X Factor US 2 Wrap-Up: 20 Best Performances

Just like with American Idol and The Voice, my series review of the  season wouldn't be complete without the obligatory wrap-up! Again, this will be VERY subjective, but it's fun to take a look back at some of the best live performances of this season's X Factor US. There were a couple of standouts and that's something I didn't expect really after the crap that was last year.

So, who made the list?

20. Edge Of Glory

Cece Frey
TOP 6
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.

19. Bonfire

Tate Stevens
TOP 4
I've never been a Tate fan, but this was actually really good. I thought that it was a great song choice, he performed it impressively well, and it's uptempo. I like that it wasn't boring like most of his other performances and he seemed like he was enjoying his time on stage. There's no doubt that country fans will eat this one up

18. Let Stay Together

Vino Alan
TOP 12
I personally wouldn't have picked this song for him - too pub singer - but he had full control of his voice and he sounded really good. I thought the production was nice although seeing him slog around the stage made me uneasy. Nonetheless, this to me was Vino's best performance on the show.  

17. Diamonds

Diamond White
TOP 6
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.

16. My Love Is Your Love

David Correy
TOP 16
Arguably the best vocal performance of the Top 16 night. I thought David sounded really good that he almost reminded me of Bruno Mars with his smooth tone and impressive range. I wasn't crazy about the song choice - shocker! - but he did an incredible job with it and he actually made it his own. I thought his runs were spot on and the liberties he took with the melody were flawless. Plus, I felt every bit of emotion into this performance. I disagree with Simon, it's not desperation but passion. Too bad he got eliminated after this.

15. American Boy

Arin Ray
TOP 13
While there were minor flaws in his vocals, this was seriously quite impressive. The rap breakdown was a nice touch, his stage presence was awesome and the arrangement of the song was actually really good. He looked like a little pop star on that stage. To me, Arin just proved to everyone that he can be a relevant artist. Massive potential. Good job.

14. Home Sweet Home

Jennel Garcia
TOP 16
While Jennel needed more power and conviction to really nail this song I though she possibly had one of the best vocal performances in this first live show. She had great stage presence, her vocals soared towards the end with enough grit, and she's very charismatic. Again, not crazy about the song choice, but I digress.

13. Anytime You Need A Friend

Fifth Harmony
SING OFF
For a survival performance, this was seriously good. I thought their harmonies were excellent, the solos were spot on and their delivery was very cohesive. Plus, it's not easy to sing a Mariah Carey as a group and they pulled it off quite nicely.

12. It Will Rain

Carly Rose Sonenclar
TOP 13
Vocally, Carly Rose was untouchable. I thought her pitch was flawless, her tone was lovely and that vocal control was absolutely impressive for her age. I wish she sang the melody straight though as things got a bit unrecognizable in the middle of her performance. But yeah, this was a lot better than her performance last week.

11. Because You Loved Me

Diamond White
TOP 10
I've NEVER been a fan of Diamond White - just read my previous reviews prior to the live shows - but this was the performance that got me completely on board with her. This, to me, was the best I've heard her sing. I was about to criticize her for singing another diva ballad, but I wasn't mad for this because she just sang the living daylights out of this Celine Dion song. Her vocals were gorgeous, her pitch was on point, the liberties she took - especially towards that last note - was impressive and she was emotionally connected with the material. Impressive stuff.

10. A Thousand Years

Fifth Harmony
TOP 13
Fifth Harmony formerly known as 1432 formerly known as Lylas. Haha. I'm actually good with this new name - I prepared myself for something much worse - and their performance this week was awesome. I thought their harmonies were spectacular and they sounded like an actual girl group. I still dislike Camilla's voice - she sounded like a kid - but it was just pure bliss when the others came in. I found Laurena nd Dinah's voices particularly terrific. I knew from this performance that the potential in this girl group would be endless.

09. Never Gonna Give You Up

Paige Thomas
Top 8
Paige will NEVER be as good of a vocalist as Carly Rose, but she looked like a seasoned performer on stage - something that trumps vocal prowess on this show since this is about that X Factor. I was seriously perplexed with her song choice, but she pulled it off amazingly. I thought she sounded great especially during the verses and she managed to be on pitch even after she started moving. I loved the arrangement of the song, she looked like a legitimate star and I liked that she was having fun on stage. This was significantly better than usual and she's possibly one of the few that didn't get swallowed by the big production. 

08. One Day

Emblem3
TOP 16
At this time, I actually didn't mind their cocky personalities, their version of One Day was bloody brilliant and probably the best performance of the night. The song choice was perfect, their vocals were solid, their harmonies were great, they made it current into a quisi hip-hop sound, they did the reggae aspect some justice and they didn't get swallowed up by the big stage. Oh, and they're ridiculously charismatic. Fantastic. 

07. Give Your Heart A Break

Fifth Harmony
TOP 6
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.

06. Rolling In The Deep

Carly Rose Sonenclar
TOP 8
When Amanda Brown covered Someone Like You on The Voice the same week,  I said that there's NOTHING she could do to make her rendition better than Adele's or change the song up in any way that would leave anyone amazed. Simply put, Adele songs should, in general, be left alone. Color me surprised when I actually found Carly Rose's version of this popular Adele song quite impressive. Her vocal control was impeccable with some pretty ridiculous range. But it was her fantastic phrasing that made all the difference as she managed to make some interesting stylistic choices on her vocals to differentiate her version to Adele. She didn't translate too much emotion - she looked disconnected from it - but vocally, this was sensational.

05. Paradise

Paige Thomas
SING OFF
She delivered a stunning vocal performance just when she needed it the most. She's NOT the best singer in this bunch, but I think she has that star quality and this performance proved that she can sing and given the right material, she can be successful. Her pitch on this was spot on and connected with the material really well. I thought she showcased here how relevant she can be. Enough said.

04. Over The Rainbow

Carly Rose Sonenclar
TOP 10
Vocally, Carly Rose is above and beyond everyone else that it's not even close. I thought her rendition of Over The Rainbow was sublime, her vocals were utterly stunning and the arrangement was probably the best way to showcase her talent. Plus, the vocals dynamics were spot on and she just nailed those hard notes with such consistency and precision.

03. Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

Lyric145
TOP 13
THIS WAS AWESOME! Mary Poppins? Really? They took something that I wouldn't expect to NEVER EVER work - like, ever - but it somehow did. The song choice was brave and unexpected, the arrangement was creative and the performance was ridiculously entertaining. It was unbelievably refreshing. I was worried that Lyric145 wouldn't work as a group as I felt like rap as a genre has limited appeal on these shows, but something as fun as this is hard to ignore. Lyric Da Queen was fantastic and this group could actually replace LMFAO. Haha.

02. As Long As You Love Me

Carly Rose Sonenclar
TOP 6
HOLY COW! The week when I just wanted them to hand out the $5M dollar contract to her. 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, until..

01. Anything Could Happen

Fifth Harmony
TOP 4

THIS WAS THEIR MOMENT! Definitely the best performance they've had all season and, dare I say, the best of the season. I thought they all sounded flawless, their harmonies were spot on and the production was one of the best I've seen this season. I loved how they used the stage and with the boring same old songs we got that night, this performance really stood out. Modern. Fun. Amazing. Maybe it's too little too late, but they pulled out all the stops before the Finale to actually pull an upset over the highly favorite and overrated Emblem 3. Oh, and good lord, HOLY BOW CAMILA. Haha. As they say, Anything Could Happen.