knew who he was from the beginning and made smart choices. He has performed so strong every single week, so I think he might have the slightest of edges. But it's in America's hands, and you never know how the votes are going to fall.

I really hope that this is the season that produces some legitimate stars. So far, the first 2 seasons have pretty much been duds. I really thought Carly Rose Sonenclar would go places because she was phenomenal, but I haven't seen or heard anything from her. I would love to hear all 3 of these acts on the radio. Someone please sign them!!!

---

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

The Sing-Off, Ep. 4.5

Theme: Movie Music

Home Free
"Pretty Woman"-Definitely not my favorite performance of theirs, but it was still really good. I liked the way they changed the song in the middle.

Vocal Rush
"Against All Odds"-Unfortunately, it was kind of boring because it's a slower song. It was nice how it continued to build as the song progressed. When the key changed, it really got good.

AcoUstiKats
"Old Time Rock 'N Roll"-Another really fun performance from these guys. They made some interesting changes to the song and made it really interesting. And then you have to love when they pulled off the pants to reveal white underwear like Tom Cruise in the movie.

Filharmonic
"Don't Wanna Miss A Thing"-Not my favorite song in the world. It was OK, but I wasn't blown away. It was clear that they were feeling a lot of emotion and that the song meant a lot to them.

VoicePlay
"Don't You Forget About Me"-I'm really starting to get annoyed with Honey's voice. Besides her, I liked what they did with the song. It got a little bit whiny for me.

Ten
"Skyfall"-They did a really good job capturing the essence of the song and it was kind of haunting. I loved the smoke effect. The backgrounds were amazing on this song. It was incredibly loud and powerful at the end!

Ultimate Sing-Off #1: VoicePlay vs. AcoUstiKats
"Eye of the Tiger"-I love AcoUstiKats' choreography in the background. VoicePlay got in on the comedy action, that was nice to see. I think they are matched pretty well vocally, neither one is stranding out over the other. I have definitely liked AcoUstiKats a lot better throughout the competition, so I really hope they stay.

Ultimate Sing-Off #2: Vocal Rush vs. Ten
"Fame"-Again, both groups are really strong and are really equal. I think it could be either of them.

Ultimate Sing-Off #3: Home Free vs. Filharmonic
"I'm Alright"-I love the choreography! Both groups are really strong, just like in the other 2 match-ups. I love how both groups are working together with the choreography and exchanging vocals. Really cool performance!

Eliminated: VoicePlay and AcoUstiKats

---

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

The Voice, Ep. 5.26: Finale

Tonight we will have our Season 5 winner!

After a night filled with so many group performances from eliminated contestants and special guests, the winner of Season 5 is...TESSANNE CHIN!

2nd Place: Jacquie Lee
3rd Place: Will Champlin

Thanks to all the singers for a great season! I'm so happy for Tessanne. She deserved it! And another win for Team Adam!

Looking ahead to Season 6...they announced that it would begin on Feb. 24. And the best news of all? Usher and Shakira are back!

---

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

American Idol Season 13 Changes: Why You Should Give This Season A Chance

I probably should have posted something about American Idol sooner, but better late than never. The Season 13 2-night premiere begins on January 15. This season, there will be a few notable changes, that I can't help but be excited about! I will be the first to admit, that I have not been all that excited about Idol the last few seasons now (OK, maybe even more than a few seasons). I've watched mainly because it's Idol, and let's face it, no reality show watcher wants to miss out on one of the most popular and talked-about shows. I also always had a hope that "this year will be better". Unfortunately, especially last year, I and everyone else were let down yet again. I was so disappointed with last year's season that I wrote an open letter to American Idol stating all the things I thought needed to be changed. You can read that post here.

Well, it looks like American Idol was listening (at least a little bit). I don't know if there are going to be a lot of changes to the format of the season, but at this point, I almost don't even care because I am so excited about 2 things.

1) THE JUDGES!
2) New Mentor

1) In case you haven't heard, the judges for Season 13 are:

• Keith Urban--YES! I love Keith! Keith was an AMAZING judge last season. He was hilarious and he had plenty of helpful tips and critiques. His only downfall was being on a season with Nicki Minaj and Mariah Carey, who stole all the screen time. He was lucky to get a word in edgewise during all the bickering. But, when he was lucky enough to be permitted to speak, he always had something to say that was worth listening to.
• Jennifer Lopez aka J. Lo--YES! I'm so glad J. Lo is back! I really enjoyed her on the 2 seasons she was on previously (Seasons 10 and 11). You never had to worry that she was going to sound drunk (Paula Abdul) or say something offensive (Nicki Minaj) or something about herself (Mariah Carey).
• Harry Connick, Jr.--YES! YES! YES! I am so incredibly excited to have Harry on the panel! I have been suggesting him for years (you'll notice he is the first name on my list of suggestions)! Not many people realize just how funny he is! He has been on Idol a few times as a guest judge/mentor, and he did an amazing job. Last season when he was on, he gave the contestants more helpful advice in a short training session than they got all year long from in-house mentor Jimmy Iovine. I think he is going to be an amazing addition to the panel.

I think these judges are going to have amazing chemistry. The word around the set is that Harry and Keith have a similar bromance that Adam and Blake have on The Voice. And we all know how much fun those guys are! J. Lo is so fun and easy-going, I think she will fit right in with the boys. Unlike seasons before, these judges care more about the contestants than getting themselves a lot of air time. The show always says they are going to focus more on the contestants and less on the judges, but let's just face--that was a joke last season. EVERYONE knows the only reason they had Nicki Minaj on was for the ratings...especially after the well-publicized feud with Mariah Carey. This season will be different, I have no doubt about that. The commercials showing Harry holding a contestant in his arms while they are singing; the game of echo that all the judges plus Ryan were doing; and so many others, show that they are having so much fun together. And if they're having fun, we'll have fun.

And for the first time EVER, every single judge is a legitimate and accomplished singer themselves. They aren't just a "pop star" who sings (or doesn't even really sing, like Nicki Minaj).

Here's just a couple of examples of what to expect this season. It looks like it's going to be so much fun!

2) New Mentor--Randy Jackson

In my letter, I said that Randy needed to go. He had been on the judging panel for 12 years, and probably about 8 or more seasons longer than he should have been. He brought nothing new and didn't offer many (if any) helpful tips for the contestants. Well, Randy isn't gone, but he's in a new role as the in-house mentor. Since he didn't offer a lot from the judging panel, I question whether or not he'll be able to help the contestants much from the mentoring role, but I'm anxious to see what happens.

I also said in my letter, that Jimmy Iovine was horrible and didn't help the contestants at all. I'm so glad that Idol sent him on his way, or he decided to go...not sure which it was--but I don't really care, because he's gone either way.

Rumored Changes for Season 13

• An updated song catalog--thank goodness! Another change I said they needed to make was to sing more current songs and stop recycling the old songs and themes over and over and over again. All the other reality singing shows (The Voice, X Factor, The Sing-Off) mix in some old with some very popular and modern songs, which make it so much more enjoyable to watch. Unfortunately, there was still a warning that they were still probably going to do some of those old themes, but we should expect to hear more current songs from current artists. Anything will be an improvement for them at this point.
• The results show being cut to 1/2 hour (at least at some point in the season)--thank goodness! Who needs 45 minutes of filler and horrible group routines? Let's just find out the results already! Some shows like The Voice manage to do some really cool group routines, but the ones on Idol always seem to be horrible (and lip-synced). 

All of these changes (and rumored changes) make me super excited for the season to start! I can't remember the last time I was truly excited for American Idol. If you stopped watching Idol because you couldn't stand Nicki Minaj, or if you got tired of it many seasons ago, I would say this would be the year to give it a try again. It's not time to give up on it just yet. Whatever problems the show has had, it still continues to make more legitimate singing stars than any other show. There is no disputing that. Even in the weakest of seasons, you can probably find at least one contestant somewhere in the music industry doing OK for themselves.

So, I hope you'll join me for Season 13, starting January 15!

---

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

The Sing-Off, Ep. 4.4

Theme: My Generation 

The 4 groups that didn't perform in the last show, will perform tonight.

Home Free
"Ring of Fire"-This should be really interesting. I was a little surprised with the slow and subdued beginning. And then they exploded! The guy with the deep voice was perfect for this song. Then he busted out some high notes, wow! They made some very interesting note choices, and the whole thing was just very unpredictable! Then the bass guy hit quite possibly the lowest note ever hit by a human being. Wow!

