Also, there judges were pretty brutal. Demi Lovato, in particular, was mostly on point with her critiques and pretty fearless. She's competent, intelligent, sober and fiesty. Some of the bickering with Simon was a little obnoxious, but I digress.
Oh, and the audience were doubly annoying. Haha.
Anyway, on to the rankings!
[Unplugged]
Wow. This was pretty awful. I thought the one "playing" the guitar sounded bad - what's with the accent? - the solos were laughable and their harmonies were terrible. I figured that they were trying to duplicate OneDirection's performance of Little Things a couple of weeks ago on this show with the orange staging and whatnot, but this just didn't work. Possibly their worst performance EVER. 4.5/10
[Unplugged]
Tate sounded good as always, but I thought the arrangement was too weird that the key changes were annoying. I didn't like how he tried to sing this without hitting those significant high notes that adds power to the song - maybe the key didn't fit his baritone voice, but why pick the song to begin with? - and it just didn't go anywhere. How I wish he did something by Jason Aldean or Brad Paisley instead. 5/10
[Pepsi Challenge]
Oh god. Just quit. If these guys aren't suppose to be a boy band nor a rock band, what the heck are they suppose to be? Haha. To be fair, this was slightly better than their other performance, but I felt like they've completely phoned it in. They didn't seem like they're even trying anymore. Oh, and how are they any better than Fifth Harmony at harmonizing? I don't know. 5/10
[Pepsi Challenge]
Sigh. I've been waiting for Cece to turn the corner, but it's not happening. Vocally, this was absolutely catastrophic. Haha. Her pitch was all over the place and the background vocal track somehow drowned her out in parts. Good thing, she managed to bring the fun factor and the spunk. But I don't think this performance will be fairly judged. I mean, if an actual artist did something like that on stage, they wouldn't complain. Katy Perry, Ke$ha, and Britney Spears get it. It's much about the spectacle and entertainment. 5.5/10
[Unplugged]
Yes, I've seen and heard a million solo artist cover this Adele song, but Fifth Harmony's rendition was a welcome change. I thought they sounded great for the most part especially since this is a hard song to sing, but I agree with LA about them singing in unison instead of an actual harmony. Of course, there's nothing wrong with a group that sings in parts and in unison, but if they were called a different name, I think they would have had better chances. 6.5/10
[Pepsi Challenge]
While a total snoozer, I honestly thought that this performance could potentially put Tate back on the race. I didn't think he did the most with it and his interpretation somehow lacked the passion the song requires, but the song itself may put him on top again. Not a fan, but I digress. 6.5/10
[Unplugged]
Is this a sign that Diamond would be eliminated just before the Finale because the finalists will be required to sing their audition pieces? Haha. How I wish she picked another song because this was too big for her. She definitely had some incredible vocal moments, but there was something weird about a 13 year old girl singing this song. Oh, and how was this unplugged if there was a jazz ensemble and an obvious track? She should've sang another song. 7/10
[Unplugged]
I wouldn't lie, Cece still had a couple of pitch issues during this performance, but it wasn't horribly off key like usual. In fact, this was possibly her best performance since I'm Sexy And I Know It. The staging was intimate, her transition towards those high notes were surprisingly spot on and she actually managed to connect with the material quite well. It sounded a bit choppy with her odd phrasing, but whatever. Love her or hate her. 7/10
[Pepsi Challenge]
I hope the other contestants were taking notes during this performance. Haha. Carly's rendition of this Beyonce song was just fantastic. She had great modulation, her lower range was stunning and her upper register was sublime. I also liked some of the liberties she took with the melody. I somehow felt like the arrangement was a little choppy, but overall, pretty good stuff. 8/10
[Pepsi Challenge]
Talk about X Factor going current with this song choice no? While I found her vocals a bit nasal during the verses, Diamond's cover of Diamonds - I just have to put it somewhere. Haha - was quite impressive. I thought her voice soared towards the end and her pitch was shockingly on point. The production also has to be one of the best this season. 8/10
[Pepsi Challenge]
SOLID! Exactly what I've wanted from them all along - something modern that shows off their vocals individually, but at the same time a spot on harmonies. I would've liked it if they attempted to move around the stage, but at least this one had energy and they got the right command of the stage. They sounded fantastic and probably one of their best performances this season. 8.5/10
[Unplugged]
HOLY COW! Can we just give the $5M dollar contract to Carly Rose now? Nobody - and I mean, NO ONE - can touch her vocally on this show. I thought she just attempted the impossible - lending credibility to a Justin Bieber song - and passed it with flying colors. Her voice was distinct, skilled and rich. Her phrasing was outstandingly brilliant - yes, and I'm not exaggerating - the intimate staging was perfect and the arrangement was fantastic. To me, THE best live performance on X Factor this season! Not kidding. 9.5/10
PREDICTION
Who should go home?
Emblem3
Emblem3
Tate Stevens
Who will go home?
Cece Frey
Diamond White
1 comments:
It's hard to believe that a Justin Bieber song could be made to sound that freaking great! I'm beginning to think the judges are correct...Carly Rose is an alien! =) It's hard to believe that at 13 years old, she is one of the best vocalists I've ever heard. I just hope the country fans don't win and cost this amazing talent her well deserved win.
As for everyone else...
Emblem3 are becoming stagnant and a bit boring (Demi is right on point with these guys).
Cece - I think I would really like her as a person to hang out with. Their edit of her made her seem like a complete bitch at first, but I think I would really like her. Unfortunately, her vocals are inconsistent.
Diamond - she's got a good voice, but there's just something missing... not sure what it is.
Fifth Harmony - after Carly Rose, these girls are my favorites. They seem to get a little better every week. I hope they get signed and get good songs to showcase their strengths.
Tate - a likable guy who has a pretty good voice. Fortunately for him, he sings country and there are a ton of country fans (for some reason that I'll never figure out).
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