X Factor US 3: Top 6

This week they went all DIVA and UNPLUGGED and after Rachel Potter, Khaya Cohen, Lillie McCloud and Josh Levi got eliminated the past couple of weeks, I figured that this show will just rot in hell. But with two fantastic performances from Alex & Sierra and a couple of good ones from the other acts, this has to be one of the best episodes of X Factor this season. Oh, and somehow Paulina Rubio was unintentionally entertaining that I didn't mind her talking nonsense during the whole program.

I just hope America voted for Alex & Sierra as they seem to vote out the actual good singers no?

12. Restless Road
Red
When did Taylor Swift become a diva? Look, the idea of a country trio in the veins of One Direction is quite brilliant, but if they can't sing that well, then what's the point? Their solos were terrible, especially the jarring transition to Scotty McCreery wannabe's part, their diction sounded bad, and their supposed "harmonies" were drowned out by the loud backtrack during the chorus. Shame! 4

11. Rion Paige
See You Again
Holy pitch! Why would she even dare to tackle a Carrie Underwood song? I don't know. This seemed to be in a wrong key for her voice making it all sound rough in spots, there's a hitch in her voice that sounded unpleasant, and her movements were a tad distracting. Oh, and whoever dressed her should be fired. Stat. 4.5

10. Rion Paige
Glass
Maybe she was trying to have another Your Song moment with this song choice, but while she was able to have some nice vocal moments here and there, her voice was pretty uneven for the most part - especially when she was hitting those high notes. If she just stayed within her range, this would've been a lot better. 5

09. Carlito Olivero
Stand By Me
KARAOKE! This was a completely generic version of the song. Sure, Carlito did something new with it by singing some parts in Spanish, but that's about it. It wasn't vocally terrible by any means, but I was completely bored halfway through. 5.5

07. Carlito Olivero
Let's Get Loud
Eh. This was slightly better than his sleepy rendition of Stand By Me, but then again, this was still a ridiculously paint-by-the-numbers version of Let's Get Loud. Heck, I didn't even think he did enough to elevate this song into something fresh and his voice had a nasal quality to it that didn't sit well with me during his performance. 6

08. Jeff Gutt
Without You
As usual, Jeff's vocals were mostly good as he managed to hit all of his notes with great precision, especially when his voice soared during the chorus, but the song choice alone made me barf. Good thing the arrangement sounded different from Mariah Carey's version and that staging was quite brilliant. It was as if he was on a sci fi film. Haha. 7

06. Jeff Gutt
Daniel
Not going to lie, this was actually stunning. I loved hearing Jeff's voice front and center without any loud band overpowering his voice. His tone sounded gorgeous on this song, it was nuanced and subtle, and some of his vocal choices were seriously lovely. I agree to some extent, that it was lacked some dynamics, but that's me already nitpicking. 7.5

05. Ellona Santiago
Applause
The beginning was terrific, the arrangement was interesting, her phrasing and her well modulated tone sounded fantastic, and I thought that she's the only one left that could really deliver an all-around entertaining performance. She lost of a bit of her vocal control towards the end, which was unfortunate, but this was good for the most part. 7.5

04. Restless Road
Wake Me Up
I didn't understand the need for the background singers - especially since there's three of them already to support each other's vocals - but this has to be their best performance to date. I had serious doubts, but they pulled it off. They sounded great on their solos and somehow, I almost didn't mind them having NO harmonies whatsoever. 7.5

03. Ellona Santiago
If I Were A Boy
While I wasn't really a fan of the song choice - a bit overdone for my taste - Ellona probably delivered a stunning vocal performance. I thought her vocal dynamics were great, the way she navigated the melody during the verses sounded beautiful, and how she powered her voice through during the bridge was impressive. I agree with Kelly, she should explore her softer tone more because it's just lovely. 8

02. Alex & Sierra
Say My Name
DAMN! Who knew? This song choice went out of nowhere, and I was more than thrilled, I peed. Haha. This was probably one of their finest moments. Their solos were outstanding, their harmonies was tighter than Sierra's pants, and shockingly, Sierra's vocals sounded strong on this with enough sass and attitude and great phrasing. 9

01. Alex & Sierra
Say Something
Oh, if Say My Name was one of Alex & Sierra's finest moments on this show, Say Something was, without a doubt, one of the most memorable performances this season of the X Factor. This performance was magical. True, it wasn't any different from the original, but who cares? They sounded magnificent, their chemistry was overwhelming, how they both played instruments was genius, and everything else was brilliant. 9.5

PREDICTION

Rion Paige

Carlito Olivero