VoicePlay
"Don't Speak"- I actually really like this song for them. And Honey sounds so much better than their last couple of performances, when she sounded like a cartoon. I like the bald guy that came out of nowhere with some crazy vocals! That was awesome. They had some great beats and it was a really amazing performance. I am back to liking them again.

Element
"You Keep Me Hanging On"-I don't know why, but I just don't love this group. I think maybe if the group was cut in half they would be better. I think maybe there is just too much going on. It was a good performance, but I didn't love it.

Vocal Rush
"Holding Out for a Hero"-I think they captured the feel of the song very well. I loved their harmony. For being in high school, they are truly amazing. The girls that took the lead were phenomenal. I liked the small rap section in the middle. Loved this performance, it was really incredible.

The Results

Ultimate Sing-Off: Element vs. VoicePlay
I definitely knew Element would be in the bottom and I knew that Home Free would be safe, so it came down to the other 2 that was kind of a toss-up.

Element started out really strong, but I didn't care for the lead. Vocal Rush's lead was really great on the first round. I loved the rapper guy's strong vocals. I did not care for Element's almost making fun of the song acting like bimbos basically...it was very bizarre. They screeched and acted like little girls. I almost don't even know what to make of what they did with the song. Vocal Rush on the other hand was so strong and really captured what that song is all about. I will be very disappointed if Element stays.

Eliminated: Element
Thank you judges! Absolute right decision!!!

---

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

The Voice, Ep. 5.25

Tessanne Chin (Team Adam)
Coach's First Impression Song-Pink's "Try"-I love this song, and I love how she sings it. So much power and emotion.

Duet w/ Adam-The Beatles' "Let it Be"-They sing so well together. This was just an awesome performance. I totally didn't expect the raggae breakdown, but it totally worked, and it was perfect!

Finale Performance-Whitney Houston's "I Have Nothing"-This song has been done so many times. She sang it as good as anyone ever has...including Whitney, herself. Flawless vocals from her every single time.

Will Champlin (Team Adam)
Coach's First Impression Song-Gavin DeGraw's "Not Over You"-Another song I love. It wasn't one that stood out to me the first time he sang it, but he always performs well. He's gotten stronger every week, and I think this performance was a lot better than the first time he sang it. I think he did a lot more with the song this time (at least from what I remember). I like all the note changes he always does, they are always so unexpected because you don't know what he's going to do. And the changes aren't enough to make you say that the song isn't the same because of the changes.

Duet w/ Adam-Elton John's "Tiny Dancer"-I wasn't blown away with the performance, but it was still good. It was a little on the boring side. I expected a little more from them. I think a different song would have been better.

Finale Performance-Bryan Adams' "Everything I Do"-I love this song, and I think he's going to do it justice. The more I hear Will, the more I fall in love with his voice. There's just something so genuine and soothing about it. This was one of his best performances. He took Adam's notes about not changing the song too much, but he changed some of the notes just enough to make it interesting, and I think he always improves the songs somehow when he makes them his own. The change to the end of the song was just incredible! And then he goes to his wife and beautiful daughter at the end...brought tears to my eyes!

Jacquie Lee (Team Christina)
Coach's First Impression Song-Amy Winehouse's "Back to Black"-Another great song, that I love. I, like Christina, was impressed the first time she sang this song. Most people just can't compare to Amy Winehouse, but this girl sure can. She absolutely killed this song, it was amazing! She did borderline on a bit too screechy at the end of the song, but somehow when she does it, I don't mind it like I normally do when girls screech/scream.

Duet w/ Christina-Christina Aguilera's "We Remain"-Gorgeous girls in red. Great performance, not much else to say.

Finale Performance-Jennifer Hudson's "I'm Not Going"-Oh, I hate this song with a passion! I've never liked it. Of course her vocals were spot-on, and it was incredibly powerful. I just can't get behind that song. So it was not my favorite performance...just because of the awful song choice.

Final Thoughts...
I think it's going to come down to the girls. As much as I love Will, I just don't know if he can compete with these lovable powerhouses. His last song is going to make it interesting though. I thought it was interesting that Adam said he thinks Tessanne was going to win. I do agree with Adam, though. I have thought for many weeks that she seemed to be the frontrunner. But, we'll see, anything can happen.

---

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

Survivor, Ep. 27.14: Finale

I can't believe the Finale is here already! It seems like just yesterday that the season was beginning. Since the show is starting late thanks to live NFL (ugh!), I have a little extra time. So, let's recap where we're at before the final rounds play out:

Still in Play: Tyson, Gervase, Monica, Ciera
On Redemption: Laura M, Tina and Hayden (voted out at the last Tribal Council)

The 3 Redemption Islanders will fight it out, with the winner rejoining the game, making 5 players left in the game. All signs (and I mean ALL signs) point to Laura winning and re-entering the game. The woman is a machine! She has won 5 of the 6 duels she has been faced with (her only loss was to John in her 2nd duel). That is impressive! Of course I want Hayden to pull out a big win here, but let's be realistic. He has not had much luck at any individual immunity challenge. Let's hope that it's something that won't favor the women. But then, when Aras and Vytas were at Redemption, they got lucky with a challenge that was very fair, and they still couldn't beat Tina, so...

Chances are, whoever comes back into the game, it won't really change the outcome of the game. If Tyson makes it to the end (which will be easier because he still has a hidden immunity idol), it doesn't matter who he goes up against...it's his game to lose. He has Gervase and Monica brainwashed to do his bidding and to keep him around. I don't see either of them turning on him and choosing to go to the end with anyone else. So, if any of them win the last immunity, I'm sure he's going with them. If Hayden would somehow get a miracle and make it to the end, he could make it very interesting with his final speech and his answers to the jury's questions. He is an unbelievable talker and is so persuasive, but still likable. If he would get with the right 2 people, he could just win it all. The problem is, unless he wins everything, NO ONE is taking him to the end.

Well, those are the only thoughts I have time for, because the show is starting now! Woohoo! Here we go! (Sorry, this is probably going to be a very long post!)

---

The Sing-Off, Ep. 4.3

Theme: Favorite Hits

Note: only 4 groups will be competing; the other 4 groups will compete on the next show (Monday, Dec. 16)

Ten
"Chain of Fools" -I really like what they did with the song. I like the way they slowed it down and gave it a great pounding, funky beat in the background. I didn't care for their "remix" craziness at the end. Overall, it was a pretty good performance, and I liked it better than their last one.

AcoUstiKats
"Amazed" -Definitely not my favorite song in the world. I like their goofy fun stuff, and this was much more slow than what we've seen from them before. Even though I like their more upbeat performances better, this was a great vocal performance. There wasn't a lot of fluff and extras, it was just singing and great harmonies. The high notes gave me chills.

Special moment...Mike, one of the singers, pulled his girlfriend up on stage and proposed! How cute!

Street Corner Renaissance
"Forget You" -I think they did a good job with song. They kept it simple and fun. The lead was good and I liked the background. I think this was their best performance. It was solid all around. I liked their few little comedic injections. It was fun to watch!

The Filharmonic
"One More Night" -Love this song, and I think it's a great choice for them. I got chills! I love their "lead" singer, I think he is really talented. Their beats on this song were sick! I love how they slowed the song down a little in the middle and then picked it up again at the end. I LOVED the key change at the end...that was so unexpected! I absolutely love what they did with this song! So cool! Favorite performance of the night for sure!

The Results

Ultimate Sing-Off: Street Corner Renaissance vs. The Filharmonic
The Filharmonic should NOT be in the bottom! They were so good!

It's the "old" vs. the "young"...I love what The Filharmonic did with the song to make it fresh and new. SCR did well, but I don't think they bring enough to the table. The Filharmonic were doing some pretty cool dance moves.

It's great to see the respect between the 2 groups.

Eliminated: Street Corner Renaissance

---

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

X Factor, Ep. 3.23

For tonight's results show, the contestants are starting their campaign for the win.

The first act saved is Carlito Olivero! He performs "Suavemente Besame", and it is really good! He just keeps taking it up another notch with every performance. This could be his best performance yet. I don't care what anyone else says, I think he deserves to be in the finals. He has improved tremendously since the beginning and his performance level has been so good in the past several weeks.

The next act going to the finals is Alex & Sierra! Woohoo!! They are singing one of my favorite songs right now: "Let Her Go" by Passenger. Sierra was a little flat at the beginning, but they found their groove, and it was awesome!

And last but not least, Jeff Gutt is in the top 3!!!!!! Yes! I was a little scared there for a minute. I think it's Jeff's competition to lose, so I would have been absolutely shocked and devastated if he would have gone home. Jeff sings "Open Arms" and he slays it. This guy is ready for the big time. I'm so happy for him!

No disrespect to Restless Road, but they just were not up to the standards of the other 3 at this point in the competition. They had a good run, but they have some work to do. The top 3 are absolutely perfect. I'm so glad this is the 3 that made it. I can't believe America actually got it exactly right!

---

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

The Sing-Off, Ep. 4.2

Theme: Favorite Party Jams

Vocal Rush
This was OK, but it wasn't as good as it could have been. At the beginning it seemed a bit hectic and all over the place, but it got better as the song went on.

Home Free
I can see this group is going to get on my nerves if they let the guy with the deep voice sing solos. I'm not a fan of that at all. I think the guy that started off the song did a great job at the lead. It was a decent performance, but I wasn't blown away.

VoicePlay
OK, it's official: I do not like Honey's voice. She sounds like a cartoon. I would like the group if it wasn't for her, because I like the guys. I think the focus is too much on her and not them as a group. By the end of the performance, I was just ready for it to be over and for catterwalling to be done.

Street Corner Renaissance
I just have to say that I love that one of the guys asked another contestant to show him how to beatbox and he said you're never too old to learn. That was just too cool! The performance started out kind of slow and boring, especially considering that the theme is "Party Jams". It wasn't exactly an exciting party, other than one of the guys doing some pretty fancy dance moves for an old guy. The end of the song sounded pretty bad, in my opinion. I didn't really care for it.

Element
I think the song started out way too low. When the got to the chorus, it got a lot better. I don't know why, but I'm just not loving any of these performances. I'm waiting for someone to blow me away, and this definitely did not. The last line of the song was the best of the whole song.

AcoUstiKats
I could tell right from the beginning that this was going to be my favorite performance of the night. They are the first group to actually have fun! They brought the fun with their song choice and what they did with it. It was awesome! The background was awesome, the featured singers were awesome, and Mama Kat gave them some great choreography to work with. Gotta love those high notes at the end...wow! Absolutely awesome!

Calle Sol
I don't know if I like their slowed-down beginning. Once they got to the chorus and it picked up tempo, it was better. There seemed to be a lot of extra, unnecessary things going on in the background that were a little distracting. It was OK, but not great.

Ten
Finally, another group having fun! This was a great performance. The guys did a great job, especially. I liked their choreography, it was a lot of fun. There were a lot of really good moments by several different people in the group.

The Filharmonic
This was a great song choice for them. They nailed the quick lyrics. I love that everyone got in on the fun and got to share in the spotlight. Great vocal performance and it was entertaining too. One of the best of the night.

The Results

Bottom 2: Calle Sol and AcoUstiKats
WHAT?!? I don't even know what to say about that. There were about 5 other groups that should be in the bottom before AcoUstiKats. That is just so not right. I'm going to be very upset if they leave already. Figures, I pick them as my favorites and they're already in the bottom 2. It was between them and Element, and they had way more negative things to say about Element. I just don't get it.

Ultimate Sing-Off
I don't think there is going to be any comparison between these 2 groups. AcoUstiKats are far superior. I don't agree with the vocalist they chose to do the lead for this song. When they got to the chorus, they really brought it, except for the guy doing falsetto wasn't that great...come on guys! Fortunately, I wasn't digging was Calle Sol was doing either. OK, now falsetto guy killed it with that high note! Oh boy, this is going to be tough. AcoUstiKats were not as good as they normally are, I'm a little disappointed in them. I sure hope it was enough to keep them in the competition.

Eliminated: Calle Sol
Whew! At least the judges got this one right.

---

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

X Factor, Ep. 3.22

Each of the final 4 acts will be singing 3 times in the semifinals: a song picked by the public, a duel against another act, and a song they pick for themselves.

Carlito Olivero (Boys-Paulina)

America's Choice: Justin Bieber's "Boyfriend"
This was a great song choice for him. He did well with the rapping parts, and the singing parts were really good as well. I thought his dance moves were good, and it was a really good overall performance. I wasn't totally blown away, but I liked it.

Vs. Alex & Sierra
His first part was really soft, but he found his groove with his second go. Carlito had a really nice long note. He held his own, but I don't think he matched up.

Singer/Coach Choice
Marc Anthony's "I Need To Know" is a perfect choice for him. I love this song! His performance was awesome! I love this guy more and more every time he sings. His Spanish just really makes the performance. This guy deserves, and needs to be in the final.

Restless Road (Groups-Simon)

America's Choice: Luke Bryan's "That's My Kind of Night"
Wow, they are starting off really rough. Their harmony does not sound good at all, and the low guy seems really off. I of course hate the song choice, because it's about as country as you can get. At the 2nd time on the chorus it sounded a lot better. The performance ended up being a lot better than I thought it was going to be.

Vs. Jeff Gutt
They held their own on this rock song, and had some good harmonies. It was nice to hear "low guy" sing in a normal singing range. They provided nice background, but they were not strong enough on their own to overtake Jeff.

Singer/Coach Choice
Finally a country song I kind of like: However, deep voice guy ruined this song for me. I don't like their version as much as the original. Vocally, it was OK, but it was really, really boring. If they make it through to the final, it's only because little girls and country fans are voting them through...not because they are actually good enough to be there.

Alex & Sierra (Groups-Simon)

Survivor, Ep. 27.13

OMG! I'm so nervous AGAIN tonight! I had a scary thought about what could potentially happen tonight. If Laura M. wins Redemption and comes back, she will join Ciera and Hayden...that makes 3. It looks like they might be on the verge of getting Monica to flip. If they don't, that's 3 votes going the other way. What if...they can't pick again, and decide to choose rocks...AGAIN! That would be sooooo crazy!!!

Kasama Camp
Tyson was happy to be a part of what took place at the last Tribal. Tyson calls out Gervase for saying that you NEVER tell a person they are going home...which is what he did to Hayden. Because if they know they are going, they start to think up crazy plans and have time to strategize. Monica still thinks she's in a good place with their alliance. Tyson confesses to Gervase and Monica that he does have the idol. Monica was upset that he had it the whole time and didn't tell her about it. Meanwhile, Tyson and Gervase discuss how bad Monica is at playing the game, but how handy she has been to them to have around up to this point.

Hayden and Ciera strategize about finding an idol, winning a challenge and hoping that her mom is the one who comes out of Redemption Island.

Redemption Island Duel

The Voice, Ep. 5.24

Tonight we find out who the Top 3 are, who will be competing in next week's finale!

There are no instant saves this week. So, anything could happen.

Eliminated:
James Wolpert (Team Adam)
Cole Vosbury (Team Blake)

Top 3 Competing in Next Week's Final: 
Tessanne Chin (Team Adam)
Will Champlin (Team Adam)
Jacquie Lee (Team Christina)

I'm so sad to see James go, but I'm glad that Will stayed and Cole is gone. I still think that Tessanne will be our winner next week.

---

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

The Sing-Off, Ep. 4.1

This is my first time blogging about The Sing-Off, but I've watched all the previous seasons. If you're new to The Sing-Off, welcome, you're in for a lot of fun--prepare to be amazed. These singers will blow your mind with their vocal abilities. This show is different than the other singing competition shows out there because this truly is just based on "the voice". There are no instrumental accompaniment, what you will be hearing is completely a capella. All the sounds they will be making will be made with their voices. I highly recommend checking out the YouTube channel of Season 3 winners Pentatonix. They are so good, and so amazing! Their latest song is "The Little Drummer Boy"...check it out!

Judging the competition this season is Ben Folds, Jewel and Shawn Stockman (from Boyz II Men). Ben Folds and Shawn Stockman are returning and Jewel is new this year. And if you don't know host Nick Lachey, shame on you! Nick is from the very popular boy band 98°.

Tonight, the 10 groups will be performing their signature songs. The acts are broken up into 2 groups of 5. After each group, the judges will pick 4 to move on and the act in the bottom of the group will compete in a Sing-Off at the end of the show against the act in the bottom of the other group. One will stay, and one will be eliminated.

Here we go!

The Voice, Ep. 5.24

Top 5: Semi-finals

James Wolpert (Team Adam)
This U2 songs is going to be amazing for him! This song is so iconic. He stayed true to the original, but he also infused a few little personal touches, which was just awesome! His voice has never sounded better. I love this type of song for him because it allows him to have a big rock moment, but it also shows that he has a range and that he can sing more tender ballads as well. Loved it!!!

Will Champlin (Team Adam)
I'm not sure that this song is going to be quite right for him. But, knowing him, I'm sure he'll turn it into something wonderful. I love the slowed-down beginning, that was really cool. And...I was right, he totally made the song his own, and I think he actually did it better than the original! I don't necessarily consider the song itself to be a great display of vocal ability, but he definitely turned that around! Wow!

Jacquie Lee (Team Christina)
It's nice to see her singing a more modern song. I feel like her last few songs have been so old. She gave a beautiful performance. It was very moving. I think it might have been just a little bit better if she would have sung it a little more softly. She tends to go full blast on every single song. I think this song would have been better if she would have toned it down just a little. But that girl's got some pipes!

Cole Vosbury (Team Blake)
Oh no, I think I might really like this! Out of the 5 left, Cole is the one I would like to see leave next. Unfortunately, this was a really good performance. He is at his best when he sings songs like this. Seeing him at the piano was a nice change. I like the change in dynamics from the quietness at the piano, to him rocking it out at the end. Those high notes at the end were crazy good...until he went just a tad flat on the way down.

Tessanne Chin (Team Adam)
Yet another side and another dimension to Tessanne. There isn't anything that she can't sing. I have to say I like this style better than the raggae, because it shows off just what an incredible vocalist she really is. This was so incredibly good, and I got goosebumps! I might just take a wild stab in the dark, but I think Tessanne might just be this year's winner. She just had another massive "moment". Wow!

---

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

Amazing Race, Ep. 23.11: Finale

Leg 11: Bandung, Indonesia -> Tokyo, Japan

Jason & Amy lead off the leg, and they want to continue to work with Travis & Nicole. They did some research to find the best flight and fill in Travis & Nicole, as well as Tim & Marie in hopes of all working together against the Afghanimals (aka Leo & Jamal). All teams should end up on the same flight, however, after some additional checking Leo & Jamal think they have found a better option that would get them to Tokyo about 10 minutes before the other 3 teams. It just so happens that there are 2 more seats available for them.

And it worked, they arrive and are on their way minutes before the others. Leo & Jamal find a taxi quickly, but when the others arrive the drivers seem clueless and they can't find 3 taxis. Travis & Nicole decide to just leave, even though everyone else wanted to stick together.

Detour: Knock It Down Or Call It Up

X Factor, Ep. 3.21

1st Elimination:  Ellona Santiago (Girls-Demi)
Whoa! I did NOT see that one coming! I'm not too upset, but...wow. I thought she actually did better this week, she was actually growing.

Emblem3 Performance
Emblem3 showing why THEY should have won last season instead of that dumb country guy...whatever his name was. I have to say that I'm a huge fan of Emblem3 and their album is really good...check it out!

In Jeopardy: Rion Paige and Carlito Olivero
This is a perfect bottom 2, because it means that Jeff Gutt and Alex & Sierra are safe and are through to the semi-finals!!!! I thought Rion should have went last week, and I feel the same this week. I think Carlito is a little better. Rion is really good too, so no one is really the "loser" here.

I don't think Rion sang very well on her "save-me" song. Her high notes were really flat. Her voice did a lot of screeching. She seems to be doing a lot more of that lately. I don't remember that being such a problem early on in the competition.

Carlito has turned into such a performer. I think he did an awesome job with Usher's "You Make Me Wanna". He turned it into more of a performance, than a last-ditch "save-me" effort. It was just like any other performance, which I thought was really refreshing and shows that he knows what he's doing and is very comfortable and confident, and just wants to perform. He worked the stage and even went into the audience and sang to someone. And this wasn't a Latino song, which he hasn't done as well with in the past, but he killed it!

Judge's Send Home: Rion Paige (Girls-Demi)
Demi sends home Carlito
Paulina sends home Rion
Kelly sends home Rion
Simon sends home Rion

Top 4:
Jeff Gutt - Over 25s (Kelly)
Alex & Sierra - Groups (Simon)
Restless Road - Groups (Simon)
Carlito Olivero - Boys (Girls)

Note: Demi lost both of her remaining acts and is now left with no one on her team. 

---

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

X Factor, Ep. 3.20

Tonight, each act will perform twice. One regular song, with the theme of "Diva", then an unplugged, stripped version of a song, where the performance will be all about the vocals.

Restless Road (Groups-Simon)

Song 1: I like their harmonies at the beginning of the song. I always like their harmony better than when they sing alone. This is shaping up to be one of their best, most solid performances yet. Ooh, and look at that! They gave the cute guy with the best voice a bigger solo! Ugh, but then deep-voice guy comes in with an even longer solo, in which, you can't understand a word he's saying because his voice is too deep. Overall, I really liked the performance, even though their energy level was a little bit low. And it's even a song I've never heard before.

Song 2: This group, out of everyone I think, could have big problems with a stripped down version of a song, because 2 of the 3 often have pitch problems. I love this song, but I like it less as a country song. Yay, another extended solo for the cute, good singer (I wish I knew who was who). I don't like that they made the song so slow. It seemed to really drag. OK, so the deep singer gets a solo, and he sang in his regular voice. And like I've said before, his regular voice is so much better than singing in the basement! Overall, it was a really good performance, and they surprisingly had very good pitch and good harmony throughout the entire song. I also liked that they showed some emotion as well.

Rion Paige (Girls-Demi)

Song 1: Her pitch is a little off, and a little on the flat side. She also struggled on the lower notes. I think we've seen about as much as we're going to from her. She doesn't seem to be growing week to week. Her mediocre performances aren't going to be enough any more. She's talented and she's beyond her years, but there are better acts in the competition.

Song 2: Like Restless Road before her, she had the judges in tears. She gave a very real and heart-felt performance. It was beautiful. There were a couple of pitch issues again, but it was still really good.

Jeff Gutt (Over 25s-Kelly)

Song 1: For his diva song, he's taking on Mariah Carey. Jeff, out of all the acts this season, continues to take risks, and his risks pay off big time! He's such a rocker, but he can also show a softer, more vulnerable side. That's what he did with this song. He started out soft and then he built it up into his signature style. It was mind-blowing and amazing. He's so good, they just need to crown him the winner already, and just not bother with the rest of the competition. He continues to be in a league all his own; the others just can't come close. He's so ready for stardom!

Song 2: I love that he's playing the guitar! Sucker for a guy and a guitar--party of 1 right here :) Another display of his vulnerable and sensitive side. He still has a little bit of that grit we all love, but it's more subdued. I didn't recognize this song, but it didn't matter, because he did an amazing job singing it! He looked so great up there with his guitar. It was a completely different look and feel for him, and I loved it just as much as I love his signature rocker style.

Ellona Santiago (Girls-Demi)

Survivor, Ep. 27.12

Paschal English, Survivor Marquesas (Season 4)

Pre-Episode Survivor  Trivia

Tonight is huge. The previews have let a huge cat out of the bag already, so no one should be surprised when tonight's Tribal is absolutely nuts! As previewed, tonight's vote will be a deadlock, which means...duh duh duh (ominous music)...they draw rocks! For only the 2nd time in the 27 seasons of Survivor, someone will leave the game simply for drawing a rock! I did a little research before the episode (sorry, my brain doesn't remember every single event of every single season...I wish it did). The last time this historic event took place was in Season 4: Marquesas (otherwise known as the first season of Boston Rob). At the final 4, Paschal English drew the fated purple rock, and was therefore eliminated when he, Kathy Vavrick-O'Brien, Neleh Dennis and Vecepia Towery were deadlocked. Paschal's name had never been written down once up until that point. What a way to go out...let's hope what happens tonight isn't as awful.

Kasama Camp After the Last Tribal

The Voice, Ep. 5.23

Top 6 Results

I don't usually comment on the group performances, but Will, James and Cole's performance of "More Than Words" was awesome! I also loved watching Adam mouth the words with them. It was also the only performance of the night that I actually watched the whole way through. These 3 guys could easily be a group! The 6 of them performing "O Holy Night" was pretty good, too.

In Jeopardy: Matthew Schuler (Team Christina) and James Wolpert (Team Adam)

Save James! I like Matthew, but James has been more consistent and is more versatile and exciting. I don't want Adam to lose his first artist tonight!

Instant Save: James Wolpert!!!!!!!!

Top 5:
Jacquie Lee - Team Christina
Cole Vosbury - Team Blake
Will Champlin - Team Adam
Tessanne Chin - Team Adam
James Wolpert - Team Adam

Team Adam is still 3 for 3! Woohoo! It's looking more and more like he is going to have the winner this season. The odds are definitely in his favor. The competition is fierce though...

---

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

The Voice, Ep. 5.22

Cole Vosbury (Team Blake)

Coach Pick Song: "Rich Girl" by Hall and Oates
This was a pretty good performance, but I just couldn't wait for it to be over for some reason. It seemed to last forever! I wasn't blown away by it at all, I think anyone could sing it as well as he did. He didn't add anything to it, he basically just sang it like the original. Boring.

Contestant Dedication Song: "Better Man" by James Morrison
What a great song choice, Cole! I love James Morrison and I love this song. This is 100x better than his first song. Sorry Blake, but Cole knows how to pick a better song. What a great, heartfelt performance.

Tessanne Chin (Team Adam)

Coach Pick Song: "Redemption Song" by Bob Marley
While I'm not a huge fan of the songs that bring out a thick Jamaican accent, like this one, you can't deny that her voice is amazing. I didn't like the song, but I liked her performance of it, if that makes sense. I liked her Jamaican influence on last week's No Doubt song better than this one.

Contestant Dedication Song: "Unconditionally" by Katy Perry
I'm a little surprised that she picked this song for herself. It's not my favorite song that she's done. I think she performed it very well, and it showed yet another side of her and her versatility.

Matthew Schuler (Team Christina)

Contestant Dedication Song: "Story of My Life" by One Direction
Great song choice! Interesting song choice, but a good one. Unfortunately, his vocals were so quiet on part of the first verse that you couldn't even hear him singing. Once he got to the chorus, it was much better. The key change at the end was a little awkward. I don't think this was his best performance.

Coach Pick Song: "When a Man Loves a Woman" by Michael Bolton (and Percy Sledge)
I'm not a huge fan of this song. However, I think this performance was better than his first one. Maybe it's the song style. I think this type of song suits him better than pop. He also seemed more comfortable.

Will Champlin (Team Adam)

Amazing Race, Ep. 23.10

Leg 10: Bandung, Indonesia 

Leo & Jamal lead it off. They first have to go to a Cobra House and eat part of a snake...yuck!! Both team members have to eat some. Marie is a very picky and stubborn eater, so I hope she has problems. It was so gross...there were live snakes there right where they had to eat. So. Gross.

Tim & Marie go to the wrong entrance and can't understand why Leo & Jamal weren't there. Jason & Amy show up and ask where Tim & Marie were. Leo & Jamal lie AGAIN and say they were already there, finished and left already. How awkward, if they show up while they are still there.

Leo & Jamal finish first, followed by Jason & Amy and then Travis & Nicole. Tim & Marie are still wandering around. Ha ha! They FINALLY arrive, and she actually just decided to do it. I'm really surprised.

Road Block: Hard-Boil Eggs
They have to collect eggs, ride a motor bike with the eggs and hard boil them in the crater of a volcano.

During the challenge, Amy and Nicole question Leo about how quickly Marie ate the snake. They were trying to figure out why they haven't seen them anywhere at the Roadblock. Of course, he really didn't have an answer. Amy knew he had to be lying, just for the simple fact that Marie has trouble eating a lot of things. They didn't think she would quickly eat snake. I can't believe Leo & Jamal continue to lie. Their lies aren't really helping them in the game, so it's really unnecessary. Meanwhile, when Travis questions Jamal, he admits to Travis and Jason that they never saw Tim & Marie.

Travis and Jason think they have held their eggs in the boiling spring long enough, but Jamal cooks his a little longer. If they are wrong, they will have to go back. The eggs must all be fully cooked and hard-boiled on the inside.

Jason only had 6 of the eggs that were OK. None of Travis's were acceptable. Even though Jamal stayed a couple extra minutes, he had a couple that were no good as well. Travis and Jason told Jamal that if they see Tim & Marie, they should tell them that it only takes about 8-10 minutes (when it takes at least 15-20).

For some reason, they choose Marie to do the task, even though she said she doesn't know how to hard boil an egg. Oh boy. Tim said that she struggles with patience, and he has no doubt she is not going to wait long enough. She also isn't even wearing a watch to time anything.

2nd time around, Jason's eggs were perfect and right behind him, Travis's eggs were perfect. Jamal was a little bit behind, but his eggs were also OK.

Marie somehow manages to do her eggs long enough on the first try. How did she do that?

Detour: Paint Your Partner or Turn Over A New Leaf
In Paint Your Partner, they have to put makeup on their partner by looking at a bride. The guys had to shave off their facial hair! In Turn Over A New Leaf, they have to dress up and go out in a field to collect tea leaves.

Jason & Amy and Travis & Nicole decide to continue to work together and go to the paint task. Leo & Jamal decide to do the tea task. However, they end up switching and are now behind all 3 other teams. Woops...after seeing they would have to shave, they switch again! I say these boys are going down.

Jason & Amy did very well and finish first. Travis & Nicole struggled, as they couldn't get the pieces and accessories to stick to his sweaty face. The make-up looked all smeared. Tim & Marie caught up to them. Both Tim & Marie and Travis & Nicole were continually told that their make-up wasn't acceptable. The problem was that the more they messed with it, the more black that was smudged everywhere on their face. Marie figured this out, but it took Nicole FOREVER to realize that she had black smudged all over Travis's face. She is really dropping the ball on these challenges.

Pitstop #10:
1. Jason & Amy -- they FINALLY win a leg! They are the only team of the 4 left who hadn't won a leg.
2. Tim & Marie
3. Travis & Nicole
4. Leo & Jamal --they are still in it, because this was another non-elimination round.

There was a cab race and then a foot race between Tim & Marie and Travis & Nicole. Tim and Travis make it to the mat, while they wait for the women. Nicole was too slow and caused them to end up in 3rd.

---

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

X Factor, Ep. 3.19

Top 8 Results

Elimination #1: Lillie McCloud
It's a Thanksgiving miracle! I can't believe she is finally gone! No disrespect to Lillie, who does have a great voice...but the X Factor was just not the right place for her. It was way past her time to go.

In Jeopardy: Rion Paige and Josh Levi
I'm totally OK with this result. I'm not a huge fan of either of them. While talented, I'm just not all that excited for either of them any more. I would have also been more than OK with Restless Road or Ellona Santigao being in the bottom.

Final Showdown
Rion Paige--She walked out on stage like she meant business! Her lower notes were almost non-existent. I didn't like her phrasing, it was just awkward--probably because this Pink song doesn't really work in that arrangement, in trying to make it a country song. She gave it a good try, and she sang with a lot of heart and emotion. I don't know if it will be enough against Josh.

Josh Levi--Perfect song choice: Bruno Mars - "If I Was Your Man". His vocals were really good, and the whole performance was really good. I think he has shown more potential and consistency than Rion. I also think this performance was better than Rion's.

Side note: Paulina Rubio announced Josh Levi, as her OTHER act, Carlito Olivero! How embarrassing! EPIC FAIL! I guess we know who she liked better.

Judges Save: 
Demi sends home Josh
Paulina sends home Rion
Kelly sends home Rion
Simon sends home Josh

That means it is a deadlock. Simon purposely chose Josh to let the public's vote decide. As it turns out Josh Levi got the fewest votes, and was eliminated.

Wow. I really think it should have been Rion going home, but whatever. But, when you think about it, Josh was brought back as a Wild Card, so technically, he shouldn't have even been there in the first place.

Top 6:
Carlito Olivero (Boys-Paulina)
Ellona Santiago (Girls-Demi)
Rion Paige (Girls-Demi)
Alex & Sierra (Groups-Simon)
Restless Road (Groups-Simon)
Jeff Gutt (Over 25s-Kelly)

---

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

X Factor, Ep. 3.18

Theme: Big Band
Seriously? Yet another horrible and way overdone theme. Why can't American Idol  and X Factor take cues from The Voice? The Voice does songs that are happening and popular NOW. Sure, they throw in a couple old songs here and there, but they don't make a whole night of it, and force every singer to sing from that category. I can tell you right now, I'm going to hate every single song...including Michael Bublé's opening number. It's going to be hard to critique their singing when I don't like the songs.

Rion Paige - Girls (Demi)
She handled the fast pace and up-tempo song very well. We're used to hearing her sing ballads, so this was a nice change. She struggled a little bit with the lower notes, but the rest was good. I thought the moving around and choreography that she isn't used to performing with would make her get out of breath or lose her pitch, but she didn't.

Restless Road - Groups (Simon)
OK, am I a dummy? Since when is "Life is a Highway" a "big band" song? It was an OK performance, but I wasn't blown away. I'm not sure why the coaches were so positive about it. Listening to the performance a second time, I was even less impressed with it. I thought parts of their harmonies were off, and again, the lead singer and the really low singer, just don't sound good on the solo parts! This time, the cute singer on the right got even LESS solo time than usual. He should have ALL the solo parts ALL of the time! Why doesn't Simon or anyone else realize this? Am I the only one who thinks this?

Jeff Gutt - Over 25s (Kelly)
"Feelin' Good" was the absolute perfect song choice for Jeff! This was absolutely amazing! That song has been done so many times, but he killed it and it was epic! The last note was insane! Again, he is on a completely different level from everyone else. There is no comparison. Simon was right, he owned that song.

Josh Levi - Boys (Paulina)
OK, so this really is not "big band" either--Bruno Mars. So, they apparently, could just pick any song they wanted to and perform it with a "big band". This song really should be right up his alley, but I wasn't that impressed. The music overpowered his vocals. He sang it well, and performed it well, but I just wasn't wowed.

Carlito Olivero - Boys (Paulina)
I'm glad Paulina encouraged him to do another Latino song. I think that's why he was in the bottom last week. This Ricky Martin song, "Cup of Life" is a great song for him. He sounds amazing! There were times when I thought he sounded just like Ricky Martin! He gave a great performance. His vocals were right on, and he moved around the stage well. I think this was his best performance. He was even getting the crowd involved. He looked like a real superstar performing in a concert or on an awards show. Great job, Carlito! Simon was right, he was so comfortable on that song.

Alex & Sierra - Groups (Simon)
Oh my goodness! They totally changed this song, and I love it! It took me forever to figure out what song it was. It's Taylor Swift's "I Knew You Were Trouble". The song has never sounded better. They were on fire tonight! They are so clever with their song choices and their arrangements.

Lillie McCloud - Over 25s (Kelly)
Oh boy, I do NOT like this at all! Yuck! I didn't think I could hate this song any more than when Fantasia sang it. Well, she just took it to another level and not in a good way. She was making strides last week, but she went back to her old ways on this song. It's not my style, and I agree with Simon--I think he would do a better job mentoring her.

Ellona Santiago - Girls (Demi)
I think this was a better performance than last week. I think the song allowed her to show off her vocals better. I think there was still too much going on on the stage, and I didn't care for her wardrobe change. A lot of unnecessary things. Just sing, Ellona...you have an incredible voice! I agree with Simon, again...back-up dancers need to go.

Final Face-Off
All 8 acts will be singing together in a battle against each other. This is very interesting, and it's never been done on the show before. How cool is it that Michael Bublé is mentoring them!

Jeff opened it up, and I wish he was singing the whole song! Alex & Sierra's part was also awesome! Everyone else did pretty good. I hated Lillie McCloud's part, and I hate when they have the deep singing guy from Restless Road singing solo.

---

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

Survivor, Ep. 27.11

Redemption Island Duel
Emotions are running high as Laura sees Ciera again, after Ciera had voted her out.

It's Vytas vs. Tina vs. Laura

Thank goodness this is a more physical challenge, so hopefully Tina will go home. They have to work boxes through a long, woven tunnel. Then, with the boxes, they have to take the boxes and line up the sides so that each side has no repeating colors.

Vytas and Laura are neck and neck, and Tina is struggling, 1 box behind them. Laura finishes first and she it's correct! Vytas tries to look at Laura's, but she stands in the way and is even HELPING Tina. No!!! Come on Vytas! Tina is completely caught up. Oh no! 1 second difference, and Tina gets it! Noooooooo! Ugh! Tina would be going home if it wasn't for Laura. Laura is just a beast. Her 2nd time at Redemption is going the same way her first time did. At this rate, she is going to make it back into the game for a 3rd time. I can't believe the moms took out Vytas.

Well, Ponderosa is going to be adding another Baskauskas.

Laura gives the clue to the hidden idol to Ciera, and Ciera burns it.

Kasama Camp
Tyson thinks that Ciera needs to go because she already has 3 potential jury votes already with her mom putting a good word in for her. Hayden has other ideas. He thinks that Tyson might need to go before he can take them out. Caleb agrees that a blindside might be a good idea because he is a strong player who has a lot of control right now.

Ciera talks to Hayden and Caleb and they tell her about blindsiding Tyson. She says she would like to make a final 3 with Hayden and Caleb. However, she doesn't really want to work with them because they are so willing to flop. She goes right to Tyson and tells him the plan and she says she will vote however he wants to. Crap! Now, it's Ciera with Tyson, Monica, and Gervase going against Caleb, Hayden and Katie. Crap! This is NOT good! Hayden really, really needs to win immunity now more than ever!

Hayden starts to get paranoid and thinks that Ciera might tell Tyson. Katie and Hayden think that if Ciera doesn't win immunity that they should go after her instead of Tyson.

Immunity Challenge
Another repeat challenge from a previous season. They have to hold a bucket by a rope. As time goes, the rope will begin to unravel until they can't hold on any longer. They have the choice to feast instead. Tyson, Gervase and Ciera decide to eat instead of compete. Thank you Hayden for NOT going for the food. It really says a lot about the people who did not compete...they think they're safe.

Katie is the first one out. Monica looks like she could go all day. Caleb says the skin is ripping off his hands. Hayden's bucket is slipping, but he continues to crank it back to the top, even though his hands are blistered. Caleb can't hold on any longer, and Hayden says he won't be writing his name down. It's down to Hayden and Monica. I am going to be absolutely sick if Monica wins another one. Again...I can't watch! This is as much torture for me watching as it is for Hayden competing. You've got to be kidding me, Monica wins again! Ugh!!!!! She couldn't give Hayden just one? Come on!

Kasama Camp
Hayden and Katie are very suspicious of the 3 that decided not to compete. They think they must be working together. Hayden thinks they should ask Tyson if they are planning on voting either of them to see what he says. They think maybe they can work an angle with him and show him that the 2 sides are being pitted against each other by Ciera. Oh good, Tyson agrees with them. He didn't think it made sense for them to go after him. Tyson doesn't trust Ciera, but he doesn't really trust Hayden and Caleb either. They could be just trying to make him feel comfortable. Tyson is thinking about using his idol, just to be safe.

The talk around camp is that it's going to be Ciera, but anything could happen. Tyson tells Gervase what Hayden and Caleb had said. He says that he tends to believe what they are saying and he knows Ciera is a threat because she can lie to anyone's face better than anyone out there.

Tribal Council
Uh oh, I think Hayden is talking a little too much. Gervase looks right at him when he says that he hopes he can trust people.

Tyson plays the idol!!!! In epic fashion, Tyson digs through his bag, asks Katie to hold something, then dumps everything in his bag on the ground, sifts through the mess and then hands Jeff the idol.

The Vote:
Ciera
Caleb
Ciera
Ciera
Caleb
Caleb
Caleb

So, it's 4-3...that means Ciera sided with Team Tyson. Oh crap! I can't believe they did it! Hayden looked stunned. Caleb was shocked too. I'm a little surprised that Hayden wasn't #1 on their hit list instead of Caleb, but I'm glad he wasn't. It gives Hayden 3 more days to try to scramble and put something together. I'm really worried for him. The immunity challenges have not been going very well for him. They all suit other people better than him. He gave this one a good run, but Monica had to go and outlast him. Good luck Hayden, you're going to need it. You're on a sinking ship and you're going down fast. Someone throw the man a life preserver! Go Hayden!

---

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

Dancing With The Stars, Ep. 17.12: Finale

Freestyle Encore
The public tweeted, and they wanted to see Amber & Derek's freestyle again. This could be very telling...people love freestyles, and the freestyle "winner" usually wins it all. So...does this mean Amber will be the winner?

What Does The Fox Say?
We get to see another performance by the group that brought us this awesome group dance...sung by the artist live. Still an awesome dance! They pointed out that the 3 finalists were all in this group dance. I knew this group was stacked heavily in their favor...the other team didn't stand a chance.

24-Hour Fusion Dances
Last night the pairs chose 2 dances for each other. The 2 dances have to be fused into one dance to one track of music....with only 1 day to prepare.

Corbin & Karina--ChaCha/Foxtrot
These  2 dances couldn't be more different, but they flowed seamlessly from the Foxtrot right into the fun and hip-gyrating ChaCha and right back into the Foxtrot. The dances looked like they belonged together, what an accomplishment! Great choreography from Karina.
Score: 27 (89 2-night total)

Jack & Cheryl--Paso Doble/Salsa
Wow, I was just so in awe, that I forgot I was supposed to be watching for the 2 dances! Luckily, I did snap out of it to recognize them both. He did very well at the Salsa for not ever dancing it before. His Paso was good of course, as well. Well done, and good luck Jack!
Score: 27 (84 2-night total)

Amber & Derek--Samba/Quickstep
These are both very quick dances, so it was pretty easy to put them together. I think at the end of this season, she's just tired. She was fast, but not like she has shown in the past. She didn't seem to be moving quite as quickly as Derek was. It was still really good though. Derek's choreography was just amazing...again. He did a great job of putting the 2 dances together to make 1 dance.
Score: 30 (94 2-night total)

I don't think there has ever been that much of a spread in the finale. The scores are usually very close, within a point or 2. There's 10 points separating first and last place, and Amber is ahead of Corbin by 5 points. Wow.

The Results
3rd Place: Jack & Cheryl (he tied his sister Kelly, who also took 3rd place back in Season 9)
2nd Place: Corbin & Karina
WINNER: AMBER & DEREK (Derek is now an unprecedented 5-time winner!!! And, it's his 2nd back-to-back win...that's just crazy!)

---

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

The Voice, Ep. 5.21

Top 8 Results
The big question: will Adam's perfect/complete team of 3 remain intact again tonight? So far Team Adam is the only team to not lose a member. CeeLo is down to just one; will Caroline go home and leave CeeLo without a team?

In Jeopardy: Matthew Schuler, Ray Boudreaux and Caroline Pennell
That means that Team Adam will stay a strong 3! Wow, that is amazing!

Instant Save: Matthew Schuler

Going Home: Caroline Pennel and Ray Boudreaux

Top 6:
Will Champlin - Team Adam
James Wolpert - Team Adam
Tessanne Chin - Team Adam
Cole Vosbury - Team Blake
Jacquie Lee - Team Christina
Matthew Schuler - Team Christina

---

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

The Voice, Ep. 5.20

James Wolpert - Team Adam
I can't wait to hear him sing "Somebody to Love" by Queen. This could be amazing. I love the choir surrounding him at the beginning, that was really cool. How funny that the entire male choir is not only dressed like him, but all are wearing the exact same signature glasses that he is. OK, now the singing....so good! The way he started out calm and gradually built it up, and then he hit that big money note. It was absolutely incredible! I loved the way he made his way out into the audience. I think his performance level was so much greater than what we've seen in previous weeks. Adam is one pretty proud papa after that one.

Tessanne Chin - Team Adam
I like that she's delving into her Jamaican roots. I think the Jamaican vibe works well with this No Doubt song. Her rapping section was dope! It definitely showed a different side of her. We all know she has a powerhouse voice, but she is very versatile. It was also nice to see her having some fun. She looked like an absolute professional performer out there. She was so confident with that song. Wow! Another proud moment for Adam.

Caroline Pennell - Team CeeLo
She was going for a different song, and she found it with "Dog Days Are Over" by Florence and the Machine. If you ask me, this was absolutely not the right song! I HATE this song with a passion! I can't stand it! For an awful song, she did an OK job with it. I don't think was as big of a stretch as CeeLo was saying it was going to be for her. I think parts of the song lent itself to her voice very well. I'm still not going to be a fan of this song though. It lasted way too long, in my opinion, and I had to fast forward through the end just to make it stop...I couldn't take it any more. Nothing against Caroline, because I love her, but that song is just terrible.

Cole Vosbury - Team Blake
2 really good performances in a row...Cole might be winning me over. Maybe. He's still not my favorite, but I do enjoy his performances.

Matthew Schuller - Team Christina

Dancing With The Stars, Ep. 17.11

I can't believe it's time for the Finale already!

Round 1: Judges' Picks

Bill & Emma-Viennese Waltz
It took them A LONG time to get to any dancing. Len should like it, there were no frills, just straight waltz. He looked like he improved his timing, which is one of the things he has struggled with. Except at the end, he looked like he was rushing a little bit. However, he always was a little better with the ballroom dances versus the Latin dances. Side note: Emma really looks like Julianne Hough, especially with her hair like that...I never noticed that before.
Score: 24

Corbin & Karina-Quickstep
It's hard to find anything that Corbin needs to improve on. He does every dance so well. I don't really see anything different with this dance and the first time he did it. I thought it was good then, and it's good tonight as well.
Score: 27

Jack & Cheryl-Jive
If he can really nail the kicks and flicks this time, this will be amazing. He does look a little sharper this time around. I wouldn't say it was a huge improvement over the last time, but it was good.
Score: 24

Amber & Derek-Charleston
I think she improved this dance quite a bit. The synchronicty was better, and that was one thing they told her to work on. Her footwork was a lot better.
Score: 30

Round 2: Samba Relay

Amazing Race, Ep. 23.9

Leg 9: Abu Dhabi -> Bandung, Indonesia

Nicole and Travis lead it off. Leo & Jamal oversleep and end up leaving at the same time as Ally & Ashley. They are looking forward to confronting Nicole & Travis about why they U-Turned them. They met up at the airport and Nicole & Travis said that part of the reason was because they lied about the last U-Turn.

Route Info: They have to pick 2 rams and take them to the arena and they have to head-butt in order to be able to move on.

Nicole & Travis are first, followed by Ally & Ashley. Leo & Jamal were way too into it...man can they be annoying! Jason & Amy were in last. However...Tim & Marie's cab broke down before they could leave, and Jason & Amy passed them. KARMA!

Nicole & Travis and Ally & Ashley make the first train to leave to the next location. Leo & Jamal show up at the last minute and also make it on the train, to the dismay of Nicole & Travis. Jason & Amy literally showed up as the train was leaving. Darn it! How great would that have been if Tim & Marie were the only ones not to make that train?! Both teams now need to wait an hour for the next train.

Detour: For the Elephants or For the Birds
In For the Elephants, they have to collect food at the market and transport it on a trolly and feed the elephants. In For the Birds, they have to pick up a pair of matching birds and get it to sing for the judges.

Ally & Ashley do the elephants, and arrive first, followed by Leo & Jamal. Ally & Ashley were very confused and they didn't pick up the food from the market first. They showed up at the zoo first...bummer. Leo & Jamal were then in first. Ally & Ashley continue to struggle getting the food in the cab. They start to argue and decide that maybe they should do the birds instead. They stick with the elephants, and unlike Leo & Jamal, they had to make 2 trips with all the food because the sugar canes were too long. Jason & Amy show up as Ally & Ashley are leaving to get the rest of their food.

Marie wanted to see the elephants so "we are doing the elephants". Good grief...if I was Tim, it would be very hard to not punch her in the face. Tim & Marie also pass them up, and Ally & Ashley are now in last.

Nicole & Travis go for the birds and are first at their location. Their birds sing and they are moving on. They are the first team to get to the Road Block.

Road Block: Assemble Angklung
They have to assemble an instrument with 8 notes and play a complete octave.

Nicole chooses to do it even though Travis is the more musical of the 2. He thought that since they had a lead, he was comfortable with her doing it and that they would finish quickly and stay in first. Unfortunately, she didn't really get what an octave was and how to choose the different notes.

Leo & Jamal arrive and enter the arena and get everyone dancing with them...they looked like idiots. Leo passes up Nicole, who still can't figure it out. Jamal shouts to Leo to destroy his instrument so no one could cheat. Nicole ran over to try to see and he picked it up and was trying to run away from her as she was trying to look at it. These 2 teams are really not going to like each other now after that.

Tim, who is a music teacher, also finishes and his instrument is correct. Nicole is still trying. It's now a race between Amy and Nicole. Amy thinks she has it...and she does! Travis is embarrassed. Jason & Amy feel bad, so Amy goes back and helps Nicole. She practically puts it together for her! Wow, that's sportsmanship, but wow...it's a race!. At least they knew there were 2 teams behind them at that point.

Finally, Nicole finishes, and if it hadn't been for Amy, I don't think she would have ever gotten it.

Pitstop #9
1. Leo & Jamal
2. Tim & Marie
3. Jason & Amy
4. Nicole & Travis
5. Ally & Ashley

---

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

X Factor, Ep. 3.17

1st Elimination: Khaya Cohen
What?! Seriously? She was one of the better singers. I don't know why she didn't connect with the viewers.

In Jeopardy and Singing for Their Lives: Tim Olstad and Carlito Olivero

It's the battle of the boys...I kind of had a feeling it might come down to these 2. Tim started out very shaky and very off-pitch. He picked the perfect song. Again, he got stronger as the song went on. He ended very strong, but I think it could have been even better. I don't know if it's enough to change the mind of the judges who have been very critical of his performances since the very beginning. Carlito picked an interesting song, and I think he should have picked a Latino song, because that's when he really shines. The entire first half of the song was way too low, and was a little boring. Once he got to the chorus, it got much better. The second verse was also much better as the track picked up pace a little bit. He is definitely more of a performer than Tim, and that has been part of the judges' criticism of Tim.

Judges Save: Carlito
Kelly sends home--Tim
Demi sends home--Tim
Paulina sends home--Tim

Moving on to the Top 8:
Jeff Gutt -- Over 25s (Kelly)
Lillie McCloud -- Over 25s (Kelly)
Alex & Sierra -- Groups (Simon)
Restless Road -- Groups (Simon)
Ellona Santiago -- Girls (Demi)
Rion Paige -- Girls (Demi)
Josh Levi -- Boys (Paulina)
Carlito Olivero -- Boys (Paulina)

---

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

X Factor, Ep. 3.16

Top 10: British Invasion Week

Jeff Gutt - Over 25s (Kelly)
Whoa, "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen...that's a tough one! I think he will be amazing! I hope he can nail it so he doesn't fall into the category of people who have tried it and failed miserably. I like the set design for him this week. Yes, it is awesome! I've got goosebumps. He has the absolute perfect voice for this song, and he can put so much emotion into the lyrics, which sells it even better. Amazing performance. Jeff Gutt + "Bohemian Rhapsody" = perfection = goosebumps = X Factor winner, please!!!

Tim Olstad - Boys (Paulina)
I think playing the piano might be a good move for him this week. I LOVE this song! I know Elton sang it first, but I will always love the Blue version (that features Elton John). It's an amazing song...one of my favorites. I have to say, though, as good as this could have, and should have been, it just wasn't. He had a couple of uncharacteristic flat notes. I didn't like his phrasing of the song either. It sounded kind of rushed. Maybe I'm just used to the original. It was good, but it wasn't actually my favorite performance of his. I find it interesting that the judges actually liked this performance more than his others.

Khaya Cohen - Girls (Demi)
"Let it Be" by The Beatles...another great song choice tonight! I like seeing her sing something more toned down. This song allows her to show off her vocal skills...much more than last week. I like the changes she made to the song. Great performance! Wow, she really brought down the house at the end of that song. Holy crap! Beautiful!

Josh Levi - Boys (Paulina)
Wow, it took me a minute to figure out what song he was singing. He totally gives it a different vibe. I don't really know if it works on this song. I'm not loving it. It would have been better if he wouldn't have turned it into an R&B song and sang it like the original. He might as well have done a different song. Other than the words, not much was the same, and it wasn't changed for the better. Vocally, it was good, but I hated the song.

Alex & Sierra - Groups (Simon)
Covering One Direction? Should be interesting. One Directioners probably won't like it. I like the original, so I can't wait to see how they change it up. Whoa, look at that set! I love the bridge. Another song completely transformed and so different than the original. The difference between them changing a song, and Josh Levi changing a song is that theirs is actually good. Sorry Sierra, but I'm in love with Alex too. So cute, and that voice!

Rion Paige - Girls (Demi)

Survivor, Ep. 27.10

After Tribal
Katie realizes that she is in big trouble. Laura and Ciera are the only couple left in the game.  They think that they have the power in the game. Ciera seems to have taken on the leadership role over her mom. As someone who's never played the game, to be telling Laura, her mother, what to do...that's pretty interesting. Ciera also recognizes that she has a better chance of winning than her mother, so she may have to turn on her sooner rather than later.

Redemption Island Duel
I am so incredibly nervous for this duel. Aras and Vytas should have a huge advantage, but watch Tina go and do really well. If she knocks either Aras or Vytas out, I'm going to be VERY upset! Whoever loses will become the first jury member. I can't believe it's time for the jury already. You know what that means: PONDEROSA!

The challenge is a repeat of previous seasons where they have to throw a grappling hook to grab bags. Tina is killing it and getting a bag with each throw. Tina is the first to get all 4 bags. After the bags they take a ball and get it through on a table maze. Aaah! I'm so nervous! Oh no! Ara's ball falls through a hole! It's Tina vs. Vytas. She's at the final spot and needs it to go into the center hole, and Yes!...it falls in a hole and she has to start over! Vytas gets it in and he wins! Go Aras! Oh no, Tina is getting close again. I can't watch! This is killing me! Noooooo! Tina beat him! I am so bummed! I can't believe Aras is out! If it had to be one of them, I wish it would have been Vytas. At least Aras is a class act and handled it like a pro. He knew he got beat and he had no hard feelings. The only positive, is that we get to see Aras's beautiful face at every Tribal Council, and there's always the Ponderosa episodes!

As the winner, Vytas, gives the immunity clue to Katie because he thinks she needs it. For once, she keeps it and it doesn't get thrown into the fire. It's not going to do her much good since Tyson has the idol.

Kasama Camp

The Voice, Ep. 5.19

Bottom 3: Austin Jenckes, Caroline Pennell, Kat Robichaud
I gotta say, I'm kind of surprised by the bottom 3 this week. I guess I'd be surprised by any of them in the bottom. I was kind of thinking Ray might be in trouble because he's been at the bottom, and maybe either Will or James.

Instant Save: Caroline Pennell
Whew! CeeLo almost lost his last 2 artists in one fell swoop.

Going Home: Austin Jenckes and Kat Robichaud

Moving on to Next Week's Top 8:

Team Adam
James Wolpert
Will Champlin
Tessanne Chin

Team Blake
Ray Boudreaux
Cole Vosbury

Team CeeLo
Caroline Pennell

Team Christina
Matthew Schuler
Jacquie Lee

---

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

The Voice, Ep. 5.18

Austin Jenckes - Team Blake
For me, it seemed like his pitch was just under where it should have been for the whole song. This performance just didn't do it for me. I especially did not care for his screaming at the end. He's been so much better than this in the past. I don't think that's who he really is. I don't know, I just didn't get it.

Jacquie Lee - Team Christina
There were a couple of wonky notes at the beginning, but after that, it got better. This wasn't my favorite performance of hers, though. I thought the song choice would be a good one, but it didn't end up being as good as I thought it would be. The best part of the song was the beautiful run that she did at the end.

Will Champlin - Team Adam
I think this might be Will's best performance yet. I love his whole vibe, and I love him behind the piano. I think he killed it tonight! And it was even a song I'm not familiar with...but I liked it...I might have to check out the original.

Caroline Pennell - Team CeeLo
I'm not crazy about the song choice this week. She definitely has a style all her own, and it comes through on every performance. This one fell just a bit short for me this week, and it was a little too boring and sleepy.

Cole Vosbury - Team Blake
Whoa, this song takes me back to my childhood. I've always liked this song. He actually sounds a lot like the original. Blake was so right, this is definitely a guitar song. There was one part where I'm not sure if he forgot the words, or if he intentionally wasn't singing and it was just the back-up singers. Hmm... I think this was probably my favorite performance of his. I really enjoyed it.

Tessanne Chin - Team Adam
I'm not familiar with this song, and I'm not really a fan of it after hearing it. Tessanne is always amazing though, just didn't love the song. It isn't my favorite performance of hers, but she can sing the crap out of anything.

Ray Boudreaux - Team Blake
Oh my gosh, I just love Ray. I am so in love with his voice. It also doesn't hurt that he's really good looking. This was just a really good all-around performance. I really liked it. He sounded so much more sure of himself and he sang with a lot of confidence.

James Wolpert - Team Adam
After seeing the song list for the show tonight, I would have never guessed that he would be singing this song. He surprises me every week with his range of song choices and styles. He sings them all so well. This was just awesome. He puts so much heart and soul into it every time he sings.

Kat Robichaud - Team CeeLo
Pat Benetar is perfect for her. She can really rock out on this one. It could have been better...some of her lower notes were really shaky. I think if they would have taken it up a note, it would have been even better. I like this Kat better than what we've seen the past couple of weeks--a combination of rock and a more reserved side. It was big and epic, just like what CeeLo was going for.

Matthew Schuler - Team Christina
I probably wouldn't have picked this song for him, but it turned out to be a lot better than I thought it was going to be. It was really good! He is proving week after week, that he is a force to be reckoned with. Wow!

---

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